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David Henig Profile picture
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22 Jun, 4 tweets, 1 min read
We should worry that MPs didn't understand how treaties worked when they voted for such an important one, and even more that it isn't obvious they understand them better now.
In two years time MPs may be saying they didn't understand the UK-Australia trade deal was actually a treaty that we couldn't just break when we felt like it. Or CPTPP perhaps.
I don't think Parliament and the Select Committee system as currently constituted is fit to scrutinise the complex realities of modern government, notwithstanding the fine work of many at all levels. Add another to the 'too difficult' pile though.
Definitely worth considering this. Doesn't help that government controls parliament and doesn't want scrutiny, and that's easiest in international matters.

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More from @DavidHenigUK

David Henig Profile picture
23 Jun
So much for the great renegotiation.
A UK-EU relationship stuck between the dream of divergence and the reality of the large neighbouring power, with the Northern Ireland protocol as only the most visible sign of this. It carries on like this until the government understands the problem. None have in 5 years.
In his way only Boris Johnson can hold this Brexit together. Because the contradiction between promise* and reality is otherwise unbridgeable, as we saw before 2019.

* - the promise of total freedom from the EU, not necessarily of non-membership
Read 10 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
22 Jun
Better from England, but still going to have to improve a lot further to be real contenders.
Of course. But since they also thought tough talk led to the success of the Northern Ireland protocol in the first place there is probably no escape from the UK government belief in talking tough. Never mind that the protocol was not in fact renegotiated.
It might actually be that eventually the UK government wins the battle to move sausages from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and the protocol otherwise remains exactly as was. In that situation, who won?
Read 5 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
22 Jun
Seeing a lot of suggestions that UK negotiators can't be very good because we didn't get a good deal from the EU or Australia. Which is to assume that the main problems in negotiations is the other side.

It isn't. Negotiating with your own side is much harder.
Let us say, hypothetically, that a Prime Minister is primarily concerned with completing a deal, doesn't really care about the details, just wants it done. And the other side knows that. Your objectives are set, there isn't a lot you can do about it.
There is nothing more important in negotiations that having detailed objectives with widespread internal support. That takes some doing.

Then getting everyone, including political leaders, to stick to them. Under pressure. That's really hard.
Read 4 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
22 Jun
Still economically trivial for the UK to join the CPTPP given we have or will have trade deals with all who have currently ratified, it is biased towards supply chains in, er the Pacific, and expanding the text is unlikely. But mostly harmless as well. gov.uk/government/new…
In global trade terms the likes of Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Chile are likely to have similar views to the UK, though unclear whether the latter, or Malaysia, will in fact ever ratify CPTPP is an issue. There are only 7 active members of CPTPP. fta.miti.gov.my/index.php/page…
There are issues with CPTPP text. Most particularly it includes the controversial Investor State Dispute Settlement, and there is a clash with the European Patent Convention which may cause damage to the UK's patent sector if we withdraw from the latter. committees.parliament.uk/publications/6…
Read 14 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
21 Jun
That the UK needs a coherent trade strategy has been obvious since Brexit. But coherence between competing policy objectives is not something this government does. So farmers will have to follow regulations and imports will not. And que sera sera. ft.com/content/da40fe…
For some years of course the government didn't want to admit there could be problems with trade deals, or indeed how complex they were, as this might suggest Brexit wasn't going to be an easy walk to a land paved with gold. But what's the excuse now?
In the absence of a trade strategy or even much of a conversation we have to regard UK agreements or decisions as provisional, which isn't much use for building up exports or attracting inward investment.
Read 4 tweets
David Henig Profile picture
21 Jun
A small nugget in a Times interview of Liz Truss on Saturday, in which she said "we're not going to be in the business of EU-style regulatory imperialism... telling other countries how to run their farms" is a strong message behind which lies continued UK trade confusion... 1/
First, is the EU guilty of "regulatory imperialism"? The Brussels Effect of EU regulations becoming global norms was not a deliberate process, but increasingly the EU would like to make it so, meaning yes to a degree. But more on industrial goods than agriculture. 2/
The EU's "regulatory imperialism" on agriculture is to insist strongly on geographical indications in trade deals. Which the UK has followed in fact. Now the US, there's a country that has pursued "regulatory imperialism" in insisting other allow their food products in FTAs... 3/
Read 9 tweets

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