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1/ "Whose Brexit vision is better?" we are sometimes asked - Labour's or the Conservatives? As a cross party organisation we try not to take sides, but we will try to answer as clearly as possible. #brexit 
2/ The main problem with the Conservative Brexit approach is their strict, unyielding; some might say fanatical adherence to their red lines. This is probably because they see brexit as a zero-sum game, where the object of the game is to beat the other player.
3/ The Labour Party have fewer red lines, which should in theory mean it would be easier for them to negotiate a good deal, - but they have picked the wrong main redline - the CUSTOMS UNION. They mistakenly think that a customs union is a panacea.
4/ In fact, staying in a customs union with the eu wouldn't - WOULD NOT solve half the problems Labour think it would. Don't believe us? Let's see what the EU say: ec.europa.eu/commission/pub…
5/ BLOOMBERG: "European Union negotiators have a new message for the U.K.: staying in a customs union doesn’t help much if you’re aiming for frictionless trade and minimal border checks." bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
6/ From the (Brussels) Horse's mouth:
8/ A country outside of the EU could be in a *temporary* form of the EEA + a customs union - indeed this is what the transition period amounts to. But long term, the UK must decide - single market *OR* customs union. The single market is much more useful to the UK long term.
9/ Think about a quality Hammer VS a good quality multi-tool that has a small hammer attachment. The Hammer (cu) is better at doing basically one thing - hammering nails in. The Multitool (eea) might not be as good at that task but can do far, far more things.
10/ plus, even if the UK managed to find a way to be in the single market and a customs union with the EU outside of the EU (which is unlikely) the result would concede too much power to Brussels, and a majority of MPs wouldn't vote for it.
11/ So as we keep saying, Labour and Conservative approaches to Brexit are flawed and compromise is needed:
12/ The Conservatives should learn to re-embrace the single market their party helped to create (the European Economic Area or EEA) and Labour should stop thinking that a customs union is the answer.
13/ We should rejoin the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - stay in the European Economic Area (EEA) and use a transitional customs union until new technologies, new procedures and new agreements can replace it: efta4uk.eu/wp-content/upl…
14/ EFTA/EEA would give us back sovereignty in key areas.
15/ For more info - see our megathread: /End
