UK and EU Reach Agreement on Security Co-operation and Trade in Historic Post-Brexit Deal

Strategic Insights -

The UK and the European Union have agreed on a wide-ranging deal on trade and security co-operation, five years after the Brexit split. The deal, hailed as a "Great Reset" by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, covers fishing, trade, defence, and energy. While the British Prime Minister claims the deal is a win-win, not everyone agrees, with opposition leaders and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticising the terms of the agreement.

Key Takeaways:

  • The deal covers fishing, trade, defence, and energy, with the UK granting European fishermen access to British waters for 12 more years.
  • The agreement creates new energy networks and makes it easier to trade food across the Channel, with the Prime Minister claiming this will bring down bills, create jobs, and protect Britain's borders.
  • The deal opens the door to deeper defence co-operation in the face of growing Russian aggression and gives the UK unprecedented access to the EU market.
  • The agreement has been met with criticism from opposition leaders, including Kemi Badendoch, who claims it will result in the UK giving away fishing rights for over a decade.
  • Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected the deal, calling it a "complete and deliberate portrayal of Brexit".
  • A recent YouGov poll showed a majority of Brits regret the Brexit vote, an opinion echoed on the streets of London today.
  • Many details are still being finalised, with negotiations and compromising to come.

Statistics:

  • 12 years: the length of time European fishermen will have access to British waters under the new deal.
  • 5 years: the time since the Brexit split that has passed before the UK and EU reached an agreement on trade and security co-operation.
  • 60%: the majority of Brits who, according to a recent YouGov poll, regret the Brexit vote.
  • £: the claim made by the British Prime Minister that the deal will bring down bills and create jobs, but not specified in the source.

Sources:

  • [Transcript of BBC News broadcast]
  • Sabra Lane, reporter
  • Syan Vallance, reporter
  • BBC News, UK and EU reach post-Brexit trade and security deal