Thread by @Usherwood

Let's consider this for a bit, shall we?

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…

tl;dr will be: completely counterproductive move by UK

1/

UK govt argues that EU office in London shouldn't have full diplomatic status, given its "specific character"

Practically, that means no protection under Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Protection

2/

That's the UK's call, as it is for all third parties: the entire system relies on external recognition of status, so no different in that regard

However, important to keep in mind various points

3/

First: EU is recognised, without exception, by all of the 142 other places it has offices under the Convention

Second: UK recognised it as such while an EU member

Third: concerns about precedent-setting seem odd, given no other such IO exists

4/

But it's the politics of it all that really stick

UK wants a relationship of 'sovereign equals'

EU is the institutional vehicle for primary relations with EU27 states

There's a huge pile of negotiating still to be done

https://twitter.com/Usherwood/status/1345755484251443202?s=20

5/

Put differently, Brexit isn't 'done' and UK needs a working relationship with the EU, so chucking another barrier to that on the pile doesn't strike me as a good move

Recognition would have probably gone unnoticed by all but the most bothered tbh

6/

But now it's public, it's made it harder to resolve while saving face for either side

No, it's not a direct challenge on the TCA/WA architecture, but it speaks to a wider point

7/

Decision to close down @CommonsFREU is part of this picture, namely hoping that cutting back on scrutiny and channels of communication will somehow help get this off the table

However, neglect of relations is not, and cannot be, any lasting solution

8/

A more dense network of relations is beneficial to smoother running of those relations: there's more understanding and empathy with other side's situation; more opportunities to defuse issues; and more willingness to work on hard problems

9/

Instead, we're seeing a stripping-back of the relationship, which is likely to make any emergent issue a problem, and one that is less easily solved

So we're back into the crisis management mode that has for so long framed British European policy

10/

So, a 'win' that wasn't noticed by anyone becomes another point of tension, just as it weakens the means of easing that

And if it helps, the Trump administration tried to go the same way, and had to change its position, so go figure what's likely to happen next

/end