Lords EU Committee says urgent consideration now needed on future relationship with the EU, following vote to leave
Following the momentous referendum vote to leave the EU, the House of Lords EU Committee has said that it's vital the UK Government takes urgent steps to cultivate a ‘productive and beneficial' future relationship with the EU.
The Committee says that in the short term it intends to scrutinise the withdrawal negotiations in detail, as well as closely examining the new relationship as it evolves.
It has drawn attention to its recently published report which sets out the complex withdrawal process that will now take place. It has also warned that the plans for the UK to host the EU Presidency in the latter half of 2017 should be scrapped.
Lord Boswell of Aynho, Chair of the Lords EU Committee, said of the vote:
“First and foremost we must recognise that the British public have spoken and they have expressed a desire for the UK to leave the EU.
“Europe will still be a hugely important partner for the UK in the future. As the dust settles on the referendum campaign, we urge all parties to give urgent consideration to ensuring that the UK continues to have a productive and beneficial relationship with the EU, albeit from outside the Union.”
“In our recent report on the process of withdrawing from the EU, we said that withdrawal would be a daunting task. That task is now a reality. If we are to get a decent outcome we need to work together. Parliament must be fully involved, to make sure that the process is transparent, and that the government's long-term goals have real democratic legitimacy.”
“The result of the referendum also leaves huge doubts over whether the UK can possibly hold the Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2017. We urge the Government and the EU to seek alternatives as a matter of urgency.”
