Many commentators, although almost none of the mainstream media, have pointed out the contradiction in the government's position around the no deal scenario. Various assurances have been given that in the event we are unable to reach an agreement with the EU, things will somehow carrying on more or less as they do now and trading on WTO terms will be fine (J. Redwood). The truth is to avoid a cliff edge we need agreements with the EU on all sorts of issues, not least in the aviation sector where planes being unable to fly after Brexit is a real possibility. In other words we need a lot of mini deals.
David Davis, in his evidence to the Lords Brexit Committee, more or less acknowledged this and described it as a "basic deal". So, using words to mean exactly what he wanted them to mean, he is asking people to accept that "no deal" is the same thing as a "basic deal". Walking away with no deal sounds tough doesn't it, as if we had the advantage in the negotiations. This was just for Daily Mail readers.
What Davis told the Lords was:
“Whatever happens we will have a basic deal without the bits we really want,”
In other words he expected the EU, after talks breakdown on the withdrawal agreement or the future relationship, to sit down and agree a whole series of small bilateral deals. Some people described this at the time as fanciful.
Now three separate sources, described as senior officials and diplomats in the EU, speaking independently to the Telegraph, have said this is a fantasy (HERE). The newspaper, a prominent supporter of Brexit, seems surprised. According to them, one senior diplomat said:
“This is pure fantasy, the idea of a ‘no deal deal’ completely fails to understand the EU, or the fury that would result if the British leave without paying their bills.
At that point, the EU wouldn’t be looking to make a parachute for the UK, it will only be working out how to cut strings.”
Another one said:
“If things go really sour the 27 will be in no mood to try to collate a number of last-minute mini emergency deals for ‘free’. We’ll be busy enough trying to sort out the budget fallout.”
Someone should tell David Davis that there is only one deal we are likely to get. It will be a bad one, much worse than the one we have now and we will be forced to accept it, or prepare the country for an even greater national economic and political catastrophe.
