UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: European Union

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at Business Reception in Downing Street

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at Business Reception in Downing Street

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, in Downing Street on 19 May 2025.

    Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

    Commissioner Sefcovic.

    It’s fantastic to welcome you all to mark the strategic partnership that we have agreed today with the EU.

    Trade deals are much talked about.

    People tried for a long time to get a trade deal with India, and it didn’t happen for eight years. We came along and did that deal with India.

    People tried and talked about a deal with the US, we came along and did that deal with the US.

    Nobody believed we could do a better deal with the EU, and we’ve just done a better deal with the EU.

    I always said, I’m not particularly keen on the performance side of politics. I think it’s the delivery that matters.

    And this has happened because of the serious, pragmatic way that we’ve gone around our negotiations, and when I met Ursula and Antonio at the beginning of the exercise, we committed to each other that we wouldn’t do it by megaphone diplomacy.

    We would do the hard yards of real diplomacy and negotiation, and that’s the base on which we got this deal today.

    And so, in the space of just under two weeks, three trade deals.

    That tells you something about serious pragmatism.

    It tells you something about our commitment to growth, but it also tells you something about the country, because others only want to do trade deals with businesses and economies that they want to tie themselves to going forward.

    It reflects the strength of all those that are represented here and many, many others, because we have dramatically improved our trading ties with the largest economy in the world, the US, the fastest growing economy in the world, India, and the largest trading bloc in the world, the EU.

    And that is, as I say, a vote of confidence in this country.

    We’re living in a different world. It’s a different era, and notwithstanding that instability, that uncertainty, the decisions that we’ve taken to stabilize the economy and lead the way internationally have made Britain a place that people want to do business with once again.

    And I’m really proud to be leading a government and a country where others are telling me that they’re very pleased to see the UK back leading on the world stage, whether it’s defense and security, whether it’s trade or the economy or many of the other global issues that face us.

    And to underline that Britain is a place where people want to do business. Once again,  I’m delighted that we’re announcing major new European investments into Britain today.

    Rheinmetall investing £60 million in Telford.

    Knauf Insulation…

    Investing £170 million in North Wales.

    And NewCold investing £235 million in Corby.

    Together, creating hundreds of new jobs across the UK.

    We also have news today of great British companies – like Octopus energy – expanding in Europe.

    So I want to say a huge thank you to everyone here…

    For backing Britain.

    And let’s just take a closer look at the deal we’ve struck today.

    It gives us unprecedented access to the EU market –

    The best of any country outside the EU or EFTA.

    All while sticking to our red lines.

    It’s good for bills, good for jobs, good for borders…

    Good for businesses large and small.

    By 2040 it will increase Britain’s GDP by around £9 billion.

    Our SPS agreement will make food and agriculture trade cheaper and easier…

    Cutting admin costs that can reach thousands for a single lorry…

    Opening up EU markets for British food exporters…

    Lifting the de facto ban on British burgers, bangers and shellfish…

    And bringing down prices for British consumers.

    Our new Defence and Security Partnership…

    Will strengthen our security…

    And open the door to working with the EU’s new defence fund –

    Boosting Britain’s defence industry.

    By increasing our co-operation on emissions trading…

    We’re saving UK businesses…

    From having to pay £800 million in EU carbon taxes.

    By increasing cooperation on energy…

    We’re bringing down bills over the long term,

    And boosting our renewables industry in the North Sea.

    The deal also protects our steel exports from new EU tariffs,

    Saving the industry £25 million each year.

    And it puts the fishing industry on a stable footing…

    Protecting our access, rights and fishing areas…

    With no increase in the amount that EU vessels can catch in our waters.

    And our fishing industry will also benefit from that new SPS agreement, slashing costs and red tape.

    So this a new deal for a new era…

    One that will bring huge benefits to the British people.

    And by the way –

    For business travellers – and tourists –

    We confirmed today…

    That you’ll be able be able to use e-Gates in Europe –

    Ending those huge queues at passport control.

    That really is something to celebrate!

    You know, when I became Prime Minister…

    Almost a year ago…

    I said I would deliver in the national interest.

    And I think we’ve shown today, once again –

    That I meant it.

