UK will run full border for EU imports - 'no deal' plans prioritising trade flows to be junked 1/thread
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/…
Radical departure from the October 'no deal' plans, that were designed to minimise checks to keep goods flowing - medicines, fruit and veg. etc. /2
This is radical shift; aim looks to be to create some leverage re EU and 'WTO rules' offering easy access to UK /4
One trade chief, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preserve his relations with govt, said the UK “might as well put the barbed wire up” /5
As we saw with 'no deal' tariffs offering zero-tariff access to UK for 87% of goods, Canada dropped its 'rollover' deal. Why bother if markets open anyway? /9
But truth is, EU is unlikely to be moved by these threats - UK doesn't have the land, the time, the personnel to really start full checks 1.1.2021 /10
The GB-NI 'Irish Sea' border will have to do more.
NI will be further 'diverged' from GB (tho more advantaged harder GB plays it). /12