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David Henig
@DavidHenigUK
, 3 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Briefly back to future UK trade policy I was interested to be shown this letter from the British Egg Industry Council (me neither...) protesting about the absence of tariffs in the Government's no-deal tariff announcement
There's an awful lot more of this to come once the UK has to make serious trade policy decisions, as suggested in this FT story (featuring @DGWilkinson). No-deal planning has taken precedence over trade policy readiness ft.com/content/6e159a…
@DGWilkinson Trade policy, given it means Governments picking sectors as winners and losers, is inherently political, something not yet well appreciated across the UK.
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David Henig
@DavidHenigUK
And the answer is obviously no.

The government is spending our money, and wants business to spend their money, on something that MPs have specifically rejected - a no-deal Brexit.

This basic fact is not receiving nearly enough attention.
The only possible defence to this from Government would be that the EU may not offer us an extension. But since it is overwhelmingly likely that if asked the EU will offer an extension and MPs vote to accept, that isn't a good defence.
Leaving with a deal does not require business to invest because of a transition period, so that isn't a defence for government wasting money and encouraging others to do so.
Read 5 tweets
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David Henig
@DavidHenigUK
Ministers talk of a compromise of a 3-year time limit on backstop. Can't see EU accepting in that form, but a 3-year "deadline" for both parties to agree the form of alternative arrangements or words to that effect could be plausible.
But then this would be the serious negotiation we have never had with the EU - recognising red lines and building joint solutions, rather than posturing hopelessly. Back in January I wrote about some possible compromises. linkedin.com/pulse/brexit-d…
I'm not particularly optimistic about this Government reaching a deal with the EU, since the gap between their rhetoric and what even the most EU-critical voices admit is plausible remains huge.
Read 3 tweets
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David Henig
@DavidHenigUK
International negotiations are not war, and using the language of war guarantees failure.

I'm imagining at the general election the dominant narratives will be "surrender to the EU" and "surrender to Trump" which is a depressing prospect
Bilateral agreements require compromise. If compromise is branded as surrender we can forget ever making any deals.
Language is important. MPs are being branded undemocratic even though the entire basis of the UK's democratic system in the election of MPs.
Read 6 tweets

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Anton Muscatelli
@UofGVC
As we approach the latest round of ‘decisions’ (sic) on Brexit by House of Commons., some thoughts on the odds of various scenarios.
1.
First of all, it’s worth reminding ourselves that Brussels cannot and will not offer a unilateral exit from the NI element of the backstop. A time-limited backstop is a contradiction in terms. Hence @MichelBarnier latest thread sets out how far the EU might go on this
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The UK had requested a more complex backstop incorporating a customs arrangement with the UK in the negotiations, rather than a NI specific backstop. This was a big achievement by UK negotiators. The EU had resisted it.
But the ERG rebuffed the PM because they don’t want...
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Pete North
@PeteNorth303
1. I very rarely say something is a must read because very little is, but the new report "Power, Platforms and The Free Trade Delusion" from @UNCTAD is essential to understanding political trends in the wake of hyperglobalisation. (thread)

unctad.org/en/Publication…
2. Essentially globalisation has created the conditions for corporates to tilt markets in their favour and evade tax. It argues that the loss of legitimate revenue along with rent seeking is a driver of inequality and exacerbated by e-commerce.
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Pete North
@PeteNorth303
1. This is only speculation but it is my belief that the USA will not allow the WTO to fold, but they will frustrate it and keep it on life support for as long as it exists for tactical reasons - and it has a lot to do with the EU. (#Brexit thread)
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3. What the USA does not want to do, though, is go through the process of aligning its own system of standards and rules to the global norms not least because they would cede control of their own systems but also because the USA is notoriously protectionist.
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Penny Midas Rollo
@PennyMidasRollo
001/ [article content in this tweet series 001-180 reproduced with permission from Martin Howe QC of Lawyers for Britain @lawyers4britain]
#quote "Leaving the EU on WTO terms: pulling down the barriers to world trade
Introduction: why prices will FALL after Brexit, not rise" /002
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003/ #quote "One of the most ridiculous and UNJUSTIFIED of these absurd scare stories is that it will lead to higher prices, and even shortages, of foods and medicines." /004
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Martin Cooper
@mpc_1968
1/ A few clips from 21/03/18 @EP_Trade hearing panel, 'Impact of #Brexit & transition'. Barbara Baarsma gives a frank assessment of what Brexit means for the UK economy. @NvOndarza @SamuelMarcLowe @KirstyS_Hughes
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3/ @SamuelMarcLowe
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Vapaus
@sakkoira
Thread: things #white people are accused of doing wrong. Sometimes it's not even about doing, it's simply about white people being.

#TooManyWhitePeople

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#WhiteDomain #WhitesStole

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#TooManyWhitePeople #WhatToDo?
The unbearable whiteness of cycling..." 😬

#TooManyWhites #WhatToDo?
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