Hence the paper is designed to toss around a few ideas that could help to resolve the issue, with an EU of concentric circles being at the heart of it.
In the bulls-eye of these circles would be members like France and Germany, prepared to accept majority voting on most issues. Outside that would be the remaining EU members who signed the Maastricht agreement but don’t want to give up their national vetoes. Outside that would be ‘associate members’ like Norway, in the single market and subject to its rules, but without committing to ever closer Union. The outer ring would be comprised of the European Political Community, with no EU integration beyond some bilateral security agreements.
This 'multi-speed Europe idea has been around since Blair's time to my certain knowledge, it's not new and frankly, it sounds perfectly rational to me.
I also understand the entire report contains just a few words - barely a sentence - about Britain but this hasn’t prevented The Mail from talking of a Franco-German ‘plot’ to reverse Brexit that “would see Britain adopt the 'Norway-model' of EU relations - with [the] return of free movement, payments to Brussels, and rule by bloc's judges.”
The Telegraph also reports on it and claims: "The UK would be expected to contribute to the EU’s annual budget and be governed by the European Court of Justice in exchange for 'participation' in the bloc’s single market."
Under the plan, it says, "Britain could be invited" into the third tier as an "associate member" of the EU.
I think we can see just how neurotic and insecure the Brexiteers are beginning to get, seeing plots everywhere even recoiling in horror and hyperventilating at the prospect of being 'invited' to join a club of nations! This is classic neurotic behaviour and in some cases - we know who they are - verging on being symptoms of a serious psychotic disorder, where you become totally out of touch with reality.
In the FT, Peter Foster soberly points out the problems that Starmer will face, dangling the possibility of Labour getting a better trade deal with the EU which might marginally reduce trade friction while ruling out rejoining the SM and the CU, things that would really make a difference. It is as if he is approaching a wasp nest with a short stick, wanting to see if he can get a bit nearer but worried about getting too close.
Foster writes:
"This could play out in one of two ways: after a burst of initial optimism, Labour finds itself in the same sulky relationship with business as the Tories did. The 'Sunak 2.0' world, which is the view in parts of Whitehall, and which Starmer will have to challenge.
"Or it becomes apparent that if you do want to move the dial, you will need to do some really quite deep agreements with Europe — like linking your carbon markets or automatically accepting EU phytosanitary rules.
"How long before pressure grows for the UK to seek some kind of seat at the table and Starmer comes under pressure to pink those red lines on things like customs union membership?
I don’t pretend to know how this plays out. The forces of bureaucratic inertia are strong (on both sides of the Channel) but they will be challenged by the push factors of a pro-EU cabinet and party membership and the need to deliver improved economic performance."
The polls continue to move in Starmer's favour with virtually all the pollsters showing a solid and even rising 20+ % lead.
Regardless of what the two parties want, Brexit is going to be at the forefront of this election and every general election from now on, until one side or the other gains such an advantage that their opponents become marginalised and are squeezed out of the debate as an extreme minority.
It could take a few years, but I think it must eventually happen and I know where my money will go, and it isn't on Brexit.
