Profile picture
Faisal Islam @faisalislam
, 5 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
PM sets out 3 Brexit “tests” ahead of Cabinet Customs crunch:
1. protect Union/ no hard border with Ireland
2. “As little friction as possible” in trade for “integrated supply chains” ie car
3. “Must not constrain” free trade deals with other countries

facebook.com/notes/theresa-…
She says these negotiating objectives show - “I have tried to balance the legitimate concerns of those on both sides of the debate” and that
- this path will deliver “the Brexit people voted for”
- but it is “incredibly complex” and
- “there will have to be compromises”
“As little friction as possible” is new language from the PM - seems to acknowledge that the new arrangements outside the Customs Union and SM will not be frictionless, and previous “as frictionless as possible” didn’t make much sense - it’s either frictionless or it has friction
Also re Test 1 & 3 remember Boris Northern Ireland memo on “highly facilitated” solution Sky News obtained?

That arose few weeks ago out of PM getting BJ at Cabinet committee to try to reconcile “Ireland/NI border issues” with “highly facilitated” solution - so not sold then.
The key point here - what was then known in memo as the “highly facilitated” solution is now “maximum facilitation” and it unarguably involves new “frictions” or non tariff barriers to trade with Europe under EU and probably WTO law too - just a question of how much...
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Faisal Islam
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @faisalislam see all

Profile picture
Interesting - maybe too late. Labour MPs astonished No 10 failed to consult with unions too. Also one told her directly that her talking up of No Deal as a viable option was making things difficult. Ie they need her to say publicly that No Deal is a disastrous non option...tricky
Labour sources briefing against: “We will look at any proposal that is put forward to improve T May’s bad deal.

“However, amendment would mean MPs supporting deal based on promises that are not legally binding. also doesn’t guarantee UK won’t fall behind on important rights”
“Protection of rights is also one element of this deal. The government has still refused to listen to Labour’s demands for a permanent customs union and a strong single market deal.” Says Labour source...
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
Another ticking No Deal time bomb -Lords Grand committee supposed to take 4 hours to deal with 10 Brexit Statutory instruments - Got through just 3 on stem cells, embryology etc, all referred up to full House of Lords.

Hundreds more required to be passed to correct statute book
Some Govt sources suggesting there is a filibustering game going on here - Lords strenuously deny - todays committee included Lord Winston, Warner, Foulkes, Adonis etc, say it is scrutiny legislated for in Withdrawal Bill.

In any event, cant see how they get through all the SIs
Here’s the committee taking on the minister who was trying to get 10 SIs through today... parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/8a…
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
Very good story about Brexit consultancy contracts from @AdamParsons1 and @TomBoadle

My understanding was BCG and Mckinseys ones were to work up rejected plans for New Customs Partnership and Max Fac to test them with very sceptical manufacturers (under gagging clauses ofc)...
Essentially, the Government paying many millions to external consultants to tell them it was going to take years to prepare customs etc, but also trying to square circle of its own red lines on Brexit with keeping frictionless trade.
Plenty of people were telling the Government, often under NDA, for free, that such plans were unworkable...
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
So @DominicRaab and Brexiteers think a defeat for @theresa_may
on Dec 11 will allow the UK to renegotiate the Irish backstop, specifically the right to leave unilaterally.

Here's why, after chats with both sides, that ain't happening IMO. 1/thread

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…
@DominicRaab @theresa_may First Raab thinks a PM that shows some "will and resolve" can get the EU to change its mind.

But his own experience must tell him different. Remember his own failed tilt at @simoncoveney demanding three-month exit clause? Fail. /2

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…
@DominicRaab @theresa_may @simoncoveney But even allowing for disingenuousness, there are 3 reasons why the EU is not bluffing when it says it won't renegotiate the backstop to give the UK a unilateral walkout clause.

1. They actually want to avoid a hard border
2. Political solidarity
3. They don't buy UK bluff /3
Read 20 tweets
Profile picture
001/ [article content in this tweet series 001-180 reproduced with permission from Martin Howe QC of Lawyers for Britain @lawyers4britain]
#quote "Leaving the EU on WTO terms: pulling down the barriers to world trade
Introduction: why prices will FALL after Brexit, not rise" /002
002/ #quote "Over the past couple of weeks, the media have been full of lurid scare stories about what will happen if the UK leaves the EU on WTO terms, because negotiations with the EU do not result in a withdrawal agreement." /003
#tariffs #NoDeal #Brexit #WTO #ProjectFear #shortages #food #medicines
003/ #quote "One of the most ridiculous and UNJUSTIFIED of these absurd scare stories is that it will lead to higher prices, and even shortages, of foods and medicines." /004
Read 180 tweets
Profile picture
1. It's no secret that I hold the #Brexit blob in utter contempt. They are charlatans and liars. The ones who aren't thick as shit, that is. Rees-Mogg is a lying hypocrite, and hard Brexit stands on a foundation of intellectual sand.
2. These are the people who never needed to study the impacts or the mechanics of Brexit because they are financially and politically insulated from its effects. Consequently their knowledge of the EU is minimal.
3. I have been a reader of EU affairs for a decade or more now and there is still much to learn and even I didn't realise the extend of EU integration. Where technical governance is concerned, practically every industry is governed by the EU to one extent or other.
Read 26 tweets
Profile picture
1. By now, business should have a good idea of what lies ahead if we leave the single market. They should but they don't. Their own research is poor, industry associations are useless and there is complacency throughout. They trust that the government will sort something out.
2. This is partly because the media is not doing its job. It is consumed by the trivia of Westminster - especially meaningless amendments that make no difference either way. We're also not getting any reliable information from our government.
3. The EUs Notices to Stakeholders are the only reliable official information which the media doesn't bother to report on and where it does it simply does not understand the significance of them. They are not speculation. They are the official legal position of the EU.
Read 25 tweets
Profile picture
1) Sir Ivan Rogers speech, a sobering & devastating speech from our former leading EU diplomat on #Brexit, its history and the UK position.

Should be read by *everyone* however I'll pull out a few key points in this thread

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache…
2) the UK already had the best deal of all EU member states. We may not have believed it but the other 27 nations did.
Anyone who thinks about this for more than 5 minutes would realise this
Cameron in fact managed to improve it further, but the press torpedoed his deal
3) the 4 freedoms are seen as indivisible by the EU27. Trucks & money having more rights to move than people is absolutely unacceptable to them. That's just a fact.
Anyone, Labour or Tory, who tells you we can get a great deal without free movement of people is lying to you
Read 20 tweets
Profile picture
The Brexiteers are correct: if UK doesn't leave the customs union - enabling it to make its own trade deals - then there is no real #Brexit
(Trouble is: leaving CU will damage UK prosperity, jobs & Ireland. Is this the "will of the people"?).
And here is a succinct summary of the Government's customs union conundrum (of its own making) @SebastianEPayne ft.com/content/d07b5c… via @financialtimes #Brexit
And UK can't quickly make up for lost trade with EU-27 after #Brexit if it does leave the customs union, as this @FT graphic shows:
Read 6 tweets

Trending hashtags

#profiles #StopBrexit #NHS #border #components #Tesco #EC #amendment #licence #Brexit #EEC #ECJ #producers #excise #report #half #brexit #Strauss #PeoplesVote #exporters #gearbox #euco #EURef #penalties #WTO

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!