A statement from Leo Docherty MP on Boris Johnson's new Brexit Deal
"I’m delighted the Prime Minister has negotiated a new deal – a real Brexit deal which ensures that we take back control of our laws, our borders, and our money.
The Prime Minister has achieved what many said was impossible and negotiated a new deal so that we can respect the referendum result and get Brexit done on 31st October, without disruption and in good order.
Put simply, this new deal means:
- Britain is out of all EU laws. We will be able to change our laws in a huge number of areas – from product standards to fishing rules to farming subsidies – where we are currently bound by EU rules.
- We will be able to strike our own free trade deals. We will have an unqualified right to strike our own trade deals around the world, and the whole UK will participate in them.
- European Court supremacy ends in Britain. It will be our courts, applying our laws, which will be the highest authority in the land.
- We will be in control of our taxes. We will be able to change VAT rules and other tax laws that are currently determined by Brussels.
- Northern Ireland will be in the UK customs territory forever. There is now no doubt that Northern Ireland remains part of the UK’s customs territory and will benefit from the free trade deals we strike.
- The anti-democratic backstop has been abolished. The people of Northern Ireland will be in charge of the laws that they live by, and – unlike the backstop – will have the right to end the special arrangement if they so choose.
I look forward to voting for this deal in the House of Commons tomorrow, and hope colleagues from across the House will join me in helping get Brexit done once and for all!"