"I am making sure white paper represents Crown Dependencies"

Tuesday 26 June 2018

Brexit was under the microscope at last week's British-Irish Council, with national media speaking to the country's leaders as to where things stood.

And at the conference alongside those leaders was Robin Walker MP - the Undersecretary of State for the Department for Exiting the European Union, and thus the primary point of contact between the Dependencies and Parliament.

His job entails being a channel of communication between Parliament and each local government of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. 

Speaking following the conference, Mr Walker said it was currently his focus to ensure the Crown Dependencies were properly represented in the upcoming Brexit White Paper, which is expected to bring forward the UK's vision of where Brexit will land it. He added that the entirety of Parliament was committed to delivering a Brexit for all of the British family, not just England.

"We have been working together here [at the BIC] to negotiate the right future relationship for the UK and the Crown Dependencies with the EU, and crucially, one which does not diminish the long standing ties between the UK and the wider British Family."

He said there had been a good level of communication between the Dependencies' governments and Parliament so far: "I know it has been a long process, and it will always be difficult to convince everyone we are listening to what they are saying - to trust us - but have been working hard to get this right.

"First of all you have to look at what we have done as far as ensuring the Crown Dependencies arguments and points are listened to, I have quarterly meetings with all of the leaders and we have had excellent levels of communication so far."

Pictured: The main attendees of the BIC last Friday, Mr Walker is pictured third from right at the back.

Mr Walker said, as with the rest of the UK, the islands would have to wait until October to truly know how Brexit will affect their relationship with both the UK and the EU, but he did emphasise that they wanted to try and give as much clarity and reassurance to everyone as possible, whether residents of the dependencies or politicians. 

October will be when the white paper is released that will contain any clauses about the Crown Dependencies.

It was his job at the moment, Mr Walker added, to absolutely ensure that that White Paper represented the views of the Crown Dependencies, and part of that work was achieved through discussions at the BIC.

Deputy Gavin St Pier, the island's Chief Minister, said after the conference last week that it was very successful, and always an important event for Guernsey.

He, along with the other First Ministers, met with Mr Walker to discuss Brexit.