Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois hailed today, 29 March 2017, as a “great day”, on which Britain triggered Article 50, to take back control of our national destiny from the European Union
The letter formally triggering Article 50, which begins the process of Britain leaving the European Union, was signed by the Prime Minister and was delivered today to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council. Britain will now be involved in up to two years of negotiations with European partners to settle matters including the movement of EU citizens and trade deals with the remaining EU states.
Mark, who campaigned actively during the 2016 referendum for Britain to leave the European Union, also asked the Prime Minister if she agreed with him that Britain’s history as an outward looking and free-trading nation would help us in the negotiations with the EU. The Prime Minister agreed with Mark’s analysis and stressed the vital importance of forthcoming talks in Brussels.
Speaking about today’s events Mark said:
“It was the debate around the EU’s Treaty of Lisbon back in 2008, when I was the Conservative Party’s Shadow Europe Minister, that finally convinced me that we should leave the EU. Nine years on, I am very pleased to see that the Prime Minister has now triggered Article 50 and begun the process of our leaving the European Union, as voted for by the British people in last year’s referendum. I believe we have a bright future outside the EU and that the Prime Minister is well placed to lead us into the challenging negotiations that now lie ahead.”