Key point here (and cf Swiss experience): “standing up to” the EU has a short run populist appeal (and EU behaviour fails to endear it to close neighbours). But in the medium run - when people see the price in economic damage and lost opportunities - it doesn’t work.
https://twitter.com/mij_europe/status/1367740558031085568
At the moment, the “pick a fight”, maximise “sovereignty” strategy appears price-free: the losses are all hidden beneath the Covid deluge (no one is travelling, effects on trade and jobs are - or are seen to be - swamped by Covid, press and public focus is elsewhere).
When the price of the current government’s choice of Brexit in lost opportunities, business, paperwork and sheer inconvenience emerges from the receding flood waters of Covid, things may well start looking very different.
Especially as, after having had years to work on it, the current government still has no coherent narrative of what it can do as the result of its chosen hard Brexit in terms of improving people’s lives that justifies the costs of that choice (as those become evident).
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
