The Bruges Group is an independent all-party think tank that was set up in February 1989, its aim was to promote the idea of a less centralised European structure than that emerging in Brussels. Its inspiration was Margaret Thatcher’s Bruges speech in September 1988, in which she remarked that:
“We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them reimposed at a European level, with a European superstate exercising a new dominance from Brussels.”
Their pedigree as a think tank is without question and they have now released the following damning statement about the Withdrawl Treaty:
The Bruges Group is opposed to the acceptance by Parliament of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration which has been released today.
The Bruges Group has always put the highest priority in maintaining the integrity of the United Kingdom. This agreement provides for a different status for Northern Ireland and therefore has the potential to lead to the break up of the whole of the United Kingdom. The UK must leave the European Union as one entity.
The agreement also binds the United Kingdom to EU Regulations in any future trade agreement with the EU which would severely damage our prospects of signing free trade agreements with other countries.
The agreement still includes an unjustified £39bn charge on UK tax payers. We reject this punishment levy. This sum is equivalent to nearly a quarter of the entire revenue raised from income tax this year.
This money would be better used in boosting our economy by cutting the taxes of hard working people and/or giving an immediate boost to some of our hard pressed public services.
We urge Members of Parliament who wish to honour the result of the Referendum to reject this defective agreement if it is put before them.
Barry Legg
Chairman, The Bruges Group
Barry Legg was the Conservative Party’s Chief Executive and is a former MP, representing Milton Keynes South West. Whilst in Parliament Barry was a Maastricht rebel.He is also a businessman and Chairman of the Bruges Group.
Nigel Farage has surmised that the new deal is not Brexit and is simply a rehashed version of Theresa May’s loathed deal. If the deal is passed many brexiteers will see this as a betrayal and Brexit in name only.
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
