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So what does the new'better deal for Brexit' say? It's clear the authors don't understand that the backstop is meant to be an insurance policy in the event of no deal. In their world the EU will agree a mutual recognition nirvana, with no UK obligations scribd.com/document/39555… 1/
Put aside the fact this is redundant as the EU will not renegotiate. Let's explore fantasy island for a moment. The tone is set by the first demand on money. We'll pay upon the achievement of milestones related to the FTA. Remember this is money for a meal we've already eaten 2/ 
But we're going to use money we owe based on existing liabilities, to check that the EU satisfies our demands in a timely fashion. That's going to go down well. These are the demands of a super power trying to strong arm a smaller party. Except we are not the super power here. 3/
In fact as the document goes on to reveal, we're the ones asking for special treatment. We'll need extensive mutual recognition. We'll need acceptance into EU IT systems like TRACES and VIES. We'll need them to waive their rules for third countries on SPS and BIPs. 4/
Some of these are fine to ask for in an ambitious free trade agreement. The UK should be able to negotiate mutual recognition of conformity assessment. But this is a backstop in the event the FTA can't be negotiated. Why would the EU give it all away for nothing. 5/
Others are just how the single market works but without the powers of the Commission and the ECJ. We want veterinary checks to be conducted onsite at premises, or in abbatoirs etc. That's how the system works now except we align to EU law and are subject to EU institutions 6/
Perhaps the biggest question, is does the backstop answer the exam question? Does it meant he removal of all checks and related controls? No it displaces these checks and also provides for the possibility of "centralised inspection points" away from the land border 7/
Leaving the regulatory stuff aside, a lot of the customs facilitation is good. Maximising the existing simplifications via transit. Simplifying rules of origin so exporters can self-certify. These are existing simplifications that with time could be stretched a lot further 8/
But if it was to fly in Ireland we'd need a redefinition of what the hard border is. You would have checks and controls just not on the frontier. It also requires extensive cooperation and a redesigning of the customs system. We'd need a long transition 8/
And what if at the end there was no deal? This is stuff could only really work in a long-term cooperative end-state not a last resort. 9/
All in all, there's some good ideas in here the UK might try in the future relationship but it is largely on another planet for the backstop. Even for the future relationship, it shows very little understanding of the EU's red lines. Looks like we're stuck with May's deal ends/