    So thank for you for your support –

    Now let’s build on this progress…

    Let’s keep showing that Britain is open for business…

    And working with all our partners –

    To deliver for the British people.

    Thank you all.

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2025 Statement on US Tariffs

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2025 Statement on US Tariffs

    The statement made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 10 April 2025.

    I welcome President Trump’s announcement to pause reciprocal tariffs. It’s an important step towards stabilising the global economy.

    Clear, predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function.

    Tariffs are taxes that only hurt businesses and consumers. That’s why I’ve consistently advocated for a zero-for-zero tariff agreement between the European Union and the United States.

    The European Union remains committed to constructive negotiations with the United States, with the goal of achieving frictionless and mutually beneficial trade.

    At the same time, Europe continues to focus on diversifying its trade partnerships, engaging with countries that account for 87% of global trade and share our commitment to a free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas.

    Finally, we are stepping up our work to lift barriers in our own single market. This crisis has made one thing clear: in times of uncertainty, the single market is our anchor of stability and resilience.

    My team and I will continue to work day and night to protect European consumers, workers and businesses. Together, Europeans will emerge stronger from this crisis.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2025 Speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

    Stephen Doughty – 2025 Speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

    The speech made by Stephen Doughty, the Minister for Europe, in Antalya on 12 April 2025.

    The principles are fundamental, and they are what is at stake here. And as Andrea said, this is not just a situation where we see a complete violation of those principles that were in the Helsinki Final Act, that we all stood by, and we have stood by for those 50 years. But it’s also the UN Charter that is fundamentally under threat by Russia’s aggression.

    And of course, this isn’t just the aggression we’ve seen against Ukraine. It’s the other hybrid and destabilizing activities that they prosecute across our continents against our democracies more generally, and whether that’s disruptions, attempted disruptions, in the Western Balkans or in Moldova or elsewhere.

    This has consequences for all of us, and this matters for everybody in this room. It matters for everybody in the room if those principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty are not abided by, and it matters deeply for all of our people. Most importantly for the people of Ukraine at the moment, but for all of us.

    I was in Kyiv just a few weeks ago, and I could hear in the background the alarm going off there. For Ukrainians in the room, this would probably be the air raid alarm on their on their phones, because Ukraine is seeing that escalation every night, civilians being attacked and killed.

    I was in Bucha, which saw some of the worst, appalling atrocities that we’ve seen since the start of this conflict, and seeing those mass graves and others, but also hearing about how just the night before, how drones have come and killed civilians, and how children and others have been taken away and still no idea where those where those young people and those civilians are. That is a brutal attack on the values that all of us in this room stand for. So I think we must absolutely recognize what’s at stake here.

    That’s why we as the UK are 100% ironclad in our support behind Ukraine, not just for now, but for 100 years into the future. It’s why we’re working with our NATO partners and allies here. And it’s a genuine pleasure to be with friends – it’s a genuine pleasure to be here in Antalya and to be hosted by our Turkish allies and friends. And it’s why we must double down, not only on the support for Ukraine, but also for European, Euro-Atlantic security more generally – that’s what we’re doing.

    That’s the leadership the Prime Minister and President Macron are showing, working with President Trump on that secure and sustainable peace for Ukraine. Which Ukraine again has come forward from, and yet we do not see that same response from Moscow. And President Erdoğan very clearly set out yesterday the importance that that peace has to be sustainable. And that’s going to come through those of us who are willing to get in there, to put boots on the ground, to get the support to ensure that Ukrainian forces are able to defend, deter against future aggression. But also that we as NATO partners are stepping up, particularly European partners here, for our own defence.

    That is what we’re doing with our spending. That’s what we’re doing with our commitments. But this matters not just for us. It matters for the globe. It matters for us in this room, because these are fundamental principles that have been attacked here by Moscow.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Opening Remarks at the Opening Session of the Council of Europe

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Opening Remarks at the Opening Session of the Council of Europe

    The opening remarks made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, in Iceland on 16 May 2023.

