Downing Avenue briefings that the EU is ‘shifting the goalposts’ for a free commerce settlement and is belatedly demanding that the UK shouldn't b
Downing Avenue briefings that the EU is ‘shifting the goalposts’ for a free commerce settlement and is belatedly demanding that the UK shouldn’t be compelled to take care of requirements on state support, competitors, staff rights and surroundings appear both flaky or intentionally designed to as soon as once more solid Brussels as a duplicitous enemy.
In the event you have a look at the March 2018 EU Council pointers (under) for the longer term relationship between the EU and the UK and the actually-agreed framework for the longer term relationship agreed in October 2019 (additionally under), the significance for the EU of sustaining a stage taking part in discipline between the UK and EU is specific.
EU Council pointers on the longer term relationship between the EU and UK, March 2018
An important phrase in each paperwork is the stress on ‘financial interdependence and geographic proximity’.
The EU has at all times been specific and clear that these pure aggressive benefits for the UK would imply that the circumstances imposed on – for instance – Canada in its EU free commerce association couldn’t be minimize and pasted right into a UK deal.
There is no such thing as a actual information right here, besides that Boris Johnson apparently needs to start out these vital negotiations in a spirit of mutual antipathy.
The actually-agreed framework for the longer term relationship, agreed in October 2019
One well-placed EU supply described the Downing Avenue accusation that the EU had belatedly determined to insist on harder stage taking part in discipline circumstances as ‘complete bollocks’.
The identical supply added that Sunday’s assertion by International Secretary Dominic Raab that there wouldn’t be ‘checks and controls’ within the Irish Sea on commerce between Nice Britain and Northern Eire was ‘a blatant lie, and straightforward to show if anybody cared’.
So lower than 48 hours after Brexit, nothing a lot has modified in Downing Avenue’s characterisation or caricature of Brussels as an untrustworthy enemy of British pursuits.
Johnson nonetheless thinks hand-bagging the EU is one of the simplest ways – which inevitably means the UK shall be seen in EU capitals as that the majority difficult and perfidious of allies.