What will happen when Britain sits down to negotiate a new relationship with the European Union? The Open Europe think tank decided to find out with ‘war games’ in Westminster this morning. Expert negotiators representing the UK, EU Commission, Germany and France among others tried to figure out how a new Europe could be built that works for everyone.
Tory MP and member of the No.10 Policy Unit Andrea Leadsom ably batted for the UK, based on the principles in her Fresh Start manifesto. Not surprisingly, she clashed with France, Germany and the EU Commission representative John Brunton. He was against fundamental change and was ‘amazed’ at the UK’s position, particularly Leadsom’s view that the ‘free movement of labour should not be free movement of access to welfare’. Leadsom in return was ‘amazed at his amazement’.
When I spoke Leadsom about her ‘shopping list’ of demands, she said that ‘cherry picking this absolutely isn’t’ and the only negotiation topic unique to Britain would be a ‘justice and home affairs opt-out’, due to the fact our constitution is based on common law.
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