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| Transitional deal that keeps UK in EEA is 'worst of possible worlds', says Davis | Transitional deal that keeps UK in EEA is 'worst of possible worlds', says Davis |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Norway-style transitional deal that keeps the UK in the European Economic Area would be the “worst of possible worlds”, David Davis has said, as MPs began to debate the first major piece of Brexit legislation of the parliament. | A Norway-style transitional deal that keeps the UK in the European Economic Area would be the “worst of possible worlds”, David Davis has said, as MPs began to debate the first major piece of Brexit legislation of the parliament. |
| Speaking at Brexit questions in the Commons before the debate on the EU withdrawal bill on Thursday afternoon, Davis said the government had considered the benefits of retaining membership of the European Free Trade Association. | Speaking at Brexit questions in the Commons before the debate on the EU withdrawal bill on Thursday afternoon, Davis said the government had considered the benefits of retaining membership of the European Free Trade Association. |
| “The simple truth is membership of Efta would keep us within the acquis [EU law] and it would keep us in requirements for free movement, albeit with some restrictions but none have worked so far,” he said. | “The simple truth is membership of Efta would keep us within the acquis [EU law] and it would keep us in requirements for free movement, albeit with some restrictions but none have worked so far,” he said. |
| “In many ways it’s the worst of possible worlds. We did consider it, maybe as an interim measure. But it would be more complicated and less beneficial.” | “In many ways it’s the worst of possible worlds. We did consider it, maybe as an interim measure. But it would be more complicated and less beneficial.” |
| Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are members of Efta with varying relationships, which allows full access to the single market but means acceptance of some, though not all, EU law and regulation, without voting rights. | Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are members of Efta with varying relationships, which allows full access to the single market but means acceptance of some, though not all, EU law and regulation, without voting rights. |
| Labour’s Keir Starmer has said his party backed full participation in the single market and customs union during a transitional period that could last between two and four years after the day of departure, which would mean continuing to pay into the EU budget and accepting freedom of movement. | Labour’s Keir Starmer has said his party backed full participation in the single market and customs union during a transitional period that could last between two and four years after the day of departure, which would mean continuing to pay into the EU budget and accepting freedom of movement. |
| During the debate, Davis said he believed the European commission was open to the “mutual benefits” of a transitional deal after March 2019, when the UK formally quits the bloc, in order to avoid a cliff edge. | During the debate, Davis said he believed the European commission was open to the “mutual benefits” of a transitional deal after March 2019, when the UK formally quits the bloc, in order to avoid a cliff edge. |
| The European Economic Area is made up of the EU’s single market, plus three European Free Trade Association members, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; they trade freely with the single market in exchange for accepting its rules. Switzerland is in EFTA but not the EEA; bilateral accords give it special access to the single market. The four EFTA countries are not in the customs union: they can negotiate trade deals with third countries, like China. See our full Brexit phrasebook. | The European Economic Area is made up of the EU’s single market, plus three European Free Trade Association members, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; they trade freely with the single market in exchange for accepting its rules. Switzerland is in EFTA but not the EEA; bilateral accords give it special access to the single market. The four EFTA countries are not in the customs union: they can negotiate trade deals with third countries, like China. See our full Brexit phrasebook. |
| “I believe the benefits of a transitional arrangement are both ways – they apply to France, Holland … as they do for us,” he told the Commons. | “I believe the benefits of a transitional arrangement are both ways – they apply to France, Holland … as they do for us,” he told the Commons. |
| “That’s the readback we have been getting. We’ve found the commission is open to the idea of transition. We’ve only raised it briefly because it doesn’t fit with the four parts of the negotiation, but I think there’s a very good prospect.” | |
| Although Davis ruled out membership of Efta, he said seeking “a transition based on maintaining the important components of what we currently have is the best way to do it”. | |
| Introducing the withdrawal bill for its second reading later, Davis described it as “an essential step” in the Brexit process and sought to allay some MPs’ fears that it would grant excessive and summary powers to MPs to amend laws and regulations as they become UK statute. | Introducing the withdrawal bill for its second reading later, Davis described it as “an essential step” in the Brexit process and sought to allay some MPs’ fears that it would grant excessive and summary powers to MPs to amend laws and regulations as they become UK statute. |
| “This bill is vital to ensuring that as we leave we do so in an orderly manner,” Davis said, saying the aim was to create “the maximum possible legal certainty and continuity” for people and businesses. | “This bill is vital to ensuring that as we leave we do so in an orderly manner,” Davis said, saying the aim was to create “the maximum possible legal certainty and continuity” for people and businesses. |
| Saying a “large part” of UK law would cease to exit when the 1972 European Communities Act was repealed, Davis added it was vital for ministers to be able to amend laws without the approval of parliament using so-called statutory instruments. | Saying a “large part” of UK law would cease to exit when the 1972 European Communities Act was repealed, Davis added it was vital for ministers to be able to amend laws without the approval of parliament using so-called statutory instruments. |
| David rejected concerns that the powers granted under the bill were too sweeping, which is the reason Labour has pledged to oppose the measure. | |
| He said he was “ready to listen to those who would offer improvements to the bill in the spirit of preparing our statute book for withdrawal from the European Union”. | He said he was “ready to listen to those who would offer improvements to the bill in the spirit of preparing our statute book for withdrawal from the European Union”. |
| Davis took a notable swipe at George Osborne when asked in an intervention about an editorial in the Evening Standard, now edited by the former chancellor, which called the powers granted by the withdrawal bill “rule by decree”. | Davis took a notable swipe at George Osborne when asked in an intervention about an editorial in the Evening Standard, now edited by the former chancellor, which called the powers granted by the withdrawal bill “rule by decree”. |
| “I don’t read the Evening Standard, I have to tell you, and it sounds like with good reason,” Davis said, to laughs from MPs. “And I have to tell him that if I’m going to take lectures on rule by decree, it won’t be from the editor of the Evening Standard.” | “I don’t read the Evening Standard, I have to tell you, and it sounds like with good reason,” Davis said, to laughs from MPs. “And I have to tell him that if I’m going to take lectures on rule by decree, it won’t be from the editor of the Evening Standard.” |
| Davis faces likely opposition from some backbench Tory MPs. One of these, Dominic Grieve, asked why the bill gave no basis for a legal challenge to the way EU laws were transposed, saying: “That seems to me to be a marked diminution in the rights of the individual.” | Davis faces likely opposition from some backbench Tory MPs. One of these, Dominic Grieve, asked why the bill gave no basis for a legal challenge to the way EU laws were transposed, saying: “That seems to me to be a marked diminution in the rights of the individual.” |
| The shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, rejected what he said was Davis’s assessment of the bill as “a technical exercise”. He said: “Nothing could be further from the truth.” | |
| The shift of law to the UK statute book would affect “every facet of national life” for years, Starmer said, and the withdrawal bill gave ministers vast powers with almost no oversight. | The shift of law to the UK statute book would affect “every facet of national life” for years, Starmer said, and the withdrawal bill gave ministers vast powers with almost no oversight. |
| He said: “So, the widest possible power, no safeguards, channelled into the level of least scrutiny. That is absolutely extraordinary.” | He said: “So, the widest possible power, no safeguards, channelled into the level of least scrutiny. That is absolutely extraordinary.” |