Jersey’s External Relations Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, spoke to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Robin Walker MP, this morning to discuss the successful conclusion of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, in Brussels on Sunday.
Robin Walker reiterated that the UK Government has negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement on behalf of the UK and the Crown Dependencies. This means that Jersey and the other Crown Dependencies are included in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Implementation Period, providing Crown Dependency businesses and islanders with certainty.
On the future relationship with the EU outlined in the Political Declaration, the Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will negotiate on behalf of all territories for whose external relations the UK is responsible.
Minister Walker underlined that the UK Government will be seeking specific arrangements for the Crown Dependencies that take account of their existing relationships with the EU and strike a proportionate balance of rights and responsibilities. This future relationship will respect the shared constitutional relationship between the two jurisdictions, and the Crown Dependencies’ fiscal autonomy.
States of Jersey Press Release.