Chief Minister to attend Brexit meeting 
with UK political leaders

Friday 22 July 2016

Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, will attend an extraordinary meeting of the British-Irish Council (BIC) in Cardiff today to discuss the outcome of the UK’s EU referendum.

The summit was called for by the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, to jointly consider the implications of Brexit for the council and its members.

The meeting will be attended by leaders and Ministers from the eight BIC member administrations: the UK and Irish Governments; plus the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and the Governments of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.  

Speaking ahead of the summit, Senator Gorst said: “We began planning for the possibility that the UK might exit the EU more than four years ago, when the UK Government started its Balance of Competencies Review. Discussing the implications of Brexit with our fellow BIC members is an important part of our on-going development of these plans. We will continue to work closely with the UK Government, and in concert with our fellow Crown Dependencies, in order to ensure that Jersey’s interests are understood and protected.”

The BIC was established under the Belfast Agreement of 1998, which set out the basis for the Northern Ireland peace process. The council develops links between the member administrations and provides a forum to exchange information and foster collaboration across the islands.