    Addressing a huge crowd on the streets of Strasbourg in 1949 Winston Churchill, one of the founding fathers of this Council spoke about “le génie de l’Europe.” [the genius of Europe]

    He was talking about what makes our continent so successful, the values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

    The same spirit we’ve seen again and again that led Vaclav Havel to broadcast his messages of freedom during the suppression of the Prague Spring, that brought down the Berlin Wall and that leads Ukraine to defend its sovereignty with such valour, inspiring us to stand with them all.

    The Council of Europe has nurtured that spirit for three quarters of a century.

    And it must do so again now.

    Because today, we are facing the greatest threat to democracy and the rule of law on our continent since before the Treaty of London was signed.

    With Russia waging a war of aggression on European soil, and China growing in assertiveness the world is becoming more contested and more volatile.

    The challenge to our values is growing.

    And the moment to push back is now.

    Democracies like ours must build resilience so that we can out-cooperate and out-compete those who drive instability.

    That’s why we’re working so closely with our friends across Europe through the G7, NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force, the European Political Community and with a welcome new tone in our relations with the European Union.

    Friends, the UK may have left the EU, but we have not left Europe.

    We remain a proud European nation.

    And we must work together to defend the values we all hold so dear.

    The Council of Europe, with its huge reach, has such a vital role to play.

    And we need to think about how this Council should react to the realities of today.

    We showed great purpose in expelling Russia last year – acting decisively together within days of the invasion.

    Let’s bring that dynamism to the issues before us now. And let’s send a message from this hall, loud and clear that we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.

    We will hold Russia accountable for the horrendous war crimes that have been committed.

    And we must also learn the lesson of this war – by being prepared to confront threats to our societies before they become too big to deal with.

    That includes acting on cyber security and AI and it means tackling illegal migration.

    The moral case for action is clear.

    We can’t just sit back and watch as criminal gangs profiteer on people’s misery.

    Illegal migration exploits the most vulnerable. It risks crowding out those with a genuine case for asylum. And it strains the trust that our citizens have – not just in our domestic borders, but in the international system.

    That’s why so many of us are already acting at the national level. And why we need to do more to cooperate across borders and across jurisdictions and to end illegal migration and stop the boats.

    The Council already plays a vital role but I urge leaders to consider how we can go further.

    Because we know what we can achieve together. Just look at this Council’s extraordinary legacy: protecting human rights, abolishing the death penalty in Europe, supporting media freedom and championing democracy across Central and Eastern Europe after the Cold War.

    So let’s take heart from that, and keep rising to the many challenges before us, true to our enduring values and certain that, as Churchill went on tell the Strasbourg crowd, the dangers before us are great… but great too is our strength.

    Thank you.

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2023 Statement at the Joint Press Conference with UK Prime Minister Sunak

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2023 Statement at the Joint Press Conference with UK Prime Minister Sunak

    The statement made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 27 February 2023.

    Good afternoon Prime Minister, dear Rishi,

    It is an honour and a pleasure to be here in Windsor with you. And it is with a great sense of satisfaction that we stand here together. We are about to deliver on an important commitment we made to each other a few months ago. I remember our first discussions, when we saw eye-to-eye on how to support our Ukrainian friends. And I was encouraged by our trustful and strong cooperation on this crucial geostrategic issue. But I also remember how the two of us were honest with each other about the difficulties in our bilateral relationship. It was vital to put that on the right footing too.

    We committed to working hard together to do so. We knew that for us to be able to make the most of the potential of our partnership, solutions were needed for the issues around the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. We knew it was not going to be easy. We knew we needed to listen to each other’s concerns very carefully. Above all, we had to listen to the concerns of the people of Northern Ireland. We knew we had to work hard, with clear minds and determination. But we also both knew, dear Rishi, that we could do it. Because we were both genuinely committed to finding a practical solution for people and for all communities in Northern Ireland.

    Today, we can take pride in the fact that we have delivered on that commitment. Because today, we have reached an agreement in principle on the Windsor Framework. The Windsor Framework lays down new arrangements for the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. This new Framework will allow us to begin a new chapter. It provides for long-lasting solutions that both of us are confident will work for all people and businesses in Northern Ireland. Solutions that respond directly to the concerns they have raised.

