The Freedom Association's 'Better Off Out' campaign has today published six essays that present the positive benefits of a clean Brexit - not just for the UK, but also for free trade across the Commonwealth and the world.

Click here to read them

There are contributions from Ruth Lea CBE, Economic Adviser, Arbuthnot Banking Group; Daniel Moylan, Former adviser to Boris Johnson as Mayor of London; Chloe Westley, Campaign Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance; Andrea Jenkyns MP, Conservative, Morley and Outwood; Ross Thomson MP, Conservative, Aberdeen South; and Chloe Schendel-Wilson, former Parliamentary researcher and Conservative activist. 

Senior Conservative MPs are this evening setting out the alternative written ministerial statement that they believe the Prime Minister should make now that the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration have been rejected by the House of Commons.

A Better Deal and A Better Future includes the following:

Our former President and Maastricht rebel, Christopher Gill, wrote an excellent article for yesterday's Telegraph. 

"Fully expecting to be detained overnight at the Speaker's pleasure in Bell Tower, I took the precaution of taking a thermos with me when I set off to the House of Commons on my foolhardy mission on Tuesday - the first day of the debate on Theresa May's appalling capitulation agreement for exiting the benighted European Union.

Responding to the story in the Daily Telegraph that Theresa May wants a live televised debate with Jeremy Corbyn, Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns, said:

"This is something we should resist. We are not in the middle of a general election campaign. The broadcasters will love the idea as it is good for them. Instead of debating the issues, they will be billing this as the heavyweight championship of the world with a build up going on for days. It will also be a biased Remain v Remain fight without a Brexiteer in sight. It would be a distraction - one we can do without as the future of our country as a sovereign nation hangs in the balance."

ENDS

Whilst paragraph 73 of the draft political agreement states that "the United Kingdom will be an independent coastal state", read paragraphs 75 & 76:

75. Within the context of the overall economic partnership the Parties should establish a new fisheries agreement on, inter alia, access to waters and quota shares.

76. The Parties will use their best endeavours to conclude and ratify their new fisheries agreement by 1 July 2020 in order for it to be in place in time to be used for determining fishing opportunities for the first year after the transition period.

A new poll from Global Britain shows that a clear majority favour a clean break from the EU. Brian Monteith, a Freedom Association Council member and the Director of Communications at Global Britain, told me that "while there is no absolute majority (50%+1) for any position it is clear that Canada+/No Deal/WTO (or a combination of them) would command a majority of support were they to be the outcome". 

He also said:

We have just taken delivery today of some new flyers. They are available to purchase from our shop in quantities of 150 and 350 at the heavily subsidised price of £3 and £5 respectively. We are able to send them to you for these discounted prices thanks to the generosity of those members who have kindly donated to the Better Off Out campaign. 

Conservative Party members received a letter from the Prime Minister today. She is trying to sell her Chequers plan, and on the reverse of the second A4 page are quotes from senior Conservatives under the title of "The right deal for Britain". 

Liam Fox commented that "this deal will give the UK the freedom to sign our own, independent trade deals". We know that under this plan we are not going to be able to to sign independent comprehensive trade deals. He must be hoping that members are going to fall for it. I have a message for him: they're not stupid. 

The independent Labour Peer and Freedom Association Council member, Lord Stoddart of Swindon has strongly criticised the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners for their interference in the debate over Brexit.  The Eurosceptic peer described their letter to the Home Secretary as an “unwise and unpopular political intervention from an organisation representing a deeply unpopular layer of bureaucracy that has been an undistinguished addition to the cost of policing in the UK.”