The European Football Championship kicked off this week – albeit a year later than planned. Luckily the start of the tournament has coincided with some great weather, and it has been great to see people out in pub gardens enjoying the football.
Sadly, the start of the Euro’s was marred by the shocking events of the Finland v Denmark game, when Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch and suffered a cardiac arrest. It was one of those moments when football doesn’t matter, rivalries are put aside and we are all united in the hope of a positive outcome – and it was incredibly moving to see the sheer joy and relief of fans when it was confirmed that Christian was stable.
Key to Christian pulling through was the quick action of the referee Anthony Taylor, the medical staff and his Danish team-mates – including captain Simon Kjaer, who was administering CPR within seconds.
Promoting life-saving CPR skills is a very personal issue for me – when I was 14, my father passed away following a cardiac arrest, during which I had to perform CPR. Throughout my career as an MP I have worked closely with the British Heart Foundation and supported its work to create a nation of life savers and to ensure that as many people as possible have the skills and confidence to perform CPR. One of my proudest achievements as an MP is helping the British Heart Foundation’s successful campaign to get CPR added to the curriculum.
The situation last Saturday highlighted the importance of quick action when someone experiences a cardiac arrest, so I am delighted that, thanks to the work of the BHF, all school children will have the opportunity to learn CPR should the worst ever happen.
This week also saw the agreement of a historic free trade deal with Australia. I say historic as this is the first major trade deal that has been negotiated from scratch following our exit from the EU.
This deal will eliminate tariffs on all British goods, along with bringing new opportunities for businesses and consumers across the UK. Other benefits will include opening up new markets for our services providers and tech firms, and opportunities for people, including young people, to travel and work on the other side of the world.
I am pleased that British farmers will also be protected by a cap on tariff-free imports for 15 years through the use of tariff rate quotas and further safeguards. Moreover, Australia shares our commitment for high standards in animal welfare and the environment, and I am pleased that this deal will uphold those standards.
In addition to the free trade deal with Australia, another significant breakthrough was made this week in relation to future trade with the USA. A long-standing trade dispute between the UK and the USA was resolved, with certain tariffs being removed for at least five years. This will have a significant positive impact on our Scotch whisky industry and other sectors like aerospace. As the Secretary of State for Trade, Liz Truss MP, said following this resolution, we can now “focus on taking our trading relationship with the US to the next level”.
These breakthroughs have only been possible as we are now a sovereign free trading nation. This week has shown us the benefits of being a truly global Britain, and there are plenty of opportunities yet to come.
