Prepare for “a day of unprecedented spin and possibly deception,” says Unionist Leader

Brexit Facts4EU.Org still predicts a Sunak sell-out of UK sovereignty to the EU

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023

TUV leader Jim Allister reacts to von der Leyen’s visit today : “Deal must remove colonial subjection to EU law”

Last night it was announced that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would fly to London to meet the UK Prime Minister this afternoon, “to continue working in person towards shared, practical solutions under the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.”

Prime Minister @RishiSunak and I agreed to continue working in person towards shared, practical solutions under the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

I will therefore meet with the Prime Minister tomorrow in the UK.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 26, 2023

In reality No.10’s worst-kept secret is that a deal was done in principle two weeks ago and the PM has failed to achieve the removal of the EU’s sovereignty over major parts of the lives of British subjects and businesses in Northern Ireland. Today there will be a UK-EU press conference before an official announcement of the new deal by the Prime Minister late this afternoon or early evening (Mon 27 Feb 2023) in the Commons.

Last night the Leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party, Jim Allister, sent us a statement

“Tomorrow will be a day of unprecedented spin and possibly deception as pressure is piled on Unionism to give in on the Protocol.
“The anchor to which Unionism must hold firm is that of sovereignty. If the deal does not remove colonial subjection to EU law and Brussels’ Customs Code, then Art 6 of the Acts of Union will remain in suspension and NI detached from the Union.
“It is a time for strength, not weakness.”

What will happen today?

We understand that Mrs von der Leyen will jet into the UK and travel to the town of Windsor, where she will meet the Prime Minister after lunch.

There they will hold a meeting, ostensibly for ‘final negotiations’ but it should be understood that she would not be flying in if a deal had not already been done. After chatting for a suitable period they will emerge for a triumphant press conference, before Rishi Sunak travels back to No.10 to brief his cabinet. From there it’s onto the House of Commons where he will make a statement to MPs.

There will be no vote today.

Windsor – what’s in a name? A lot, actually

The choice of Windsor as the location for the UK-EU meeting is significant. Originally this meeting had been scheduled for Saturday and it included an audience for Ursula von der Leyen with His Majesty King Charles. It was leaked that the new deal would be known as “the Windsor Agreement”.

Following the uproar caused by No.10 trying to involve the King in what is a profoundly political and contentious event, everyone pulled back. Nevertheless it seems No.10 couldn’t help themselves and have still arranged for the meeting to take place this afternoon in or close to Windsor, so that they can still give it the same name with the same suggestions of Royal approval. Readers will be aware that the people of Northern Ireland are the most Royalist in the United Kingdom. Names matter.

MPs continue to be kept in the dark

It has been said in some media that MPs were told late last week to expect an N.I. announcement in the Commons today. In fact this is not the case and MPs have not even been told this much, as the Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP explains :-

“I read that Conservative MPs have been told to attend Parliament for a Northern Ireland announcement next week. Untrue. We were told the same business for next week as reported to Parliament on Thursday which did not include NI.”
- The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP, Sun 26 Feb 2023

Even though MPs had not been told as of 11pm last night, an announcement to the House will certainly be made today. Prior to this Ursula von der Leyen, being fond of the limelight, will have an ‘historic shaking of hands’ on ‘the Windsor Agreement’, and a press conference with Rishi Sunak. The public will know before the Commons, which is unlikely to please Mr Speaker.

Why the secrecy?

Things have rapidly reaching a point where it was simply untenable for the terms of the deal not to be made public. This deal – ‘if agreed’ – affects the fundamental issue of the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org has had it confirmed by the DUP, the TUV, and the ERG that none of them have received the text of the new deal. Once they do, their lawyers will pour over the detail. All we can expect today are initial reactions, subject to that detailed scrutiny.

For Labour, Sir Keir Starmer has said that his MPs will vote with the Government. This is surprising because neither he nor his MPs have seen the text either.

What happens next?

Last night Brexit Facts4EU.Org heard from two senior parliamentarians – one from the Commons and one from the Lords - that the most likely next step will be a White Paper. If this is the route that is followed it diffuses the immediate row and kicks the issue into the long grass once again. A White Paper is likely to take months of discussions before a vote is taken.

White papers are policy documents produced by the Government that set out their proposals for future legislation. White Papers are often published as Command Papers and may include a draft version of a Bill that is being planned. This provides a basis for further consultation and discussion with interested groups and allows final changes to be made before a Bill is formally presented to Parliament.

The Government is not obliged to give MPs the opportunity to vote on this deal, as it could be introduced as ‘secondary legislation’ on which no vote is required. Given the political sensitivity, however, MPs will almost certainly have an opportunity to vote, possibly via what is known as an ‘unamendable motion’. The vote on such a motion carries no legal weight and the Government can choose to ignore the result.

In the meantime the serious consequences of the EU’s N.I. Protocol will continue to be felt in the Province, businesses will continue to suffer, and the laws of a foreign power will continue to be applied in what is supposed to be a sovereign part of the United Kingdom.

