35 Written explanations of Jake PUGH

The Brexit Party voted against this non-legislative resolution. Principally, The Brexit Party oppose the EU’s infringement proceedings against any sovereign nation. We believe that the governments of these nations, who were democratically elected unlike many EU lawmakers, have the right to enact the policies that they have elected on. For these reasons, we voted against calls for further hearings with Poland and Hungary.

Ombudsman has done a decent job on investigating issues within the Commission and EU institutions. The report praises the Ombudsman and lightly calls for more transparency with the EU structure.

The Brexit Party have voted to abstain on this legislative report. Whilst we support the principle of cooperation with neighbouring countries, particularly when this concerns combatting serious crime and terrorism, we cannot support this being facilitated via the EU. As we believe these agreements should be conducted bilaterally, we abstained on this report

Brexit Party MEPs have abstained on this consent vote. This is a technical amendment to bring the agreement in line with EU rules, and therefore we felt it most appropriate to abstain.

Although the Brexit party opposes EU tax harmonisation, and does not support EU legislation over the UK, these provisions would reduce the scope of VAT and so we abstained.

Brexit Party MEPs voted against this motion for a resolution. We do not support the EU spending trillions of euros and harmonising laws and targets. If Member States wish to achieve climate objectives, it should be on their own terms and not the EUs. Brexit Party MEPs voted on a number of amendments, in order to reduce the extent of targets and increases in EU legislation.

The Resolution regrets the loss of Freedom of Movement and seeks to reverse the burden of proof for Settled Status, accordingly the Brexit Party voted against.

The Brexit Party voted against this non-legislative report. Whilst we respect the importance of the human rights issues raised within this report we are opposed to the European Union becoming involved. We are firmly opposed to the increasing use of serious human rights issue abroad as justification for the enhancement of the EU's foreign policy apparatus.

The Brexit Party voted against this non-legislative report. We are opposed to the development of the EU's strategic autonomy and the further transfer of foreign policy decision making to the EU level.

The Brexit Party voted against this non-legislative report. We are opposed to the development of the European Defence Union. Defence of the realm is fundamental to nation-state sovereignty and should remain the responsibility of the member-states.

The Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this non-legislative, non-binding resolution. While there were elements in this report we opposed such as calling for transnational lists for EU elections, along with our concern this conference will just be an echo chamber for EU elites to convince themselves there needs to be greater centralisation of powers and spending of money at EU level, as the UK is leaving it wasn't our place to be part of those discussions.

Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this legislative consent procedure proposal. The EU bans beef being imported from the USA, which has been treated with hormones, but allows a quota of non-hormone treated beef form the USA being imported. This has been a long standing trade dispute which has led to tariffs and counter measures between the two parties for decades. This proposal is a final agreement between the EU & USA, which will maintain the EU ban on hormone treated beef imports, but will give the USA a greater share of the non-hormone treated beef imports. This will mean there will be a reduction of beef imports to the EU from Australia, Uruguay and Argentina. While we don’t want to legitimise the EU negotiating the UKs trade policy, it is up to the EU to decide their own tariffs once we finally leave.

Brexit Party MEPs voted against this non-legislative resolution. The EU bans beef being imported from the USA, which has been treated with hormones, but allows a quota of non-hormone treated beef form the USA being imported. This has been a long standing trade dispute which has led to tariffs and counter measures between the two parties for decades. This non-binding resolution is attached to a previous vote on the same issue. We opposed this resolution as it seeks to politicalise trade and calls on the EU to take more action in the world.

The Brexit Party abstained on this non-legislative resolution. We reject the development of an EU foreign policy and attempted interference by the European Union abroad and within third states. Specifically on the judgement of whether or not the ending of President Morales term constitutes a coup d'état is a political judgement, one which the EU should not be making. We remain concerned by on-going reports of breaches of human rights and welcome steps to towards the return of Bolivia to a fully functioning democracy with free and fair elections.

Brexit Party MEPs have voted against this non-legislative motion for a resolution. We believe that calls for a ‘climate emergency’ are fearmongering and that any climate action should be based on science. Additionally, we reject any calls for EU action and spending in this area as Member States are sovereign and should decide on such action themselves.

Brexit Party MEPs voted against this non-legislative motion for a resolution. We believe that any climate change action should be based on scientific research and not fear mongering; moreover this is something that should be a Member State’s prerogative, rather than directed by EU action. We have voted against many of the unachievable targets set out in the amendments, as well as calls for further EU action.

Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this non-legislative resolution. The Istanbul Convention itself is a (non-EU) international agreement to combat gender violence. It contains a number of different elements including creating criminal offences, ensuring there are national helplines, ensuring there are shelters available for people who suffer domestic abuse, etc. The UK is already in the process of ratifying this convention and in most cases has laws that go beyond the requirements. While the Brexit Party of course welcomes moves to tackle these issues internationally, we cannot legitimise and support the calls for the EU to take action at international level.

. ‒ Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this non-legislative resolution. Brexit Party MEPs strongly oppose any misuse of international legal instruments for political purposes. Whilst we express sympathy with the escalating political situation in Lithuania, we cannot support a resolution that instructs Member States on how to conduct their relations with third countries. For this reason primarily, we abstained on this resolution.

Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this is a non-legislative, non-binding resolution which provides commentary on the WTO Appellate issue. The WTO Appellate Body is a dispute resolution mechanism at the WTO. The issue is that the USA has been blocking the replacement of any of the seven members of the Appellate body and rejected attempts to launch a selection procedure. On 10th December the mandates of two of the three remaining Appellate Body members will expire, so will no longer become quorate. Negotiations to resolve this have failed so far. While we would like a solution to this problem, one of the paragraphs calls on the Commission to enter negotiations.

The Brexit Party voted against this non-legislative resolution. We reject the development of the EU’s foreign policy and the signing of such agreements. In signing such agreements the EU is taking on aspects of statehood which we cannot support.

Brexit Party MEPs voted against the ‘election’ of the European Commission. Brexit Party MEPs believe that the functioning of the European institutions, in particular the Commission, is fundamentally undemocratic. We therefore voted against the Commission in protest against the undemocratic nature of the election of the Commission.

. ‒ Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this budgetary proposal. The EU Solidarity Fund is an EU budget to help areas that have been affected by natural disaster in Europe. This proposal is to mobilise EUR 4.5 million of the Fund for Crete (Greece), which suffered extremely heavy rains causing landslides, infrastructure loss and loss of life. While we oppose the EU spending British taxpayers’ money, as this was for humanitarian relief and wouldn’t require fresh funding from the UK, we chose to abstain rather than vote against.

Brexit Party MEPs voted against this budgetary proposal. This proposal was to mobilise an extra EUR 778 million to support EU migration, refugee and border policies. The money would be spread between the years 2020-2023. We oppose the EU spending British taxpayers’ money and cannot support this fund spending on failed policies.

Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this budgetary proposal. The EU Solidarity Fund is an EU budget to help areas that have been affected by natural disaster in Europe. This proposal is to allow a portion of this budget to be fast-tracked as an upfront payment when a natural disaster strikes an EU country. The problem with the solidarity Fund is that it can be very slow in mobilising the money to help on the ground relief efforts. While we oppose the EU spending British taxpayers’ money, as this was for humanitarian relief and wouldn’t require fresh funding from the UK, we chose to abstain rather than vote against.

Brexit Party MEPs voted against this budgetary proposal. This was the final vote to set the EU’s budget for 2020, which was negotiated behind closed doors by the Parliament and the Council. The final figures set the EU budget for 2020 at €168.7 billion (1.5% increase on 2019). This budget also assumes the UK will be making full contribution to the EU in 2020 even though the UK is meant to have left the EU by 31st January 2020.

. ‒ Brexit Party MEPs abstained on this legislative consent procedure. The proposal is for the EU to apply tariffs on certain cuts of meat, which, in the last few years, are being imported from Ukraine. The EU believes these certain cuts of meat are undercutting and distorting the market. The Brexit Party objects in principle to the fact that the EU negotiates deals and decides trade policy for the UK; however, as the UK will be leaving the EU, it is up to them to decide their own trading arrangements with third countries.

. ‒ This non-legislative Report is merely a consultation on the Council making changes to VAT that will encourage Member States to operate within the EU’s Common Defence Policy.The Parliament’s suggested amendments extend the scope of the proposals to include Excise Duty as well as VAT. For both these reasons The Brexit party voted against.

Brexit Party MEPs voted to abstain on this non-legislative resolution. Whilst we wholeheartedly support the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we believe that the implementation of this treaty should be initiated and monitored at Member State level and not by the EU. For many of the amendments to the resolution, a free vote was given to reflect the fact that the Brexit Party is diverse, with members of many faiths or none, and who hold a wide range of cultural opinions. Given that the competency for education and abortion rights rests with Members States and that the Brexit Party believes it should stay that way, Members who abstained on any issues cannot have such votes used by third parties to determine what their position on a particular amendment might be.

The proposals are part of the further harmonisation of the single market and of VAT, accordingly the Brexit Party MEPs voted against.

. ‒ Brexit Party MEPs voted against this budgetary proposal. The Globalisation Adjustment Fund provides money for workers around Europe who have lost their jobs in cases where there have been significant redundancies at a regional level. This proposal is to give EUR 1.6 million (60% match funding) to 400 Belgian workers who have lost their jobs from the supermarket chain Carrefour. The money will be spent on actions such as retraining, business start-ups, allowances, job search etc. The reason for the redundancies is due to the closure of one Carrefour hypermarket and competition from online shopping from non-EU sellers. We voted against as we oppose British taxpayers’ having to pay for redundancies and poor economic policies in other countries.

I abstained because this should be a matter for Member States.

I abstained because this should be a matter for Member States.

. ‒ I abstained because this should be a matter for Member States.

I abstained because this should be a matter for Member States.

The Brexit Party members voted to abstain on this non-legislative report because under EU treaties Member States hold the sole competency for the implementation of education policies, including on the issue of sexual education. For many of the amendments to the resolution a free-vote was given to reflect the fact that as a diverse party our members are of many faiths or none, and hold a wide range of cultural opinions. Given that the competency for education rests with Members States and that the Brexit Party believes it should stay that way, members who abstained on any issues cannot have such votes used to determine what their particular position on an amendment might be. Members voted to abstain on the final resolution as amended because we do not believe the EU has the right to interfere in the sovereign affairs of a Member State, nor do we believe that it is right for the EU to cast judgement on the internal affairs of the Polish Government.