Britain faces being buried under hundreds of new Brussels laws as Andy Burnham prepares to surrender control over food and farming rules under his Brexit “reset”.
A damning parliamentary report warns that the agreement could force Britain to adopt at least 780 pieces of EU legislation every year – roughly two a day – with limited influence over how those rules are made.
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has already condemned Burnham’s Brexit reset plans, accusing him of being “determined to sell out the British people and our national interest in favour of the European Union”.
Now the House of Lords’ European Affairs Committee has laid bare just how much control Labour could hand back.
Burnham is expected to sign the food and farming agreement at next week’s Brussels summit. In return for fewer checks on exports, Britain would accept “dynamic alignment”: following new EU rules in the areas covered by the deal as Brussels introduces them.
A damning parliamentary report warns that the agreement could force Britain to adopt at least 780 pieces of EU legislation every year – roughly two a day – with limited influence over how those rules are made.
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has already condemned Burnham’s Brexit reset plans, accusing him of being “determined to sell out the British people and our national interest in favour of the European Union”.
Now the House of Lords’ European Affairs Committee has laid bare just how much control Labour could hand back.
Burnham is expected to sign the food and farming agreement at next week’s Brussels summit. In return for fewer checks on exports, Britain would accept “dynamic alignment”: following new EU rules in the areas covered by the deal as Brussels introduces them.
Burnham is determined to sell out the British people
British businesses would have to obey, and parliament’s influence over the rules would be severely limited.
And the burden would reach far beyond companies selling goods to Europe. Businesses trading entirely within Britain would also have to comply, leaving firms facing costs even if they never export a single product to the EU.
The committee heard evidence that farming legislation alone could generate “at least 780 pieces of in-scope EU law a year”.
Its chairman, Lord Stirrup, warned that the consequences could hit families directly.
“This may sound like a technical issue, but the rules in question can affect everyday matters, from food standards and consumer prices to business costs and household budgets”, he said.
Burnham claims unpublished Treasury analysis suggests the food and farming agreement could add £12 billion to GDP. But the committee found that official assessments had failed to account for compliance costs imposed on businesses that do not trade with the EU.
They also overlooked opportunities Britain could lose by giving up the freedom to choose different rules.
There was another warning for struggling households: rejoining the EU’s electricity market, also expected to be agreed next week, could push energy bills higher.
Burnham calls his approach a potential “win-win”. Yet the report describes a “fundamental change” that would put Britain back under EU legislation on a widespread basis.
British voters should control Britain’s future. Labour’s reset risks leaving businesses obeying Brussels – and hardworking British people picking up the bill.
And the burden would reach far beyond companies selling goods to Europe. Businesses trading entirely within Britain would also have to comply, leaving firms facing costs even if they never export a single product to the EU.
The committee heard evidence that farming legislation alone could generate “at least 780 pieces of in-scope EU law a year”.
Its chairman, Lord Stirrup, warned that the consequences could hit families directly.
“This may sound like a technical issue, but the rules in question can affect everyday matters, from food standards and consumer prices to business costs and household budgets”, he said.
Burnham claims unpublished Treasury analysis suggests the food and farming agreement could add £12 billion to GDP. But the committee found that official assessments had failed to account for compliance costs imposed on businesses that do not trade with the EU.
They also overlooked opportunities Britain could lose by giving up the freedom to choose different rules.
There was another warning for struggling households: rejoining the EU’s electricity market, also expected to be agreed next week, could push energy bills higher.
Burnham calls his approach a potential “win-win”. Yet the report describes a “fundamental change” that would put Britain back under EU legislation on a widespread basis.
British voters should control Britain’s future. Labour’s reset risks leaving businesses obeying Brussels – and hardworking British people picking up the bill.
Photo by: Guillaume Périgois.
