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North Yorks Enquirer

Open Brexit Letter to Robert Goodwill

November 19, 2018 Letters, Misc

Dear Mr Goodwill,

I write after BBC Look North announced you support Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May’s draft Brexit deal, aka the European Union Withdrawal Agreement. Given you offered your support so quickly, I presume you’ve read the voluminous 585 page document. If you haven’t, I implore you to read the document with some urgency.

As you know, the UK is a Member State of the European Union and as such is part of the Customs Union and the Single Market. Unlike some of the EU’s member states, we rigidly follow the EU Free Movement diktats which have led to fifteen years of mass uncontrolled immigration.

Whilst the Prime Minister continuously asserts the Withdrawal Agreement will enable us to take back control of our borders, our laws and our money, the text of the Withdrawal Agreement shows the deal to be completely the opposite of what she states.

We are now in a situation where a Parliamentary vote will eternally chain the UK to Brussels. It will leave the EU’s free movement rules in place with the UK having no control over our borders. It keeps the European Court of Justice in control of our laws. It locks the UK into a Customs Union.

The Withdrawal Agreement forces the UK to seek EU consent and permission when the UK wants to agree or negotiate new trade deals or treaties with other countries. It appears the UK will be a vassal state, a rule-taker with no seat at the table when those rules are made. It further lays out a veto over any UK foreign policy that is detrimental to the EU’s interests.

Worst of all, the Withdrawal Agreement, which is being supported by members of the Conservative and Unionist Party, weakens the union of the United Kingdom. The Protocol governing arrangements between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland leaves the UK unable to unilaterally leave without the permission of the EU.

Under Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement, Britain surrenders her freedom, her sovereignty and her place in world and the UK will be under the control of the EU. We’re paying £39billion for this privilege. The country didn’t vote for this and this is not in the best interests of our country.

Any Brexit deal should enable the UK to take back control of our Exclusive Economic Zone in the North Sea. It should at least double the size of the business going through the harbours of Scarborough and Whitby. The Withdrawal Agreement shows we are again selling out UK fishermen and surrendering the fish in our waters to the EU. This must not happen.

Buried deep in the Sunday Times was talk of dark discussions between ministers and civil servants in how to railroad Theresa May’s deal through Parliament. If the first vote fails, Number 10’s plan is to encourage a crash in financial markets to twist the arms of MPs to vote for the deal a second time.

In light of the abject surrender of UK democracy to the European Union, a number of people are comparing May to Chamberlain. I think the comparison is more than a little unfair. Chamberlain’s deal gave Great Britain time to prepare for what was to come. If the roles were reversed, Theresa May would be funding the build of the Luftwaffe and supplying ordnance for the Blitz.

Your loyalist support for Theresa May’s deal shows you to be on the wrong side of history. You need to reconsider your position on the Withdrawal Agreement. For the good of UK democracy this deal needs to be strangled immediately.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Thorne

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