Barnier gave a press conference yesterday with Dominic Raab, our latest DEXEU Secretary who had written an article that morning in The Daily Mail, full of bravado, about "let's get on with it" described by the paper as a "war cry" (HERE). In the event, Raab's appearance in Brussels was more of a pathetic whimper made even more pitiful by Barnier throwing Raab's own words back at him. It was an embarrassment as ITV note HERE.
In the article Raab gave the usual Brexit mantra of taking back control of our money, laws and borders. In Brussels he got a pie in the face. This is what Barnier said as part of his prepared statement (HERE):
"The UK wants to take back control of its money, law, and borders, as Dominic said in an article this morning [The Daily Mail article]. We will respect that. But the EU also wants to keep control of its money, law, and borders. The UK should respect that.
"So, we share an objective in that regard. A clear example of what this means concerns our future relationship in financial services.
"We discussed financial services this week and agreed that future market access will be governed by autonomous decisions on both sides. We recognised the need for this autonomy, not only at the time of granting equivalence decisions, but also at the time of withdrawing such decisions. And we agreed to have close regulatory cooperation, which will also have to respect the autonomy of both parties.
"Maintaining control of our money, law, and borders also applies to the EU's customs policy.
"The EU cannot – and will not – delegate the application of its customs policy and rules, VAT and excise duty collection to a non-member, who would not be subject to the EU's governance structures".
The EU's chief negotiator effectively administered the coup de grace to the UK's proposal for a customs partnership because, let us not forget, without this costly, complex and bafflingly labrynthine system which has yet to be invented, the whole white paper is just pulp. Something which was obvious as soon as the white paper was published.
Note the comment about withdrawing the recognition of equivalence for the financial sector. This means if we diverge in a way the EU don't like they could withdraw the right of UK financial companies to do business across the bloc, with 30 days notice. It would be like working with a hair trigger.
Barnier welcomed the miniscule progress made on some peripheral issues but it's hard to avoid the conclusion we are headed for either a humiliating capitulation or a humiliating crash out with the massive self-inflicted economic damage that will go with it, while the whole international community looks on. It will be the ultimate in schadenfreude, a never-to-be-forgotten moment when, to paraphrase the old Coca-Cola song, we'll teach the world to snigger - at us.
The Conservative party will never survive it. They think of themselves as the oldest and most cold blooded political party there ever was. After Brexit, people the world over will think of them as a cross between The Keystone Cops and Dad's army - but without the ruthless professionalism, just a bunch of geriatric imbeciles really.
