I have a lot of reservations about the ‘Windsor Framework’, the much-heralded new deal between the UK government and the EU. But digging into the small print needs a collective effort so I am delighted that Baroness (Kate) Hoey, Lord (Daniel) Moylan, barrister and commentator Steven Barrett and Rob Lyons from the Academy of Ideas took time to delve into the details for our podcast, hosted by Alastair Donald.
Yes, some of the most egregious barriers to trade have been removed. The UK government can apply some policies and taxes to Northern Ireland that it could not under the terms of the original deal. The Northern Ireland assembly now has a ‘Stormont Brake’ that can be used to challenge new EU rules, as a ‘last resort’. Nonetheless, many of the laws that apply to a part of the United Kingdom will be decided in Brussels, not in London or Belfast. This is a very long way from ‘taking back control’. Have a listen using the player above and see what you think.
Trying to separate hype from reality has been difficult. For example, in the House of Lords, I tried to push the minister on when the LEGAL text will emerge on the Windsor Framework. A fluffed-up ‘command paper’ is too vague. And why say 1,700 PAGES of EU laws and regulations will be removed? How many regulations is that? After all, many laws are made up of tomes of pages, so it could well be less impressive than it sounds...
Podcast of Ideas: the Windsor Framework