Thread by @pmdfoster

“Brexit, the sequel” - interesting ⁦@ShippersUnbound⁩ piece on future #brexit plans - though raises some Qs /1

thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit…

The concept of “free movement of goods” is odd, since nothing @BorisJohnson is aiming for delivers that - you’d need to be in single market. No kind of FTA (and not zero tariff/zero quota) delivers anything close to frictionless /2

The data threat is also not really consistent with Commission slide pack published last week, which said they’d shoot for adequacy deal by 2020. EU source reckons “In both sides interests”...and U.K. has put GDPR into U.K. law. /3

Of course, doesn’t mean that (depending on how U.K. deals with US) the adequacy deal won’t get hit in ECJ - as US “Safe Harbour” did, becoming “Privacy Shield”.

Risk is of another Schrems type case.../4

You can see the trouble in store from this @JenniferMerode piece reporting European Parl highlighting U.K. as data “cowboys” - U.K. as third country cd become target of data activists. /5

theguardian.com/world/2020/jan…

This is a strange para...don’t know if ‘national governments’ means bilateral deals or ‘non-mixed’ (ie Commission competence only)...but EU states still needs to decide legal base for the deal. And if MS prepared to do non-mixed deal. /6

The likely course, given time constraint, is what @tconnellyRTE calls a “messy patchwork” of deals like Swiss have - but if U.K. stick to line on ECJ jurisdiction (none) then not sure how that works. Governance is going to be key /7

In short. Lots of talk of U.K. being “realistic” and having “clarity” - but still wonder if there is real understanding of ‘what’ UK gets in return for ‘what’ UK is prepared to give. When that sinks in - in Govt and then in Public - we’ll see where we end up. 8/ENDS