Observations

Facts4EU.Org reports on Brexit and we are non-partisan. Our clear distaste for what is happening is not an anti-Conservative issue, it is a pro-Brexit one. Moreover it is one that has involved only No.10 and Brussels, not the Conservative parliamentary party, nor any other parties, and not even the most important stakeholders : the MPs representing Northern Ireland.

Some might ask how we can be so certain that this new deal will represent a ‘Sunak sell-out of UK sovereignty’, given that (like everyone else) we haven’t yet read it. The answer is that we have been observing, researching, analysing and reporting on the EU seven days-a-week for more than seven years.

We know that the EU will not have conceded what is required to restore Northern Ireland to its rightful place as part of a sovereign, independent United Kingdom. And anything less than that is simply not good enough.

To quote a famous stateswoman: “We fight on. We fight to win.”

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Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Mon 27 Feb 2023

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Reader Comments 14

1. Sparky , Monday, February 27, 2023, 07:54:

After nearly seven years and Northern Ireland being dismissed in the referendum campaign, Rishi may be reaching some conclusion to Getting Brexit done. It's only the pig headedness of Brexitears/ERG etc that may prevent a solution at last. Brexit is a mess and Johnson (slang version) is in the background pushing for the deal he did only a few years ago being rewritten. BJ created this Brexit mess after saying "There will be no checks on goods going from GB to NI, or NI to GB' - 8 December 2019""There will be no border down the Irish Sea… over my dead body" - 13 August 2020 "A good arrangement… with the minimum possible bureaucratic consequences" - 19 October 2019

2. Have You Wondered , Monday, February 27, 2023, 08:13:

.
Indeed Sparky.
.
Johnson fits the criteria:
.
Why does the UK (or any other nation) need another level of corruption, ineptitude and malfeasance, above that which the UK has already?
.

3. Gazzablack , Monday, February 27, 2023, 08:45:

1, Sparky
So where do you think Boris got the idea there would be no checks on goods from mainland UK to Irish Uk from?
From the EU (slang version) that's where.
..
It's the colonialism of the EU (slang version) that prevents a solution, not the reasonable position of the ERG and the DUP.
.
I'm still waiting to read YOUR vision of the UK's long term relationship with the rest of the EU (slang version) had we remained instead of left.
.
1, Less integrated
2, Completely the same as it was in 2016
3, Completely integrated, with Westminster being reduced to little more than a glorified council

4. Caroline Inglesant , Monday, February 27, 2023, 10:39:

Dear me. Putting this man who has little experience in charge of this will be a disaster.

5. Diane , Monday, February 27, 2023, 10:53:

Foreign laws imposed by a foreign legislature in UK territory; politically, constitutionally and morally repugnant. And the meeting originally scheduled between KC & the EU Commissioner contemptible, ill judged & leaves a rather bad taste.

6. Kel Herbert , Monday, February 27, 2023, 12:12:

If this happens they will never return to power in generations

7. Sparky , Monday, February 27, 2023, 13:03:

Consequences of Brexit. After the stagnation of investment over the last seven years looks like the result will be some level of BRINO. The ERG will succeed in pushing the Cons into oblivion for years whatever the outcome.

8. Jon, Wales , Monday, February 27, 2023, 13:10:

I am ANGRY and find it WHOLLY improper for Sunak to involve King Charles in a meeting with dictatorial and unaccountable Von der Leyen - a bureaucrat, as British people find this lady obnoxious and a thorn in our side.
Seems to me Sunak is marking himself out to be the same as Ted Heath from the 1970's - or worse - simply because he's keeping matters secret, even from parliament at this this time.
For sure, I hope Mr Speaker tells off Sunak for not making announcements at the despatch box FIRST, as a matter of courtesy.
Sunak was not elected by the conservative membership in the first place yet it looks like he intends to rip apart our long standing Union.
I foresee 'troubles' ahead if EU governance is not kicked out of Northern Ireland - (which is part of the United Kingdom).
Resignations at the ready I think, because I have little doubts there will be hell to pay.
SOS (save our sovereignty), may well provide another meaning - SELL OUT SUNAK? Will I be wrong, I don't think so, but I guess we'll shortly find out about the Sunak cover-up.

9. Gazzablack , Monday, February 27, 2023, 15:19:

7, sparky (slang term)
The machinations of the remainer cabal since the referendum were the cause of short term uncertainty, investors from Asia in particular were deterred from investing in European markets.
So any fall in investment over that period is down to you sparky (slang term), and your fellow anti-democrats.
Plan sparky (slang term), what was the remainer plan?

10. Gazzablack , Monday, February 27, 2023, 15:27:

Uganda is poised to start supplying those salad ingredients that are missing from supermarket shelves due to the weather events in Spain, Italy and Morocco.
This opportunity is only available because of Brexit.
Africa will only be dissuaded from China's malign influence and prosper if allowed access to free global Markets.
Another Brexit win

14 comments, page 1 of 2

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