THE EURATOM ROW: WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Edelman 10 July 2017
Pawel Swidlicki Brexit Analyst Pawel.Swidlicki@Edelman.com
Since the election, the Brexit debate has been blown wide open; over the past couple of days, the question of the UK’s membership of Euratom, the EU’s nuclear body, has come to the forefront with a concerted push by supporters of a ‘softer Brexit’ to put the option of continued membership back on the table. If successful, this would have wider implications for Brexit.
EURATOM SUPPORTERS PUSH BACK Despite the government’s insistence that nothing fundamental has changed as regards Brexit, last month’s inconclusive election has dramatically reopened the debate about Brexit, with space opening for a softer version of Brexit than that set out by Theresa May in her Lancaster House speech. In recent days, proponents of the UK remaining within Euratom have led a concerted effort to force the government into a rethink:
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James Chapman, former advisor to David Davis told the BBC that “I would have thought the UK would like to continue welcoming nuclear scientists who are all probably being paid six figures and are paying lots of tax. But we’re withdrawing from [Euratom] because of this absolutist position on the European court. I think she could show some flexibility in that area… if she doesn’t shift on Euratom I think the parliament will shift it for her.”
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In a joint op-ed in The Sunday Telegraph, the Conservatives’ Ed Vaizey and Labour’s Rachel reeves argued that leaving Euratom “makes no sense. The UK must remain a beacon for global talent after Brexit… We do not believe that anyone who voted leave did so because they wanted to prevent atomic researchers and their families making their lives here and contributing to our economy and society.”
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Dominic Cummings, the former campaign director of Vote Leave (known for his forthright views) tweeted that the government were “morons” for withdrawing from Euratom and that it was “near retarded on every dimension.” He added that leaving Euratom was a misinterpretation of the referendum, and that the ECJ’s role was not a significant problem.
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A number of senior nuclear scientists, including Professor Roger Cashmore, chair of the UK Atomic Energy Agency, have warned that leaving Euratom will have profound impacts on Britain’s research, energy production, and industry, with Cashmore describing it as “a mess” and “alarming”.
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The Evening Standard warned in a front-page story that thousands of cancer patients could face delays to their treatment as a result of the UK’s decision to leave Euratom, citing Dr Nicola Strickland, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, as saying that she was “seriously concerned” that such a move threatens the supply of vital imported radioactive isotopes widely used in scans and treatment.
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Labour MP Albert Owen will lead a Westminster Hall debate on the issue of the UK’s future relationship with Euratom on Wednesday morning.