F5: Exit from Brexit

12 members

Mover: Rt Hon Tom Brake MP (Spokesperson on Exiting the European Union and International Trade).

Summation: Wera Hobhouse MP (Spokesperson on Communities and Local Government).

Conference notes that:

1. Outline agreement has finally been reached between the UK and the EU27 on the issues of financial settlement, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and EU citizens' rights.
2. The talks are now moving on to the detail of the transition, then the future relationship between the UK and EU27.
3. EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU remain uncertain about their futures.
4. The principle of a transition period of around 2 years has been agreed.
5. Despite the promises of the Leave campaign, no guarantee has been made of additional money to the NHS.

Conference believes that:

1. No deal that the government can negotiate is better than the one we already have as a member of the European Union.
2. The European Commission has now released draft legal text of the Withdrawal Agreement, based on outline agreement from December.
3. There is no clarity on whether, to resolve the Ireland border issue, the outline agreement will require Northern Ireland to abide by the rules of the Single Market and Customs Union.
4. The agreement reached on EU citizens' rights does not go far enough to protect existing rights of EU citizens in the UK.
5. The agreement reached on UK citizens' rights does not go far enough to protect existing rights of UK citizens in the EU.

Conference condemns the Government's failure to conduct and publish assessments on the impact of different forms of Brexit across each department.

Conference urges the Labour leadership to fully reflect the views of their members who by an overwhelming majority want the UK to stay in the Single Market & Customs Union, and also want voters to have the final say.

Conference regrets the negative impact of Brexit on the NHS and other public services.

Conference calls for:

1. The British people to be given control and offered an exit from Brexit in the form of a people's vote on the final deal.
2. The vote on the final deal to be a choice between accepting the deal or remaining a member of the EU.
3. In the absence of a referendum, Parliament to be given a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal before the UK finally leaves the EU, this vote would include an option to stay in the EU.
4. Assessments to be conducted and published on the impact of different Brexit scenarios by each government department before the final decision is made to inform MPs and the public of the implications of Brexit.
5. The Liberal Democrats to continue to campaign for Britain to remain a full and active member of the European Union.

Applicability: Federal.