Thread by @rolandmcs

Oh here we go again, just before bedtime (thread prompted by Hodges, Portes, Redwood, Paterson and many others)....

Two sides of Brexit debate still arguing it from different angles. One, the language of politics; the other the language of tech detail. /1

On the politics side (mostly Leave), there's a belief that politics will trump the detail. Motto: "A deal is also in the EU's interest". /2

On the tech detail side (mostly Remain), they believe the detail is so hard, it severely constrains what the politics can achieve. /3

The tech detailer's motto is: "The devil is in the detail".
These two outlooks rarely 'meet'.
When they do, tech detailers scorn... /4

...the politics side's poor grasp of tech detail which seems almost universal. "EU citiz rights just carry on" is a good example. /5

It's "sorta kinda true" and it's useful for politicos to "round up" and say it aloud. But to detailers it is factually untrue. /6

(It is actually untrue...today. But detailers are 'objective technicians' so they simply cannot let it pass unchallenged.) /7

Another one the politicos say is 'UK already trades with the RoW under WTO rules'. Detailer answer: No they don't trade SOLELY under WTO. /8

Another is that 'No Deal' will still mean agreeing MRAs. Those objective detailers reply: "So it's clearly not NO deal then (ya twits)." /9

But view this from the other side. The detailers say the detail of No Deal/WTO rules is so horrible, it cannot even be countenanced. /10

From the politicos' perspective, that's mad. In every negotiation, you need to be able to walk away. 'Negotiation for Dummies' page one. /11

And (continuing in politico vein), if UK declares EU/UK can't do big deal due to each other's red lines, they'll at least agree MRAs... /12

...on all sorts of stuff, thus preventing aviation chaos and huge Operation Stack. "Obvious mutual self interest. Politics trumps all". /13

Now consider the broad attitude to Brexit i.e being positive/negative about it. Again, politicos see this as 'Negotiation for Dummies'. /14

But Detailers start with the tech detail of No Deal, conclude it will be ghastly, and therefore think "positive thinking" risible. /15

Twas not always thus (Remainers largely chasing detail; Leavers largely not). Up to 23/6, the pro-EU cause was also rubbish at detail. /16

Indeed across Westminister and the media, they just didn't do detail. It was the way of UK politics. That's been steadily changing. /17

Some Remain-minded folk have since become very good on detail and have coalesced around this approach (& have courted detailer-Leavers). /18

While Leavers have mostly doubled-down on the politics approach - in a detailer's eyes, becoming more ignorant/dangerous by the day. /19

The question in the end is: which side is right? The obvious answer is the fact-based side, which would favour the tech detailers. /20

But there are 'vision people' out in business who sometimes just zip past fussy detail & still succeed. So while politicos need to.... /21

...connect & grasp detail, is it just possible that the tech detailers need to also learn something from the politicos? /22

If not, the 2 sides will continue talking past each other, not connecting. That's the real divide. One from Mars, the other from Venus. /end

Phew. Pink gin o'clock...