There are three areas of concern in Gove's statement to Marr that the Chequers 'plan' (?) wouldn't be the settled end state of the UK's relationship with the EU-17 and be subject to change at the whim of some future PM or Conservative faction. ➡️
First, the obvious one: Why should the EU and the member nations take any element of Chequers or any variant seriously? If you're already trailing the possibility that a UK government would disavow its commitments (again), that seems unlikely to encourage trust. ➡️
Secondly, why would a potential FTA partner believe that the UK is a sincere and trustworthy trade partner for the long term? ➡️
And, finally, why would an investor comparing possible locations for their investment favour a 'here today, gone tomorrow' relationship with the UK rather than a committed rule-based relationship within the EU? ⏹️
