One of our locally elected idiots, Andrew Percy, has been speaking in the debate on the Trade Bill. You can read it (HERE). Percy was one of the leading Brexiteers, urging people to vote leave against their own best interests, the exact opposite of what an MP should have been doing. However now that the government is stumbling forward to wherever Brexit is taking us he is starting to ask questions. This week he asked the Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, this:
Percy:
Will he [Fox] confirm that the Canadian Government have committed themselves to reaching a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom once we leave the European Union and have established a joint ministerial council with us?
Canada is the country the EU have just signed a trade deal (CETA) with and which is in the process of being ratified. Fox tells him the answer is no, but in a typically long winded way that makes it sound like yes:
Fox: I confirm that we have had very positive discussions with the Canadian Government, and I also confirm it is our intention, as we have said, to ratify CETA before we leave the European Union. Once we have left the European Union, CETA will form a good basis for any future agreement with Canada, while taking advantage of the increased trading freedoms the United Kingdom might have, unrestricted by elements such as the data localisation restrictions that are currently placed on us by the EU’s negotiating position.
Having urged people to reject the EU Percy is now urging ministers to replicate with Canada exactly what we will soon have but will lose on March 29th 2019. Madness isnt't it?
By the way, if you're interested in the data localisation restrictions you can read about them HERE. Essentially, Fox is saying he will transfer data about you to Canada without requiring your consent about how it's going to be used.
