Thread by @jl_owen

A huge number of biggest Brexit issues come from it being seen too often as a political process rather than also a massive policy/practical one

https://twitter.com/aljwhite/status/1180073324573052928

Triggering Article 50 based on election timelines and polling, rather than preparation of positions and consequences of not getting a deal at the end

(True for both main parties)

Before that there was the setting of UK red lines - leaving CU and SM, no ECJ - without realising what it means for scope of options remaining.

(Whilst also looking for ‘frictionless trade’)

Committing to having everything done and dusted by March 2019 - Withdrawal & future relationship - despite the EU legal basis for negotiations and the practical ability to do *everything* in 2 years

(Particularly if you don’t even know what you want for future relationship)

Making plenty of statements about no deal - ‘being better than a bad deal’ etc - but not seriously preparing until way too late.

Coming up with positions that look to manage political interests here rather than also what’s negotiable or implementable

Same looks to be true of this Government.

Offering a backstop proposal that might work politically in Parliament but - even if you ignore EU and NI objections - looks practically impossible to deliver by Dec 2020

Also setting up for more outrage over inevitable extension of any transition period - no-one seriously thinks we can negotiate & implement a new FTA in 14 months.

Looks difficult based on int’l comparison to do it even with the two year possible extension.

There are number of things the government has done that - by any normal standards - are massively impressive.

But expectations set at the unachievable. Politics always trumps practicalities.