In an amazing turn around, after months and months of telling us that to reveal our negotiating objectives would weaken our hand, the government (HERE) is to set out in a white paper next month, "precise explanations" of key aspects of their post EU "vision" of Britain. The BBC version of the story is HERE.
Aides have indicated it will cover future trade, financial services regulation and even clearly establish the UK’s position on the vexed issue at the heart of withdrawal negotiations – future customs relations.
"Mr Davis told the [cabinet] meeting: “This will be our most significant publication on the EU since the referendum. 'It will communicate our ambition for the UK’s future relationship with the EU, in the context of our vision for the UK’s future role in the world.'
"He went on to tell senior ministers that it is 'an opportunity to set out clearly to both a domestic and an EU audience the reasoning behind our approach, including where we think it is clearly in the EU’s interests as well as our own.' "
This is all quite different to what he told the House in November 2016 (HERE Column 1277). In answer to a question from a Conservative MP (Helen Whateley) about not revealing our negotiating position, David Davis said:
"My hon. Friend has absolutely nailed the flaw in the case of the hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras [Kier Starmer]. Their case is to say, “We only want you to tell us a little bit, and a little bit more, and a little bit more.” Eventually, the whole thing will be in the open and no negotiation will be possible. She is exactly right".
David Davis needs to be careful. Publishing a government white paper with "precise explanations" to "communicate our ambition for the UK’s future relationship with the EU" may risk somebody in the EU actually reading it so the "whole thing will be in the open" and then, as he says himself, "no negotiation will be possible".
Bearing in mind Davis' stated position, I make some forecasts on this 100 page document, when it finally appears:-
- It will be a summary of the PM's collected speeches on Brexit.
- There will be nothing new and most of it will be wishful cherry picking anyway.
- It will paint a glowing picture of post Brexit Britain, so removed from reality that no one will believe a word of it
Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC says:
"Whether it's aviation, medicines, the law, fishing, agriculture, the City, the list goes on and on, the Brexit department and other departments have got only a few weeks now to agree what to put into black and white.
"For the Department for Exiting the EU that means a multi-faceted negotiation, not with the EU this time, but with departments right across Whitehall.
"It also implies that by then, there will be agreement in cabinet over which model of customs to pursue. MPs have been briefed, sub-sub committees (yes, you read that right), have been formed, and the arguments have been shall we say, well-ventilated even in public."
I also notice from Hansard when Davis made the statement to the House on 7th November 2016 he said this:
"Instead, the Prime Minister was clear that she would not invoke article 50 before the end of this year [2016]. That gives us time to develop a detailed negotiating position, but we have also said that the process should not drag on and that we intend to trigger article 50 by the end of March next year".
The "detailed" negotiating position has not even been settled NOW - eighteen months later - and the cabinet are still arguing about fundamental issue like whether or not we should be in a customs union, partnership or agreement. You could not make this up.
