Agree in part. Yes the divergence narrative is real. But absolute divergence in the 21st century is undeliverable. Hence the question for those trying to understand the UK government is on the intended form of divergence. And the UK doesn't yet have an answer.
I've spent 5 of the last 6 working days in Brussels and Netherlands. A recurrent feature has been fear the EU and UK are talking past each other. The UK side thinks the EU are rejecting their approach by asking about detail. The EU think the UK are rejecting trade policy basics.
Like others (see @SebastianEPayne Brexit briefing today for example) I can see where a deal is possible. But there's also a big risk of breakdown through misunderstanding, and a lot of folk thinking through how this could be avoided.
There's also a huge agenda which may be outside formal trade talks where cooperation will be needed, from energy to the Northern Ireland protocol implementation. I wrote something of that here. No alignment cannot be absolute.
prospectmagazine.co.uk/economics-and-…
prospectmagazine.co.uk/economics-and-…
It doesn't help that the atmosphere in Brussels towards the UK has so obviously changed since last week. We are now a third country with the rest. That Brexit contradiction - we want to be outside but also get special treatment - is being resolved by getting only the first.
I also heard from some folk the feeling that the UK mission to the EU was struggling, forced to repeat London issued lines that are landing badly, and trying to come to terms with their new (outsider) status. To be fair, only a few days in, it will take time.
A final frustration I heard from some was the feeling that the UKs understanding of mutual recognition and the like was back to 2016 levels. That the UK government still haven't actually accepted the implications of their own no alignment line.
Incidentally I also heard talk of tensions on the EU side, not the oft mentioned differences between Member States, which are standard and managed, but between institutions, different parts of the Commission, and with the EP. The hurry means little time to resolve.
So the traditional 'what I learned in Brussels' verdict - as ever it looks different there to the London spin. Most of all the UK team needs to empower diplomats in Brussels - and pretty quickly define some ambiguous big concepts. /end
PS should add that regulatory divergence fills the overwhelming majority of exporting UK businesses with fear, that it will simply mean uninformed politicians adding unnecessary costs for unclear purpose. Special pleading, or real risk of companies leaving the UK? We'll see...
