Javid unveils "Brexit Red Tape Challenge"

Chancellor, Sajid Javid, has announced a government ambition to identify "European Union regulations that we can improve or remove."

In a move that will concern those who fear the loss of protection should the UK leave the EU, Javid (pictured) highlighted In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference last week a “Brexit Red Tape Challenge”

The chancellor said he would identify “EU regulations that we can improve or remove. Liberating our entrepreneurs, small businesses and consumers from the burden of over-bearing bureaucracy, wherever we see it. Doing what a good pro-business government does.”

Elsewhere in his speech, Javid said the biggest threat to the UK economy was the agenda of the Labour Party, not Brexit. “If they had their way, whole sectors of the economy would be renationalised. People’s taxes would rise to the crippling levels of the past.

"People’s jobs would be put at risk with sectoral pay bargaining. The return of trade union militancy would once again hold the government to ransom, wasting hundreds of billions of pounds, and hitting families and businesses around the country.”

Environment secretary, Theresa Villiers, offered little in the way of new policy in her speech, bar announcing the creation of new forests in Northumberland. She instead recapped her party’s existing green policy, including on the 25-Year Environment Plan, the Environment Bill and new independent green watchdog. Her only comment on water was that: “We’re pushing the water companies to do more to combat pollution …so our rivers and waterways are cleaner.”