Brexit
A bad deal really is worse than no deal
I have spent the last week reading opinions on the Brexit deal. The Prime Minister is unlikely to get the deal approved in Parliament, too many MP's are opposed to it. However, the Daily Mail reports today that the majority of the country think Parliament should accept it, believing that it is the best deal we are going to get.
I suspect the public are sick to the back teeth of the whole sorry mess, and just want it resolved, one way or the other. And it really is a mess. The government triggered Article 50 without having prepared, and seemingly with no clear idea about how they would achieve their goal. Indeed, I am not sure they knew what the goal was.
The EU are tough negotiators, and appear to have got what they wanted. As for the UK, Mrs May wants us to agree a plan whereby we must, for a period of time, continue to follow the EU rules but without any representation at the EU. We will remain in this situation until such time as a new trading agreement is decided. We cannot leave this arrangement without the agreement of all the EU member states. They would have the UK over a barrel, the EU would squeeze every last concession out of the UK before finally allowing us to leave.
The result? A democratic deficit and an inability to strike deals around the world for as long as the EU deem it. A bad deal really is worse than no deal.
28th November 2018