UK objectives
In contrast to the EU approach, the UK approach centred on political speeches by Johnson at Greenwich on 3 February 2020 and Frost at Brussels on 17 February 2020 to outline the government’s opening position.
In addition, the Prime Minister provided a written statement to Parliament on 3 February 2020 which outlined its aims for the negotiations. The jointly-agreed Political Declaration was the starting point.
The UK government then published its negotiating objectives on 27 February 2020. Although it mentions an FTA frequently, the UK wished to seek agreement on many other areas (for example: fisheries, security, air transport and UK participation in EU programmes).
The UK government said that its principal aims for trade were:
- zero tariffs and quotas on UK-EU goods trade;
- an ability to diverge from EU regulations and rules.
UK team and Taskforce Europe
Responsibility for negotiations fell to a unit called ‘Taskforce Europe’, which sat in the Cabinet Office and at Number 10 Downing Street. Taskforce Europe, which was about 40-strong, reported to the Prime Minister.
The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) was abolished on 31 January 2020.
David Frost was the head of the Taskforce as a special advisor, rather than a senior civil servant or minister.
As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove was the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office and was responsible for overseeing:
- government departments’ preparations for Brexit;
- communications and other government interventions to ensure businesses and citizens were ready;
- devolution consequences.
Government agenda
Parliament had to pass at least six pieces of Brexit legislation to give ministers powers in areas where the EU had previously set the rules for the UK.
In addition, the government needed to:
- set new policies for:
- agriculture;
- fisheries;
- immigration.
- set up new public bodies including:
- Independent Monitoring Authority (to monitor the UK’s application of citizens’ rights defined in the WA and any later agreements);
- Trade Remedies Authority (to investigate unfair trade practices and recommend actions in response).
- make changes to existing public bodies;
- prepare for changes at the UK border (as well as the border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland);
- involve the devolved administrations to reflect Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish interests in the talks and to implement the outcomes.
The National Audit Office reported that the government was planning to have 27,500 civil servants working on Brexit preparations by March 2020.
The Withdrawal Agreement Bill provided no formal role for MPs in approving the negotiating mandate, which Michael Gove presented to the Commons on 27 February. The government said that it would provide updates to Parliament as the negotiations progressed, but provided no schedule.