Brexit and beneficial ownership dominate talks

Tuesday 14 May 2019

Deputy Gavin St Pier has been at a number of meetings in London where two topics continued to dominate his time.

The Chief Minister was in the UK capital yesterday for a series of appointments to discuss the ongoing Brexit negotiations with ministers from the Department for Exiting the EU, Robin Walker MP, and the Ministry of Justice the Rt Hon Lord Keen.

Although it wasn't formally on the agenda, Deputy St Pier also took the opportunity to 'lobby on the beneficial ownership issue'. He said; "I further took the opportunity to discuss the beneficial ownership issue with MPs, including Anneliese Dodds, shadow treasury minister as well as a representative of the Church Commissioner who have an interest in this policy area.”

Which much of his day focused on Brexit, Deputy St Pier (pictured) said; "This was the ninth Chief Minister's meeting with Robin Walker and the first since the UK extended the Article 50 process.  It was a valuable opportunity to review our experiences from the 'No Deal' planning process as well as develop our plan for phase 2 of the negotiations.  I was able to reiterate the constitutional duty for the UK to represent our interests when seeking a new EU partnership that we can participate in, in particular the need for an economic relationship that is proportionate to our needs."

Deputy St Pier had already written to the UK Prime Minister again recently to reiterate his message, and to "express the importance of an orderly exit from the EU. Last Friday I received the response reiterating the UK commitment to represent our interests even when they differ from the UK's, defend the constitutional relationship and resist attempts to legislate for the islands without our consent.  A copy of this correspondence is also being published today."

Both letters are published below:

Deputy St Pier's letter to the Prime Minister. 

Deputy St Pier's letter from the Prime Minister. 

Pictured top: Deputy St Pier and other delegates at yesterday's meeting.