    Prime Minister,

    We worked hard across a wide range of areas. The new arrangements are delivering a comprehensive package so that we can address in a definitive way the issues faced in everyday lives. I will only mention two examples that I find most telling.

    Indeed, the new Windsor Framework will ensure that the same food will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the UK. Furthermore, the new Windsor Framework will permanently enable all medicines, including novel ones, to be available in Northern Ireland at the same time, under the same conditions as in the rest of the UK. For this to work, we have agreed on safeguards like IT access, labels and enforcement procedures that will protect the integrity of the European Union’s Single Market. The new Windsor Framework respects and protects our respective markets and our respective legitimate interests. And most importantly, it protects the very hard-earned peace gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement for the people of Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland. Violence has no place in our society. I condemn wholeheartedly the shooting of the PSNI officer in Northern Ireland last week. My thoughts are with the officer and his family and friends.

    This year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. An important milestone of the historic peace process. The new Windsor Framework is here to benefit people in Northern Ireland and support all communities celebrating peace on the island of Ireland. This is why I believe we can now open a new chapter in our partnership. A stronger EU-UK relationship standing as close partners shoulder to shoulder now and in the future.

    Many thanks.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Statement on the Windsor Framework

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Statement on the Windsor Framework

    The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 27 February 2023.

    Good afternoon.

    All our thoughts are with Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell and his family after last week’s abhorrent shooting in Omagh.

    A man of extraordinary courage, his first thought was to protect the children he had been coaching.

    President Von der Leyen and I stand united with the people and leaders of all communities across Northern Ireland.

    Those trying to drag us back to the past will never succeed.

    This afternoon, I welcomed President Von der Leyen to Windsor to continue our discussions about the Northern Ireland Protocol.

    I’m pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough.

    Together, we have changed the original Protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor Framework.

    Today’s agreement:

    Delivers smooth flowing trade within the whole United Kingdom.

    Protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union.

    And safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.

    These negotiations have not always been easy, but I’d like to pay an enormous personal tribute to Ursula for her vision in recognising the possibility of a new way forward.

    And to my colleagues the Foreign and Northern Ireland Secretaries for their steadfast leadership.

    The United Kingdom and the European Union may have had our differences in the past, but we are allies, trading partners, and friends…

    …something that we’ve seen clearly in the past year as we joined with others, to support Ukraine.

    This is the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.

    For a quarter of a century the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement has endured because at its heart is respect for the aspirations and identities of all communities.

    Today’s agreement is about preserving that delicate balance and charting a new way forward for the people of Northern Ireland.

    I am standing here today because I believe that we have found ways to end the uncertainty and challenge for the people of Northern Ireland.

    We have taken three big steps forward.

    First, today’s agreement delivers the smooth flow of trade within the United Kingdom.

    Goods destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new Green Lane, with a separate Red Lane for goods at risk of moving onto the EU.

    In the Green Lane, burdensome customs bureaucracy will be scrapped.

    It means food retailers like supermarkets, restaurants and wholesalers will no longer need hundreds of certificates for every lorry.

    And we will end the situation where food made to UK rules could not be sent to and sold in Northern Ireland.

    This means that if food is available on the supermarket shelves in Great Britain…

    …then it will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland.

    And unlike the Protocol, today’s agreement means people sending parcels to friends and family or doing their shopping online, will have to complete no customs paperwork.

    This means we have removed any sense of a border in the Irish Sea.

    Second, we have protected Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

    We’ve amended the legal text of the Protocol to ensure we can make critical VAT and excise changes for the whole of the UK…

    …for example on alcohol duty, meaning our reforms to cut the cost of a pint in the pub will now apply in Northern Ireland.

    The same quintessentially British products like trees, plants, and seed potatoes – will again be available in Northern Ireland’s garden centres.

    Onerous requirements on pet travel have been removed.

    And today’s agreement also delivers a landmark settlement on medicines.

    From now on, drugs approved for use by the UK’s medicines regulator…

    …will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland.

    Third, today’s agreement safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.

    The only EU law that applies in Northern Ireland under the Framework…

    …is the minimum necessary to avoid a hard border with Ireland and allow Northern Irish businesses to continue accessing the EU market.

    But I know that many people in Northern Ireland are also worried about being subject to changes to EU goods laws.

