There is an awful lot of rubbish in the press about Brexit, much of it quite misleading and some of it plain wrong. Where do you go for the truth or at least reasoned thinking about what may happen or what is actually possible? I like to read the blog of a man called Richard North (HERE). He is not a remainer and is actually part of the Leave Alliance but he is both knowledgeable and sensible and for that reason I think his opinions are worth reading. I recommend it.
This week, following the third round of negotiations in Brussels he posted an item (HERE) with the title: "This is simply impossible", quoting Michel Barnier's words about our position papers which suggest we want to be outside the single market but have our product standards automatically recognised and accepted in the EU.
To quote Richard North:
What he is addressing is a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of the UK Government, which I picked up in July, the wrong-headed belief that because we already have "regulatory convergence" or "equivalence" with the EU (having adopted and implemented its acquis), concluding a free trade agreement will be a simple matter.
I explained at length why this was a fallacy yet, such is the impenetrable nature of the Brexit team that my warnings went unheeded. They are warnings I gave to Owen Paterson when I worked with him, and they are warnings I have repeated many times on this blog.
Yet, here we are, months down the line, no further forward with the Secretary of State and his highly-paid officials and consultants unable to focus on such core principles to the extent that they must be lectured on the basics by a senior EU official in circumstances that should have been regarded as humiliating.
Ian Dunt is a remainer who has written a book about Brexit: Brexit, What the Hell Happens Now and he has a blog (HERE) that is always good to read as well.
Ian Dunt is a remainer who has written a book about Brexit: Brexit, What the Hell Happens Now and he has a blog (HERE) that is always good to read as well.
