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Quite. So the examination question for Tory leadership candidates ready to accept “no deal” (so far failed by all) is to explain why the U.K. would be in a better position to get a good deal with EU after a no deal Brexit than it is now.
Candidates will fail the question if: (a) they use the phrase “The EU needs us as much as/more than we need them”;
(b) they refer to Article XXIV GATT (unless to explain why it isn’t of any help);
(c) they refer to “side deals” without acknowledging that any arrangements made by the EU will be entirely to suit its interests not ours, and can be removed without our having any say;
(d) they refer to any “transition period” being available on “no deal”;
(e) they fail to front up to the serious damage to exporting U.K. farmers/automotive manufacturers as a result of EU tariffs/checks and exporting U.K. services providers as a result of loss of free movement rights over the no deal period;
(f) they fail coherently to explain why the EU’s red lines on money, citizens’ rights, Ireland, and the level playing field will alter as a result of “no deal”; or
(g) they dodge the point that a deal with a 3rd country, especially a “+++” deal, will be under EU Treaty rules on such deals (requiring mandates/ratification etc).So any post “no deal” deal will take years to negotiate (leaving us in the hapless “no deal” State in the meantime).
Candidates are also reminded that they have to explain in detail how they are to navigate the anti-no deal majority in the HoC (and the anti “no deal” majority among voters) without taking steps that would cause a car crash constitutional crisis or a general election.
Candidates are finally reminded that copies of their answers will be recorded and will be available to voters at the next general election.
This effort by @DominicRaab is a “fail”: see (e), (f), and (g), and no real attempt at the supplementary question.
This by Johnson is also a bad fail: “We can do it if we really want to” gets no more marks than correctly spelling your own name at the top of the paper.
And see:
