Truss Slams EU Breach As UK Launches Action Against Brussels

British Government want EU 'to abide by their obligations in the Deal'.

Welcome to another Brexiteer Bulletin, the newsletter where I speak up for the pro-Leave majority so often ignored by Remainstream media.

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UK Takes Action Over EU Breach

One criticism of some British mainstream media is that all too often lines from Brussels have been swallowed and parroted in a manner unthinkable when it comes to statements from UK sources.

It is an unbalance that has at times led to some on TV News virtually acting as spokespeople for Brussels, regurgitating the EU line on matters with little scrutiny applied.

I believe this reflects the fact that many establishment types are fairly diehard Remainers still bitter and bemoaning Brexit. Get over it!

Indeed it underlines why the Brexiteer Bulletin is essential in bringing some balance, with an unashamedly pro-Brexit take.

A clear example of the lack of scrutiny applied to Brussels is summed up by my question for you: are you aware that around a year ago the EU was accused of breaking the Deal agreed with the UK?

This relates to the UK’s access to the Horizon Europe research programme and the EU’s continuing delay in delivering on this commitment as part of the Deal agreed.

Indeed back in October 2021, Lord Frost spoke about this and said:

“It’s not a very happy place. We are getting quite concerned about this actually.

“There is an obligation in Article 710 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to finalise our participation.

“It uses the word ‘shall’. It is an obligation. It would obviously be a breach of the treaty if the EU doesn’t deliver on this obligation.”

I was highlighting this last year on my YouTube Channel - but did you see a single UK TV News report on this?

It isn’t just the UK being frozen out but Switzerland as well. The EU Commission have said that:

“In the cases of Switzerland and the UK, given the overall context of our relations with both countries, the political conditions for the establishment of the association to Union programmes are not met at this stage.”

Nobel prize-winning astronomer Didier Queloz, writing in a Financial Times article entitled ‘Science must trump politics on UK inclusion in Horizon Europe’, has said:

To be blunt, politicians have decided to use participation in Horizon Europe as a bargaining chip in wider negotiations. If this is the way the game plays out, everybody loses.

We risk destroying a fantastic tool that the EU has spent decades developing, by excluding two of the biggest players in the global research arena for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the programme itself. The tragedy is that this is so short-sighted.

The British Government are now starting to push back, writing to the EU and launching dispute resolution proceedings.

Liz Truss is at the forefront of this. The heavy favourite to become the next Prime Minister has slammed the EU’s behaviour:

The EU is in clear breach of our agreement, repeatedly seeking to politicise vital scientific cooperation by refusing to finalise access to these important programmes. We cannot allow this to continue.

That is why the UK has now launched formal consultations and will do everything necessary to protect the scientific community.

It is clear that many in Brussels were already not exactly fans of Truss, who has led efforts on the sensible Northern Ireland Protocol Bill backed by a big majority of MPs.

Unilateral action on the Protocol as well as this issue will be key early tests for the next Prime Minister and Brexiteers will want to see the PM take a tough line.

Too often the British Government have allowed these situations to drift on. Endless Protocol meetings were held with Eurocrats that seemed to achieve absolutely nothing apart from statements afterwards pledging to have further meetings.

In terms of the UK outlook on this EU breach of the Deal, the British Government have set out their position clearly:

UK membership of Horizon Europe would be a win-win for both the UK and EU. The UK is a world leader in science and technology, houses some of the most research intensive universities in the world and led the global effort to combat Covid-19. The UK has set aside around £15bn for Horizon Europe alone.

The EU’s research and innovation community has been calling on the European Commission to associate the UK to these programmes. The UK Government also continues to seek association so that collective work to solve the greatest economic and societal challenges can continue.

In the event that association is not formalised, the Government has prepared an alternative set of programmes to support UK scientists and researchers.

If Truss does become PM then I have written before about how she could make a positive start by appointing a Brexiteer Cabinet.

When it comes to dealing with the European Union, the job should be given to the man with a firm track record in doing so: Lord Frost.

That would certainly rattle many hardline Remainers and indeed plenty of those in Brussels. But it would send a very clear signal as well. Frost is very popular with Leavers and Conservatives who trust him to deliver.

Of course there will be much media coverage now of the Foreign Secretary’s accusation that the EU are breaking the Deal agreed.

But isn’t it remarkable that so little scrutiny was placed on this issue before this escalation?

As ever the Brexiteer Bulletin will keep bringing you all the latest on this and other important issues that Remainstream media often choose to ignore.