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EU withdrawal would be "nonsense", says Lord Green

Lord Green, the Minister for Trade and Investment, said on Monday he would not back a UK exit from the European Union.

Speaking during a visit to valve manufacturer ChargePoint in Liverpool, Lord Green said he agrees with the approach taken by the Prime Minister so far, although significant EU reform is needed.

Lord Green said: “Britain needs Europe and Europe needs Britain. There’s some way to go, because the single market doesn’t apply in all sectors of activity.

“One of the key parts I’d hope for is to make sure we do fully apply the single market. But to turn our backs on it? Absolute nonsense.

“I think there is a strong case for reform within the EU and Britain should, and will be, working up with proposals for reform. Particularly, as far as my brief is concerned, focusing on single market and trade.”

His comments come amid a highly-charged debate between Tory MPs around whether they would vote to leave the EU now, after David Cameron promised to hold an “in-out” referendum in his Queen’s Speech last week, if he wins the next election.

Calls to pass legislation before 2015 have been made by some Tory party members, who want this commitment made in law.

It has been suggested the PM could in fact vote against his own Queen’s Speech in an attempt to appease Eurosceptic Conservative MPs.

Lord Green outlined a wish to work on an EU-U.S. trade deal that would remove tariff fees and create a much more open market between the two land masses.

He emphasised that this would be a near-enough impossible goal for Britain to achieve on its own, and said staying within the EU would be vital if the UK is to benefit from such an agreement.

He said: “The EU-US deal, if we can get it done […] is absolutely a prize worth going for. It would open up a massive […] market.

“The EU is negotiating that on behalf of the EU. Britain can’t negotiate that as effectively on its own as it could as part of the EU.

“Europe’s an imperfect single market for sure, and it still has a long way to go, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the complexities of many of the other markets.”

Chris Eccles, managing director of ChargePoint, commented: “We deal with Europe with our eyes closed, when we export to the US […] you’re going through a different port of entry, with different rules and different states.

“It’s an absolute minefield, so if you want to put a plus on Europe for us, [that’s it.]”

When asked specifically about international trade within the North West region, Lord Green rebuked suggestions of Southern cynicism towards the North.

He commented: “What the North West has got is some core competencies in automotive, aerospace, in creative industries, which means the North West punches, at least, at its weight for the economy as a whole.

“Nobody can afford to be complacent. [However} I certainly don’t take the view that the North West is anything other than full of exciting businesses, that can take the world on.”

Clive Drinkwater, regional director of UKTI in the North West, added: “We’re two powerhouse city regions; Liverpool and Manchester really draw attention when you’re talking about inward investment.

“Trading internationally is one of the key things that we do. We need more people doing that of course, but because of the benefits to the individual firm and a greater need for the economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .