Theresa May’s Brexit deal in a nutshell. A short thread.
The starting point: everything flows from the prime minister's decision to end the free movement of people. The four freedoms cannot be split. This was clear two years ago. (e.g. )
The starting point: everything flows from the prime minister's decision to end the free movement of people. The four freedoms cannot be split. This was clear two years ago. (e.g. )
The economic context: the UK is worse off outside the EU under every scenario. This damage can only be mitigated, but not eliminated. The more the UK diverges, the greater the barriers to trade with the EU – i.e. its biggest market – the greater the damage buzzfeed.com/albertonardell…
The political reality: 27 is bigger than one. 450 million is bigger than 65 million. No deal would be bad for everyone, but far far worse for the UK. The UK cannot afford no-deal. The EU holds most of the cards.
The wishful thinking: the Brexit promised and imagined by Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg, David Davis, Nigel Farage and Co. doesn’t exit. Never has, never will.
All this considered, May faced two possible paths:
1) limit the economic damage by staying closely aligned to the EU’s rules, but without having a say in those rules – and the loss of influence on the European and world stage that will come with that.
1) limit the economic damage by staying closely aligned to the EU’s rules, but without having a say in those rules – and the loss of influence on the European and world stage that will come with that.
or 2) diverge, and set its own rules and standards (that nobody else would follow). The price: economic catastrophe.
The prime minister has opted for option 1).
The prime minister has opted for option 1).
