Raab about to start at House of Lords EU committee. Live tweeting ....
Why no Olli Robbins with Raab? ‘We felt it important to have one track in the negotiations.’ So he doesn’t want Olli upstaging him. Maybe why the PM in Africa too?
How is it with Barnier? ‘Good professional rapport and personal relationship.’ He wants ‘renewed energy’ in talks - RENEWED? A few weeks before they deal is supposed to be done! ‘No definitive solution’ on Northern Ireland yet but ‘80%’ there on implementation agreement.
‘A deal is within our sights.’ Meaning when? ‘We are aiming for October council but there is some measure of leeway.’ Ahem. Saying nothing then.
Dig at Barnier - technical meetings in August ‘which is rare by Brussels standards.’ He is ‘110%’ committed to ‘technical’ talks but has a ‘political’ channel too (meaning Olli Robbins doesn’t call shots,I do) & his 4th Barnier mtg shows he is working hard (ie harder than DDavis)
Ireland? Seeking to ‘minimise friction with any sort of border’ - !! EU proposals ‘unacceptable’ & only wants ‘time limited’ backstop ‘. I don’t have a solution yet.’ But ‘confident it can be done on a sustainable basis.’ Pure waffle
Irish border controls? ‘I’m frustrated with legalism of the EU approach’ - meaning he’d rather not have it legally enshrined? We need ‘new solutions’ - but has nothing to suggest except: ‘it’s got to work for those communities on both sides.’
Being given an easy ride so far. Usual problem of large committee with no persistent questioning because everyone wants their say. Chair has decided to give long monologue just as Ld Jay probing on NI. ‘We want to be looking forward not backward’ Raab says approvingly
‘EU bound by legalism’ a phrase he’s now used 3 times. Implying UK isn’t? Hinting he wants a statement of objectives, not a treaty? Much easier for that to mean all things to all people than ‘EU legalism’ - ie an actual treaty ...
Irish backstop temporary? If so, ‘Risk that people would say no incentive to move to treaty based relationship.’ First significant statement: he doesn’t want any question of backstop becoming permanent - & cites EU law as saying it can’t be permanent. So EU law has its uses (!)
Financial deal? Selling financial package ‘hard’ without an agreed deal on final relationship - meaning ‘clear choice of model on economic partnership which is ambitious innovative & pragmatic.’ Well that’s clear then.
Ld Liddle’s phone rings. ‘I assume that’s Brussels calling,’ Raab quips. No-one responds - this is House of Lords, NEVER MAKE JOKES.
Raab waffling away about ‘cooperation,’ ‘collaboration’ & ‘pragmatism’ which ‘respects autonomy of both UK & EU’ & ‘engages widely with member states’. Citing Latvian foreign minister approvingly (ever heard of him? Is there now a Latvian model?)
Raab saying that concessions to Mogg in Commons last month don’t affect his ‘vision and model’. That’s clear then. Also telling us to take comfort from having a ‘unionist’ parliament (meaning?). Chair going on about being a farmer apropos of nothing
Membership of EU agencies? They have lots of association arrangements already - ‘there is a recognition’ of this by Barnier as part of ‘the right regulatory partnership.’ So he is planning to stay in some of them, ‘making sure we retain the sov of parliament’ (cake & eat it)
Wants an ‘arbitration’ model for resolving EU disputes rather than ‘lopsided’ role of the ECJ. Good luck with that. Tariffs? Reading fast from his brief about how tariffs will be levied - ‘our interests are intertwined’ & EU’s trade surplus ‘a powerful overarching dynamic’
‘I understand practical concern of EU about policing their borders’ & insists ‘we are not seeking that’ in HMG customs plan. So none the wiser about how reciprocal tariff plan will work. But don’t worry, he is being ‘ambitious’ and wants ‘mutually advantageous’ deal. Phew
Why media so bad on all this? ‘One or two dissenting voices in business community always get magnified.’ Saying London still rating high in business rankings - & ‘interdependent with rest of Continental economy which is why I am optimistic’ all will be fine.
Long impenetrable question from Lord Crisp. Raab: ‘What we clearly need is mechanisms’ to resolve difficulties & ‘prevention is better than cure I suspect’ & ‘depoliticisng issues so they don’t have a tectonic impact’ is the ‘acid test’. All clear then
Why wd EU let is have cake & eat it? ‘This is a cup half full cup half empty issue’ - ‘we are making an offer to be bound by common rule book, which no other country has ever done’, says Raab triumphantly. Except of course those which have joined the EU! Which is the whole point
European arrest warrant? ‘We want to make sure we retain a fast track system of extradition.’ Won’t involve ‘returning to old preexisting arrangements’ & talks here ‘positive’ tho ‘a certain legalism on EU side.’ ‘We want to optimise operational protection we offer our citizens’
Will there be a gap between old & new security arrangements? ‘I agree we want to put in an alternative proposal as soon as possible. I hope I can give you reassurance we are aware of the issue.’ That’s a relief
Refers to France as ‘our friends north of the channel.’ Corrects to ‘south’- ‘I do know where France is.’ That’s a relief. No deal? ‘Any number’ of ways this might happen - ‘most important thing is we have a sober sensible risk-based approach to no deal planning’
‘Won’t be a walk in the park but won’t be the end of the world.’ Raab says of no deal. The quote of the day. So what is it? A walk on a road between the park & the end of the workd?!
Says he is ‘stubbornly optimistic’ there will be a deal. But CBI ‘quite positive’ about no deal planning (how has CBI allowed themselves to get into position of being cited in support of Raab’s no deal planning?)
EU nationals in UK? He has been to Kingston hospital in his constituency to tell them he wants them to stay! And they were reassured! Is he going to visit every other hospital in UK?
Planes flying & ports open next March? ‘We have dealt with these issues before - eg French industrial action in 2015. So while I’m not suggesting that there isn’t a difference in scale we are preparing far enough in advance to mitigate disruption & take the advantages of Brexit’
Length of withdrawal agreement? Won’t give number of pages. ‘We will need to have a degree of detail and some clear choices in any political declaration on the new relationship, which is the light at the end of the tunnel.’
So that’s it from House of Lords today folks. Now we know - No deal Brexit ‘is not a walk in the park but nor is it the end of the world.’ So it’s somewhere between Garden of Eden & Armageddon - which of course is the entirety of human experience
