UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations

Viscount Hailsham Excerpts

Thursday 18th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I was doing so well. What I have been told I can say is that it will be happening in 2026, so there will definitely be a summit next year.

We genuinely are moving at pace, and there is the reality that some of the things we are hoping to bring forward, not least SPS, require a number of contributions from Members of your Lordships’ House to get this over the line. On that basis, we will be discussing these issues in some depth. I expect to be doing so with Members of your Lordships’ House, at this Dispatch Box, next year, which suggests that we are moving—in civil service language—at pace.

[Viscount Hailsham (Con)]

My Lords, as a long-standing opponent of Brexit, I welcome the Statement. I hope it is the first of a number of steps which will improve our relations with the European Union, especially in the trading aspects of that relationship. Without this, the prospects of sustained significant growth are going to be very difficult to achieve.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Viscount is absolutely correct. Our trade with the European Union was worth £813 billion in 2024, and it is our most significant trading partner. It is incredibly important that we have a positive relationship with it, and we have sought to do that. The fact that my right honourable friend the Prime Minister held the first EU-UK summit since Brexit earlier this year suggests that our relationship really did need to be rebuilt. We are rebuilding our relationship based on the three pillars of security, tackling migration, and SPS and ETS. I expect to be in front of your Lordships’ House on many occasions to discuss what I hope will be positive announcements.