    To address that, today’s agreement introduces a new Stormont Brake.

    Many had called for Stormont to have a say over these laws.

    But the Stormont Brake goes further and means that Stormont can in fact stop them from applying in Northern Ireland.

    This will establish a clear process through which the democratically elected Assembly can pull an emergency brake…

    …for changes to EU goods rules that would have significant, and lasting effects on everyday lives. If the brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto.

    This gives the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland a powerful new safeguard, based on cross community consent.

    I believe the Windsor Framework marks a turning point for the people of Northern Ireland.

    It fixes the practical problems they face.

    It preserves the balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.

    Of course, parties will want to consider the agreement in detail, a process that will need time and care.

    Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties.

    But really, it’s about much more than that.

    It’s about stability in Northern Ireland.

    It’s about real people and real businesses.

    It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.

    And it’s about breaking down the barriers between us.

    Setting aside the arguments that for too long, have divided us.

    And remembering the fellow feeling that defines us:

    This family of nations – this United Kingdom.

  • John Glen – 2023 Statement on Customs Fraud and the European Union

    John Glen – 2023 Statement on Customs Fraud and the European Union

    The statement made by John Glen, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    In March 2018, the European Commission took the first steps towards infracting the UK, alleging that between November 2011 and October 2017, the UK had failed to prevent undervaluation fraud involving importations of Chinese textiles and footwear. On 8 March 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) published its judgment, finding against the UK on most liability points.

    The UK has argued throughout the case that it took appropriate steps to counter the fraud in question. However, since these infringement proceedings were raised, the UK has taken proportionate and increased steps to combat this fraud without impacting legitimate trade, including by liquidating suspect traders through enforcement action. The UK takes a comprehensive and dynamic approach to tackling customs fraud risk and evolves its responses as any new potential threats emerge.

    Whilst the UK has now left the European Union and this is a legacy matter from before our departure, the Government are keen to resolve this long-running case once and for all and are committed to fulfilling their international obligations.

    Throughout this process, the Government have also been conscious of the risk of further protracted legal proceedings, which could open UK taxpayers to not only a larger principal bill, but also continued substantial interest accrual. Considering this, in June 2022 the UK took the proactive step of making a payment of €678,372,885.63, which the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury set out in a statement to the House on 30 June (HCWS167). This represented the minimum, indisputable amount the UK considered due at that time in light of the CJEU judgment and, vitally, stopped interest accruing on this portion of the bill.

    Following further discussions with the European Commission, on 13 January 2023, the UK made a final principal payment to the EU of €700,351,738.31. This constitutes the entire remaining principal due and the figure paid reflects the 12.43% share back that the UK is entitled to from its time as a member state.

    On 6 February 2023, the UK made a final payment to the EU of €1,227,884,519.53, representing the interest due on the principal amounts paid. These are substantial sums but represent the final payments and draw a line under this long running case, with the UK fulfilling its international obligations.

    Now that the UK is no longer part of the EU customs union, we do not have to remit any duties to the European Union, a tax that in 2021-22 represented a £4.9 billion contribution to the Exchequer. Outside the EU, we can set our own law, including tax and trade policies, that work for the UK. Furthermore, taking into account the financial settlement with the EU, the Government have determined how an additional £14.6 billion of spending by 2024-25 can be allocated to its domestic priorities, rather than be sent in contributions to the EU. This additional spending was already included in the overall spending plans that the Government set out at previous spending reviews.

  • Wera Hobhouse – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Trade with European Countries

    Wera Hobhouse – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Trade with European Countries

    The parliamentary question asked by Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)

    What steps she is taking to help increase trade with European countries.

    The Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade (Nigel Huddleston)

    Europe remains a vital destination for British businesses, with exports of over £386 billion in the year to September 2022. That is up almost 25%, in current prices, on the previous year. As we speak, the Secretary of State is in Rome to establish the UK-Italy export and investment promotion dialogue, which will help to strengthen practical co-operation on exports in high-performing sectors and promote inward investment. We are also working closely with EU member states to tackle priority barriers and unlock export opportunities for UK businesses.

