Thread by @pmdfoster

🚨🇬🇧🇪🇺🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒🇬🇧🇪🇺🚨Morning. We're moving back to Switzerland it seems. No doubt it'll all go like clockwork. If you want good primer/backgrounder this from @SarahMOverton via @UmKandEU is excellent.

CCing @RishiSunak @Jeremy_Hunt for info! /1

ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/eu-…

This all stems from this michievous @cazjwheeler story in Sunday Times. Sourcing unclear but obviously it's an antidote to some of the dafter "Brexit isnt making us poorer", stuff that senior ministers are cornered into all the time these days. /2

thetimes.co.uk/article/britai…

It attempts to address the "no cakeism" reproach from the EU and a typically Brexiter belief (still!!) that we're too big for the EU to say no. But the "size and proxmity" of the UK to the EU is EXACTLY the reason EU says "no🍒-picking". Hard to believe that penny not dropped./3

Of course all this gets Brexiters and their new high-priest @DavidGHFrost in a tizzy, because their "no alignment" Canada-dry trade deal (the one everyone can see is making us poorer) must be defended at all costs. Obvs. No alignment with EU law at any costs.🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️/4

This of course awakes the ERG Brexiter beast which is supposed to have been somewhat chastened/tranquilised by the #KamiKwasi budget fiasco, and is probably about to be asked eat a large s***-sandwich to do a deal on the NI Protocol that will require UK cave-in on ECJ question/5

FWIW FT premium subscribers can read my latest Britain after #Brexit newsletter on this here...coz when the sarnie served no doubt @BorisJohnson will be in the wings muttering sellout...which would be some cheek, of course. But he has those. /6

ft.com/content/cd29cc…

It's Sunday, so I'll be brief so I can go scramble my eggs. In short, unless you join the Single Market, then macro, the upside of side-deals to repair damage of @BorisJohnson @DavidGHFrost #Brexit is minimal. Here's Barnier's staircase as a refresher! Round and round we go. ENDS