The far-reaching Brexit agreement
that will govern the UK’s exit from the European Union is not only
being shaped at the negotiating table, but also by the lobbyists who are
trying to influence each side’s position papers and red lines.
New analysis of official statistics on lobby meetings with
ministers from the UK’s Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) and
members of the EU’s Brexit Task Force reveals a common willingness to
privilege the representatives of corporate interests above all others:
Between October 2016 and March 2017, DExEU staff had six meetings with big business representatives for every one meeting with an NGO, a trade union or a think tank.
This figure may even just be the tip of the iceberg, as Brexit lobby
meetings are also likely to take place with DExEU officials not required
to disclose meetings.
The team of Chief EU Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier had ten meetings with corporate lobbyists for every one NGO they met between October 2016 and May 2017.
The full list of meetings highlights just how rarely citizens and
smaller businesses have been heard by the negotiators, despite the fact
that the Brexit deal will directly affect the everyday lives of all UK
residents and the country’s many small and medium-sized businesses.