    Wera Hobhouse

    More than half of firms surveyed by the British Chambers of Commerce are struggling with the new post-Brexit export system. The Office for National Statistics reports that Brexit costs the economy £1 million per hour, and the UK economy has not recovered as well as other countries post covid. What plans does the Minister have to reduce trade barriers and EU border bureaucracy, which have hugely increased since Brexit?

    Nigel Huddleston

    As I said earlier, I hope that we can look at the opportunities of leaving the EU as well as trying to fight past battles. There are a host of opportunities; for example, I do not think that the EU had a particularly proud record on services around the globe. We are opening up services for many companies, which under the EU we were to a very large degree constrained in doing. We have huge resources for supporting businesses. Trade with the EU has been growing considerably, and we will do everything we can to support further growth.

    Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)

    These barriers have had a greater impact on EU trade than on the UK. When does the Minister anticipate the EU will wake up to what is in our mutual interest?

    Nigel Huddleston

    My right hon. Friend makes a perfectly good point. Our agreement with the EU is one of the most thorough and comprehensive trade agreements, but we need to work further. We are constantly looking at opportunities—country by country, industry subsector by subsector—to open up more trade by reducing the barriers. These are barriers that also existed when we were in the EU.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the shadow Minister.

    Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)

    Over the past three years, according to the latest German trade figures, exports to Germany are up by almost a third from the US, by almost a quarter from the rest of the EU and by more than 10% from China, yet exports from Britain to Germany are down. Everybody else’s exports are up; Britain’s are down. Is it a lack of support to our exporters to Germany, is it the poor deal that the Conservative party negotiated with the EU, or does the Minister blame British business for the situation, as one of last year’s Prime Ministers once did?

    Nigel Huddleston

    Again, all I have to say is that I have much greater confidence in British industries taking advantage of opportunities, not only in the EU but around the world. I wish others in this Chamber shared that optimism and confidence in British business.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Exports from Devolved Nations to the EU

    Gavin Newlands – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Exports from Devolved Nations to the EU

    The parliamentary question asked by Gavin Newlands, the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)

    What steps her Department is taking to help increase exports from the devolved nations to the EU.

    The Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade (Nigel Huddleston)

    We are supporting businesses in all parts of the United Kingdom through our export support service, including our innovative Export Academy, which helps build market export capability among small and medium-sized enterprises across the UK. We have also established trade and investment offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, increasing the visibility of the Department’s services in the nations, and channelling the benefits of our new export and investment strategies to the entire UK. I am sure the hon. Member is aware of those benefits in his own constituency, with businesses such as Lynkeos Technology winning a £100,000 contract last year in Germany with the assistance of the Department.

    Gavin Newlands

    I like the hon. Member, but that answer was nonsense, quite frankly. The Institute of Directors found in a recent survey that almost half—47%—of businesses are still finding trade after Brexit a challenge, with just a third envisaging any opportunities at all from Brexit. That report also found that 45% of SMEs are exporting less to the European Union post Brexit, with Scottish exports having already slumped by £2.2 billion because of Brexit. Does the Minister agree that Brexit is an act of state-sanctioned economic vandalism?

    Nigel Huddleston

    I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman is saying this is nonsense. I am sure that those businesses in his constituency and across Scotland who get support from the Department do not share that attitude. As well as focusing on the EU, which is and will continue to be an important trading partner of the UK, we are looking to the entire world, hence focusing on so many other countries. I hope he will be a little more “glass half full” in the future.

    David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)

    Is the Minister aware that the Scottish Government are planning to bring forward draconian restrictions on the advertising of whisky and other drinks in Scotland? Not only will that cost jobs in Scotland but it will make it much more difficult for the industry to export to the EU and elsewhere.

    Nigel Huddleston

    My right hon. Friend makes an important point. Such measures could have a considerable negative impact on so many Scottish businesses. That is precisely why we are seeking opportunities to support them, for example with trade deals, and trying to ensure that we reduce tariffs and are able to export more overseas. While we are backing our businesses right across the UK, I hope that in future we can get support from the Opposition, who might at some point come and join us and support one of the trade deals we are negotiating.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the SNP spokesperson.

