Withdrawal Agreement: Legal Position

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:49 pm on 3 December 2018.

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Photo of Geoffrey Cox Geoffrey Cox The Attorney-General 4:49, 3 December 2018

The answer is no. If anything, the leverage is in the opposite direction. The French, the Belgians and the Dutch all want access to our coastal waters, but this is outside the backstop’s purview. Therefore, they will want access and we will have to negotiate. We do not have to pay a penny. It is legally uncertain. We have regulatory flexibility in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has free circulation of its goods both to GB and the European Union. My right hon. Friend knows that I support leaving the European Union. If he wants my frank view, I believe that the European Union will be very keen indeed to do a deal with us.