Newspaper column 7 January 2021 - Brexit Deal and COVID update

Well it’s my first column of the New Year, and I hope everyone was able to celebrate the passing of what for many was such a difficult 2020, while looking forward to what lies ahead in 2021.

The past week has certainly given me a lot to write about!

Firstly, on Wednesday 30^th December I was privileged to be able to vote on the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation agreement – the Trade Deal between the UK and the EU that was agreed on 24^th December by the respective negotiating teams.

This was a mammoth achievement and thanks must go to our skilled negotiating team who achieved this deal during the 11 months of transition period since Brexit occurred on 31 January 2020. These deals often take years to agree.

On top of this, this Deal is the first the EU has ever reached allowing zero tariffs and zero quotas. We will preserve the immense benefits of free trade for millions of people in the United Kingdom and across Europe. The agreement means that the UK will fully recover its national independence and sovereignty. We will leave the EU customs union and single market, as well as ending vast payments to the EU. We will take back control of our borders and will introduce our new points-based immigration system from the start of this year. Most importantly, the agreement provides for the UK to take back control of our laws, affording no role for EU law and no jurisdiction for the European Court of Justice. The only laws we will have to obey are the ones made by the Parliament we elect.

This deal is not perfect and we have had to make some compromises. I share the disappointment felt by fishermen.  While we will take back control of our waters, there is a lengthy transition period included in this with further negotiations needed at the end. The Government is providing additional millions in funding to support our fishing fleets through this period and ensure they are in the best possible position to take advantage of the end of the transition period and I will be doing all I can to ensure fishermen in Truro and Falmouth are represented fully in this process.

With that being said, getting Brexit done was the primary manifesto commitment I was elected on and this deal achieves that. I was delighted to vote for this agreement and see it pass through its first reading in Parliament with a substantial majority.

Meanwhile the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care confirmed that Cornwall would be moving to Tier 3 of COVID-19 restrictions from 31 December. With the spread of the new highly communicable strain of COVID-19, this increase sadly not surprising and I will be working with Cornwall Council to ensure they use the funding available to them to support businesses that are closed or severely impacted by these new restrictions.

While this change in Tier ended 2020 on a sour note, hope is on the horizon, with the approval for mass distribution of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine, which can be rolled out and given far easier than the existing Pfizer vaccine, which will also continue to be used. This will allow more people to have the COVID-19 vaccine quickly and I hope will be able to speed the return to normality as we head through 2021, something which I am sure we will all welcome.

As ever, if you need my assistance with anything then my team and I are here to help. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , by telephone on 01872 229698.