Thread by @SimonFRCox

Leavers beginning to realise EU states see EU *fundamentally* differently from how Leavers see it. THREAD 1/9

https://twitter.com/SimonFRCox/status/1337174629719437313

Some Leavers believe UK’s economic/political interests/qualities are fundamentally different from France & Germany. But this is so daft & so close to obvious extreme nationalism it never explained the EU’s existence for them 2/

But if UK isn’t fundamentally different from Germany & France. How to make sense of German / French EU membership? 3/

One Leaver coping strategy was “EU is bad idea for all EU states”, just they haven’t realised yet (not as clever as Brits ssh) and their bad establishments are suppressing bold independence movements 4/

But hoped-for Brexit copycats haven’t arrived. Greece seems determined to stay even as its economy improves. Anti-EU forces don’t win, or win but don’t try and leave. Remember how Hungary & Poland were going to back UK? Anyone? 5/

Another theory is EU as a Germanic (+ Frankish) Empire, exploiting. But instead of throwing Ireland under a bus (remember Irexit?) Leavers are mostly struck dumb at the solidarity. 6/

Leavers are all out of non-daft arguments for why 30 states want to keep Single Market so much they’ll take the economic hit of not letting UK cherry pick. 7/

Leavers will keep at it: “Germany France tried to make UK a vassal state”. But UK won’t be a vassal. Just 98% outside the SM (N Ireland *waves*) 8/

But, if No Deal happens, millions of Leavers will be thinking about this. Why is there a GB-EU border - but no FR-DE border (or even an NI-IE border?)

Millions will find new answers... 9/9