Thread by @Raphael_Hogarth

I think there might be less space between the UK and EU on "alignment" than either is making out.

The PM says: "There is no need to accept EU rules on competition, subsidies or environment... The UK will maintain the highest standards [...] w/o the compulsion of a treaty."

1/7

And yes, the Commission's draft mandate, by contrast, does want UK alignment. All rules, including future ones, on state aid. "No reduction" of labour/environment standards.

2/7

But on state aid, the UK has *already* committed to the enforcement of EU law (and by EU institutions, incl ECJ) in respect of any measures affecting trade between NI and the EU.

Policy measures with *UK-wide* application or consequences will often fit that description.

3/7

So I wonder how much further the EU is asking the UK to go on state aid than this Boris Johnson has already gone.

4/7

When it comes to labour and the environment, the EU is not asking for its institutions, incl the ECJ, to be allowed to police the UK's labour and environmental standards in the way they can now.

In fact, the draft mandate is explicit that enforcement should be domestic.

5/7

In May's backstop, this meant the labour/env obligations were not subject to dispute resolution mechanisms, and so not subject to ECJ jurisdiction.

However, the UK's obligations to ensure an effective system of enforcement at home were. (Query what that means in practice.)

6/7

So when Boris Johnson says he wants to avoid "compulsion" on lab/env, I wonder if there's a landing zone (albeit 9 months down the line) in sight.

UK will keep high standards per Tory manifesto 👇, the story might go, but it will be UK institutions in the driving seat.
/ends