    Richard Thomson (Gordon) (SNP)

    Unfortunately for the Minister, and unfortunately for Scotland, the latest data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs shows that between July and September last year, exports from Scotland to the European Union slumped by 5%. Will the Minister explain for an expectant nation exactly how that is in any way strengthening the case for the Union?

    Nigel Huddleston

    The hon. Gentleman will be well aware that, as we recover from a global pandemic, certain sectors and certain industries are suffering more than others. That is precisely why we have an export strategy and why the Secretary of State has articulated a five-point strategy for growth. We will continue to work positively with all sectors to grow our export opportunities. UK exports to the EU for the 12-month period to September 2022 were up by 25% in current prices.

    Richard Thomson

    It is not just the SNP who are saying what a disaster Brexit has been. With the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies saying that Brexit is clearly an “economic own goal”, and even a former Brexit Secretary saying that there have been no economic benefits from Brexit, is it not surely time for voters in Scotland to be given the choice between continued British economic decline or a prosperous, independent European future?

    Nigel Huddleston

    I know the hon. Member and some people are tempted to continue to fight the battles of the past, but this Government will be laser-focused on the future and future opportunities. We have the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership and so many other opportunities around the world, and I think it would be good for all of us in this place to talk the British economy up, rather than talk it down.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2023 Speech to the European Parliament

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2023 Speech to the European Parliament

    The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, to the European Parliament on 9 February 2023.

    Dear Mrs. President, dear Roberta!

    I thank you for these powerful words and I thank you for your personal attention, an extremely important attention for Ukraine. I thank you for your integrity and energy, two qualities that we see invariably in the current struggle for Europe and whose combination is always a prerequisite for progress. Europe is fortunate that in this hall, in the largest parliament in Europe, the European Parliament, principled and energetic people are an absolute majority. I thank you.

    Dear representatives of Europe!

    Dear leaders of Europe!

    All of us, Europeans, each and every one of the hundreds of millions of people on our continent, combine these two statuses – representatives of Europe and leaders of Europe. This combination reflects what our Europe, a modern Europe, a peaceful Europe, gives to the world. European way of life. European path of life. European manner of life. European rules of life.

    When everyone matters. When the law rules.

    When states strive to be social and societies strive to be open. When diversity is a value and the values of the different are united by fair equality.

    When the borders are inviolable, but their crossing is not felt.

    When people believe in tomorrow and are willing to take to the streets to fight for their tomorrow. When there is only one single barrier between the president and the protesters, and that is fair elections.

    This is our Europe. These are our rules. This is our way of life.

    And for Ukraine, it’s a way home.

    Now I am here to protect the way home for our people. All Ukrainian men, all Ukrainian women. Of different ages and different political beliefs, different social status, different views on religion, with different personal stories, but common European history with all of you.

    There is an attempt to destroy the Ukrainian European way of life by all-out war. But what for?

    For the destruction of the European way of life as such after the Ukrainian European way of life is destroyed.

    For each of all twenty-seven elements of the European way of life. The twenty-seven countries of the European Union.

    We will not allow that.

    This total war that has been unleashed by Russia is not just about territory in one part of Europe or another.

    Its threat is not only in the fact that there is a dictator with huge stockpiles of Soviet weapons and weapons inflow from other dictatorships, in particular the Iranian regime.

    In order to be able to wage this war, the Kremlin has been consistently destroying, step by step, year after year, what we see as the basis of our Europe.

    The sacred value of human life has been completely destroyed in Russia as well. No one matters to the authorities there, except those inside the Kremlin walls, their relatives and their wallets. For them, for the Kremlin, all others, all one hundred and forty million citizens are just bodies capable of carrying weapons – carrying weapons to Ukraine, carrying weapons on the battlefield, keeping others in line or being in line themselves.

    The rule of violence and obedience are the rules there instead of law.

    The Russian regime not only hates everything, any sociality and any diversity, but also deliberately invests in xenophobia and tries to make all the inhuman things that happened in the 1930s and 1940s part of the norm on our continent.

    But will it last forever? This is a question for all of us. The answer is no! No!

    Europe! We are defending ourselves against the most anti-European force in the modern world. We are defending ourselves. We, Ukrainians, are on the battlefield with you.

