Thread by @TheScepticIsle

Hard brexiteers don't care there is no majority in parlaiment for 'no deal'. They don't care that there is no majority in the country for 'no deal'. Nonetheless, they are ideologically committed to it and will pursue that aim relentlessly now. They can't be appeased.

Lost plenty of Brexiteer followers for my criticism of the 'no deal' or 'WTO option', but it isn't a recent development. I've been warning that this would be a terrible scenario since before the ref. The research I based these stark warnings on was unequivocal about it.

Post-referendum there has been an increase in the prominence in trade experts & legal experts, who have also warned about the consequences of 'no deal', and their expertise has seeped into the writings of some very good political commentators. The facts are out there.

Very good piece here from @anandMenon1 about what 'no deal' advocates get wrong about the WTO option

independent.co.uk/news/business/…

Also check out his report @anandMenon1 - What would ‘trading on WTO terms’ mean?

ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/upl…

Concise piece here from the 'Leave Alliance" which I was once a part of, which refers to the myth that most countries trade on WTO rules alone leavehq.com/blogview.aspx?…

A brilliant piece here from @IanDunt on the reality of 'no deal'. Particularly excellent on the risks to the supply chain in food.

politics.co.uk/blogs/2018/07/…

The latest piece I wrote on the potential political & economic disaster of 'no deal'. reaction.life/hard-brexiteer…

Sadly, despite the increase in information and expert research and opinion that should lead all thinking people to realise that 'no deal' is an unviable option, its advocates have managed to proliferate myths that muddy the waters. They sound plausible to the layman.

A key ploy is to re-label 'no deal'/WTo optoon as a 'world trade deal'. Here the brilliant @DmitryOpines tears into this incredibly disingenous notion.

explaintrade.com/blogs/2018/12/…

In this thread @DmitryOpines exposes several other 'no deal' myths , for example about the the SPS and TBT agreements. Myths based on a total misunderstanding, ignorance of or deceptive twisting of, WTO agreements.

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1025680…

Then there are those who defend the 'WTO option' by saying “but our laws are perfectly aligned, so we won’t have a problem”, this excellent thread from @hhesterm addresses that threadreaderapp.com/thread/1025993…

This is also an excellent WTO option myth busting thread from @CoppetainPU

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1025903…

The latest myth is about a 'managed no deal', which exaggerates the extent we can mitigate the economic damage and inevitable political fallout of this unnecessary shock treatment. @timdurrant does a concise piece on this here. instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/no-such-t…

You don't even need all this research to see that 'no deal' is bad. Just logic. The political & economic integration of EU member states is complex & very far reaching, touching every area of trade & governance, and we have become progressively more integrated over 40 years...

So, is severing 40 years worth of deep political & economic integration - our entire framework for trade & political cooperation - overnight likely to have good or bad consequences?

It really is that simple.

I'm not an expert on any of this. On Brexit, all my ideas have been based on the ideas or reasarch of other people, I have stood on their shoulders. I'm a writer, that's what I do. I don't claim to be an expert, despite using a black and white profile photo to fool you.

I do however consider myself reasonbly intelligent, and I can tell the difference between an intelligent, well briefed, experienced person discussing these matters based on expertise, and a blathering ideologue with a head full of dogma, myths & misinformation.

So sorry (not sorry) to my Brexiteer followers/allies and unfollowers, but I call out 'no deal' for what it is because I fear the consequences for my country. I also fear for the consequences for myself, my family and my friends.

I understand the position of those who harden in the face of adversity and say 'no deal it is', but I'm afriad I balk at it. That's where I get off. I also feel a sense of guilt because when I warned about it all this time, I also said it would never be countenanced.

I overestimated our politicians and it's a travesty that the risk of 'no deal' is now so heightened.