The following comprises a letter to the British family of nations by the UK Prime Minister Theresa May that was published this morning, as she embarks upon entering an agreement with the European Union in which the conditions of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU that will take place at 11pm (GMT) on the 29th March 2019 are set out. The 585-page agreement is coupled with a Political Declaration.
Anguilla has now spent two years lobbying and negotiating with the UK Government and EU Commission, in so doing raising awareness of the critical socio-economic ties between Anguilla and its European neighbours in the Caribbean and of Anguilla’s heavy reliance on support from the EU itself, albeit contributed to by the UK. We are now at a pivotal stage in the process that will play out daily until the date of withdrawal. From Anguilla’s position, there is little more that we attain at this stage, having received expressed assurances by the UK government that Anguilla will be protected and that the main focus for the island will be conducted during the next phase of the negotiations in which Future Relations will be addressed. In this, and taking into account the current sentiment that appears to surround today’s signing of the agreement by the EU and UK leadership, I believe this to be the case for Anguilla, although we see continued turbulence surrounding Gibraltar, our fellow territory, that has led to last minute adjustments due to the fact that their sovereignty is at risk, unlike our own.
Post Brexit, Anguilla will become a border nation of an Outer Most Region of the EU in the guise of French St Martin and, secondly, a border nation of the Dutch nations with which it also shares direct marine borders that are, for this purpose, treated as one Dutch entity. The EU fully recognise the desirability of continued mutually beneficial interaction between the islands that aligns with much of its work with independent countries in the region. I therefore anticipate that the second phase of negotiations will reflect this mutual objective fortified by the consensus of the people in the islands.
As I have maintained throughout, the real risk to Anguilla therefore lies in the politics within the UK itself where there are multiple hurdles that must first be overcome if the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration that are comprised in the first phase of the process are, in fact, to be formally adopted in the UK parliament, on behalf of all British nations, including Anguilla. If they are not there is a real risk of an acrimonious No Deal Brexit that may indirectly affect the islands should the EU or the member states in question ordain that their Caribbean interests become less cooperative whether temporarily, or permanently; or the necessary administrative adjustments reflecting the new relationship lead to periods of uncertainty, as under a No Deal Brexit there would no longer be a recognised transition period in which the new post Brexit relationships between the EU and British nations could be developed, hence the term ‘crashing out of Europe’. Whilst the islands will, no doubt try to find ways and means of accommodating each other’s needs, as French St Martin is a collectivité of France, the French Government in Paris will lead on this in practice. Meanwhile, I shall endeavour to maintain swift updates as developments unfold.
Mrs Blondel Cluff CBE,
Representative of the Government of Anguilla to the UK and EU
and Special Adviser to the Chief Minister
When I became your Prime Minister the United Kingdom had just voted to leave the European Union. From my first day in the job, 1 knew 1 had a clear mission before me – a duty to fulfil on your behalf: to honour the result of the referendum and secure a brighter future for our country by negotiating a good Brexit deal with the EU. Throughout the long and complex negotiations that have taken place over the last year and a half, I have never lost sight of that duty.
Today, I am in Brussels with the firm intention of agreeing a Brexit deal with the leaders of the other 27 EU nations. It will be a deal that is in our national interestone that works for our whole country and all of our people, whether you voted ‘Leave’ or ‘Remain’.
It will honour the result of the referendum. We will take back control of our borders, by putting an end to the free movement of people once and for all. Instead of an immigration system based on where a person comes from, we will build one based on the skills and talents a person has to offer. We will take back control of our money, by putting an end to vast annual payments to the EU. Instead, we will be able to spend British taxpayer’s money on our own priorities, like the extra £394 million per week that we are investing in our long-term plan for the NHS.
And we will take back control of our laws, by ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK. In future, our laws will be made, interpreted and enforced by our own courts and legislatures.
We will be out of EU programmes that do not work in our interests: out of the Common Agricultural Policy, that has failed our farmers, and out of the Common Fisheries Policy, that has failed our coastal communities. Instead, we will be able to design a system of agricultural support that works for us and we will be an independent coastal state once again, with full control over our waters.
The deal also protects the things we value. EU citizens who have built their lives in the United Kingdom will have their rights protected, as will UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU. A free trade area will allow goods to flow easily across our borders, protecting the many skilled jobs right across the country that rely on integrated supply-chains. Because our European friends will always be our allies in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, the deal will ensure that security co-operation will continue, so we can keep our people safe.
As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I have from day one been determined to deliver a Brexit deal that works for every part of our country – for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, for our Overseas Territories like Gibraltar, and also for the Crown Dependencies. This deal will do that. Crucially, it will protect the integrity of our United Kingdom and ensure that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland – so people can live their lives as they do now.
It is a deal for a brighter future, which enables us to seize the opportunities that lie ahead. Outside the EU, we will be able to sign new trade deals with other countries and open up new markets in the fastest-growing economies around the world. With Brexit settled, we will be able to focus our energies on the many other important issues facing us here at home: keeping our economy strong, and making sure every community shares in prosperity; securing our NHS for the future, giving every child a great start in life, and building the homes that families need; tackling the burning injustices that hold too many people back, and building a country for the future that truly works for everyone.
On 29 March next year, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. We will then begin a new chapter in our national life. I want that to be a moment of renewal and reconciliation for our whole country. It must mark the point when we put aside the labels of ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’ for good and we come together again as one people. To do that we need to get on with Brexit now by getting behind this deal.
Parliament will have the chance to do that in a few weeks’ time when it has a meaningful vote on the deal I hope to strike today. I will be campaigning with my heart and soul to win that vote and to deliver this Brexit deal, for the good of our United Kingdom and all of our people.
