Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)]

1. What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the new trading relationship with the EU.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

15. What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the new UK-EU trading relationship.

[The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Nick Thomas-Symonds)]

We have reset our relationships with the European Union, and are now focused on delivering a long-term strategic partnership to improve the lives of working people and make the UK more prosperous. That is good for bills, good for our borders and good for jobs.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

That is absolutely not the case. What we have with the European Union is a new deal that the supermarkets say has put a downward pressure on prices, and which Octopus Energy says will bring the cost of energy down. I am surprised to hear that Reform is against that, but since it has welcomed Liz Truss’s party chairman as a new member today, perhaps it is no surprise that Reform takes that view.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Yesterday on “Farming Today” at 5.45 am, it was put to a shellfish farmer that it was going to become much easier for her to export her produce to the European Union. Her response was, “Yes, but we are told that the changes will be two or perhaps four years away, if they happen at all.” Given what we have negotiated away, can those changes be expedited?

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

I am determined to expedite these new arrangements as quickly as possible. It is fantastic to see the Opposition take that position—I thought the right hon. Gentleman’s Front Benchers were against them.