Just to make the point on Parliamentary scrutiny. I wonder how many people are aware that the UK as a whole has de facto signed up to follow EU SPS (animal and plant health) rules under Johnson's deal?
Anyone read the text closely enough?
Anyone read the text closely enough?
(I'm waiting for someone to point out the underpinning text to prove they've read the agreements)
So, paragraph 23 of the revised UK-EU Political Declaration contains a coupe of very interesting provisions. First this, which taken together with the new Irish protocol arguably means the UK as a whole following all EU rules in food and drink products... 
Here's the other - common principles in standardisation likely means membership of European standards bodies and the EU single standards approach, which will be good news for BSI and the many businesses involved in standards committees, but...
Given Geographical Indications in the Withdrawal Agreement, and SPS and standardisation in the Political Declaration, you've just ruled out the top three asks of the US in a Free Trade Agreement.
The Political Declaration is of course non-binding, but the UK Government wants to ensure objectives for the next stage of talks are aligned with it. But there is this get-out clause in the PD...
I just place all of this here because for all the claims otherwise I have seen virtually no serious analysis of the Brexit text, and experience is that this means there will be things in there which are problematic - politically, legally, economically etc
And, given what the Political Declaration says and means (a very close UK-EU relationship but with the UK having little say outside of EU structures) there's little chance Brexiteers could support a deal on this basis, so we'll be back to deal v no-deal in a year's time
A few questions asking if ERG are aware of the content of the Political Declaration. I expect so, given getting a US trade deal has been a key part of Brexit, which I think means their support is entirely down to leaving now and then ensuring no-deal in 14 months