    I thank you for the fact that we are defending ourselves together!

    And we must defend ourselves!

    And this is important not only for European countries. Not only for the communities of Europe.

    No matter who we are, we always fight against contempt. Wherever we live, we always rely on good faith. Whatever we dream of for our children, for our grandchildren, the unconditional background for these dreams is peace – peace and security.

    Will all of this be possible if we do not defeat the anti-European force that seeks to steal Europe from us, from all of us? No. It is only our victory that will guarantee all of this – each of our common European values. Our imperative victory!

    Dear representatives of Europe! Dear leaders of Europe! Dear ladies and gentlemen of the parliament!

    Dear employees of the European Parliament and other European institutions!

    Dear journalists! Dear security officials, military! Police officers, rescuers!

    Dear municipal employees! Diplomats! Teachers! Professors! Scientists! Dear doctors, drivers and port workers! Farmers!

    Dear industrialists and workers of industrial enterprises! Owners of small and large businesses, banks!

    Dear power engineers and railway workers!

    Dear students, pupils! Trade union activists, representatives of non-governmental organizations!

    Dear directors and artists! Lawyers, judges, environmentalists, human rights activists!

    The fate of Europe has never depended on politicians alone. There should be no such illusion now as well.

    Each and every one of you is important. Each and every one of you is strong. Each and every one of you can influence our common result. Our common victory.

    This applause is definitely not for me. This applause is for gratitude – I want to thank everyone in Europe, in hundreds of cities and towns, who supported Ukraine in this historic struggle. Thank you!

    I want to thank you – everyone who has helped our people, our ordinary people, our displaced persons. Those who called on their leaders to increase support for the protection of these ordinary people. Who took to the streets, who asked questions, who spread the truth about Russian aggression. Who refrained from the temptations of Russian disinformation and who stand with us in the fight for life. In the fight for Europe. I thank you!

    I thank everyone who is helping Ukraine with vital supplies. Weapons and ammunition. Energy equipment and fuel. Thousands of things that are essential to survive this all-out war.

    I thank you, dear ladies and gentlemen of the parliament, and you personally, Roberta, for consistently defending the European way of life with your decisions. For consistently defending the Ukrainian European way of life.

    You have made bold decisions and strengthened the European ambition to be the home of justice and freedom.

    I recall the first days of the full-scale invasion, when Russia’s ambition to break us and the whole of Europe was still audacious. When Russian aggression was just beginning to break its teeth on our defense.

    Already then, on March 1, on the sixth day of the full-scale war, the European Parliament adopted a resolution supporting not just our country, but the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union for our country.

    It was a vision that motivated us to be resilient and stay on our path. Thank you.

    Today, at a meeting of the European Council, I will have the opportunity to personally thank the heads of state and government of Europe, whose decisions over the past year have allowed our continent to do what the previous wave of leaders thought impossible.

    Europe is finally freeing itself from destructive dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

    Europe is cleaning itself of the corrupt influence of Russian oligarchic business.

    Europe is defending itself against the infiltration of agents of the Russian special services, who have even considered Europe as a place to hunt for opponents of the Russian dictatorship already.

    For the first time in its history, the European Union is providing military assistance of such magnitude. And for the first time in history, I believe, it is preparing a positive assessment of internal reforms in a European country that is defending itself in this all-out war and at the same time – while fighting – modernizing its institutions.

    We are getting closer to the European Union.

    Ukraine will be a member of the European Union!

    A victorious Ukraine! A member of the European Union – a victorious European Union!

    Dear friends!

    Perhaps some of you have not experienced the full power of the European way of life before. But now, together, Ukraine and the EU countries have made our power evident.

    Why is this possible? Because we combine integrity and energy. We are all equal in representing Europe, and we are diligent as each of us is a leader of Europe in our own particular life.

    We do not rely on words – we act. We do not cower before the enemy – we stand. We do not waste time – we change ourselves and we implement changes.

    Europe will always remain free. As long as we are together and as long as we care about our Europe!

    Care about the European way of life.

    I thank you all! I invite you all to Ukraine!

    Glory to all Ukrainian men and Ukrainian women who are in combat! 

    Glory to Ukraine!