Profile picture
David Henig @DavidHenigUK
, 5 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Short thread - 3 (and only three) crucial points about the Economists for Free Trade and ERG Irish Border work based on what we know - because some of the basics are not wrong, they way they are used is wrong... 1/ telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/1…
Food prices could go down. True. EU prices of sugar, beef, sheepmeat, pork, poultry, milk, butter, cheese are higher than world prices due to high tariffs. However UK also produces all of this food - major impact on farmers in the UK if we eliminated or reduced tariffs. 2/
UK much richer on WTO terms. Economic models are build on assumptions, what you put in is reflected in the outputs. If I am unscrupulous I can get the result I want by fiddling the inputs (e,g, WTO barriers < EU barriers). No neutral model will find this result 3/
The Irish border can be solved by [drones / flying tax inspectors etc]. You can make proposals. They have to be accepted by both sides, which means comprehensive, tested, workable solutions. That will take years. No border outside the EU has no barriers 4/
thesun.co.uk/news/7224083/p…
Since the issue to be resolved right now is the Withdrawal Agreement / Northern Ireland or wider backstop, talk of the future relationship is largely not relevant (means we'll be doing all of this again...), still it would be nice if we could take the debate up a notch 5/ ends
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to David Henig
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @DavidHenigUK see all

Profile picture
As forecast the UK Government has committed to following a significant part of single market rules after Brexit as part of the backstop and commitments to Northern Ireland (doc - assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…)
Although the Government paper says this will be "only a small fraction of EU rules", in fact there are nearly 70 pages of the Withdrawal Agreement simply listing the regulations Northern Ireland will have to follow under the backstop (example page below)
In case you are missing the significance, the UK Government has confirmed that the whole country will follow EEA / single market disciplines without any representation until a new deal can be agreed.
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
Brexit is testing Parliamentary procedure. The Government does not command a majority.

Might as well break protocol further, it is time for a Parliamentary committee to take control of the Brexit process.
Yes, I can think of many reasons why this won't work, but nothing that would work better. We're going to be stuck in Parliamentary bickering for weeks unless something new is done.
See also this Guardian proposal as championed by @stellacreasy among others for a Brexit citizens assembly. We have to break out of where we are and not perpetuate divisionism theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
With the Brexit debate returning to Parliament today, let's go back to basics and explore the facts, key issues, and questions that should be raised in the coming days. Thread... 1/
Most important point, which cannot be emphasised enough - the Withdrawal Agreement is primarily concerned with the terms of the divorce, e.g. financial, citizenship, and not the future (though the Irish backstop complicates this) 2/
Thus any statement a Minister makes about the future relationship being secured (such as that below from the Gov's 40 reasons to back the Brexit deal) is false. The political declaration setting out the future relationship is not binding. 3/
Read 20 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
#Thread on #Hindu #Hinduism & #Hindutva. I saw this as an imprudent need & hence the thread as below cc @vivekagnihotri @RatanSharda55 @Sanjay_Dixit @_NAN_DINI @GitaSKapoor @sankrant @DikshitSmita @Shubhrastha 👇🏼Pic: Trimurti Sadashiva sculpture on Gharapuri Island
2/n #Hinduism is a reduced nomenclature given to the Sanatana Dharma by British in 1830s. The word Hinduism is formed by adding suffix ISM to Hindu.

ISM is defined as a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement.
3/n It must be understood that Hindu term always had geo-cultural meaning covering for people residing amid Sindhu River, Himalayas & Indu Sagar. Then in this case adding suffix ISM is nothing but mocking English Language. Eg, u can’t add Ism to Japanese and call Japaneism.
Read 20 tweets
Profile picture
1/ You will all be shocked to hear I find this report deeply unconvincing.

It correctly assesses the threat of delays at the border to smooth trade, but presents three reasons why these fears are "exaggerated"

1. Legal
2. Economic
3. Practical

Let's consider them one by one.
2/ First, legal.

The report points to an Economists for Free Trade report to support its claim 'new non tariff barriers would be illegal.'

Let's leave the wisdom of relying on E4FT aside for a minute and focus on the substance.

It's pure misdirection.
3/ It would indeed be illegal for the EU to introduce new, arbitrary requirements or bans targeting UK products in a discriminatory way. That's not the issue.

Issue is the EU requiring UK goods prove they meet EXISTING requirements in ways they didn't have to before.
Read 11 tweets
Profile picture
Economists for free trade say that China, India, the US and Japan have experienced greater growth in exports to the EU than the UK. Well that’s their economy. Shall we examine some UK export trade differentials over the last 20 years?
If we look at the difference between the seasonally adjusted value of exports between 1998 and 2018 we can see that the difference in those export values is greater for our exports to the European Union than any other market.
The fall in difference is quite marked after the first 17 countries. Starting with Mexico, there doesn't appear to be much evidence of growth in around 190 of our export markets.
Read 21 tweets
Profile picture
001/ [article content in this tweet series 001-180 reproduced with permission from Martin Howe QC of Lawyers for Britain @lawyers4britain]
#quote "Leaving the EU on WTO terms: pulling down the barriers to world trade
Introduction: why prices will FALL after Brexit, not rise" /002
002/ #quote "Over the past couple of weeks, the media have been full of lurid scare stories about what will happen if the UK leaves the EU on WTO terms, because negotiations with the EU do not result in a withdrawal agreement." /003
#tariffs #NoDeal #Brexit #WTO #ProjectFear #shortages #food #medicines
003/ #quote "One of the most ridiculous and UNJUSTIFIED of these absurd scare stories is that it will lead to higher prices, and even shortages, of foods and medicines." /004
Read 180 tweets
Profile picture
THREAD on new 9th Circuit decision in Rodriguez v. Swartz, our (@ACLUaz @sdACLU + @ACLU) cross-#border shooting case: On Oct. 10, 2012, a U.S. Border Patrol agent on duty in Nogales, AZ fired between 14 & 30 bullets across the #border. aclusandiego.org/wp-content/upl…
Approximately 10 of those bullets hit J.A. Rodriguez, a 16 year old boy peacefully walking down the street on the other side of the #border wall, in Nogales, Mexico.
The 9th Circuit opinion first *affirms* the AZ district court's decision denying Agent Swartz qualified immunity: 📢📢📢"It is inconceivable that any reasonable officer could have thought that he or she could kill J.A. for no reason." Slip Op. at 9.
Read 25 tweets
Profile picture
A thread critiquing this piece by @HughRBennett (It is longer than I had originally intended)

brexitcentral.com/eu-cynically-e…
1/ Hugh starts off with the EU's rejection of HMG's current ideas on option A (a new Customs partnership) which he describes as a "Whitehall pipe-dream". I think an arrangement like the current customs union could be found, but I suspect that is not at all what Hugh would like...
2/...since he seems to be upset that the EU has also so far rejected HMG's ideas on option B, the infamous technology-based solution (alongside trusted trader schemes etc.), the panacea solution for all who want a "hard Brexit" outside the EU's CU and SM rules.
Read 27 tweets

Trending hashtags

#business #ItEndsNow #Stalin #Chequers #tariffs #filibuster #RCEP #CustomsBill #WikiLeaks #PBS #supply #veterinary #MindControl #JEEPA #HiviteTactics #corporations #Trump #AmericanTerrorists #duty #SurvivorStories #workers #France #healthtech #asylum #executive

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!