"Public opinion is still very much in favour of retaining control over UK regulations and trade deals, making joining the customs union and single market particularly unpalatable. (...)
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There is little understanding that to remove trade barriers you and your external trade partner must align with each other and the more you align the more it begins to look like you are creating a single market.
The lie sold to the British people by the previous and present Government is that alignment is not necessary and that you can somehow remain completely sovereign and still remove trade barriers.
In the institutional framework of the EU, national parliaments are supposed to safeguard this sense of legislative "control", via the subsidiarity protocol.
A revamped protocol could alleviate these (almost emotional, but still important) concerns and smooth the way for UKs re-entry.
Changes to the protocol are already mentioned in the Draghi Report. It's no revolution.
If we can improve our institucional processes, while simultaneously adressing legitimate concerns from a potential future entrant, that would be positive on my book.
I think generally it is a very plausible article, but I am sceptical about this bit. I doubt the public have any real idea which regulations are UK only and which we share with the EU, and I suspect if Labour want to fully align, providing it didn't increase prices, no one would care or even notice.
They don’t have any idea until nationalist politicians and the jingoistic press tell them, which they would. The nationalist reaction of a large section of the British public is Pavlovian conditioning and would take effect immediately.
We've changed relatively few and the trade deals, well, PAA.
So a customs union would be relatively easy. Relatively.
If Starmers doing anything he's doing it behind closed doors and hopefully over the years some of the problems will simply melt away. The public won't have to re-litigate anything.
... But there is significant support for a closer relationship with the EU and for the removal of most – if not all – trade barriers on goods and services." Ok, but..
I feel you! I wanted a closer relationship with Agneta Faltskog when I was 10 ... and wanted to be a moonwalking astronaut🤷♀️ Obviously it's everyone else & the EU's fault neither happened 😂
This is the key problem. People want the benefits they had when the UK was an EU member, but not the obligations attached to SM/EU membership. They still think there is some cunning wheeze that will let them have their cake and eat it....
It's the same problem? A profoundly complex scenario, presented as simple. Even the 'Health Club' comparison doesn't seem to have changed minds or illuminated the conversation. It's difficult to come to any other conclusion that people are either arrogant or don't get it.
Or simply lack the necessary knowledge. Important to remember how arcane this stuff is. Most people know little about the way international trade and still less about the economics and politics of European integration. Why would they? But without that knowledge, they can't make sound decisions.
It goes without saying that voters can't be expected to be interested.
The big problem is when parliamentarians and ministers lack understanding for, and interest in, the processes and procedures on the other side of the Channel.
This problem gets worse due to ministers playing musical chairs.
They can see and feel the impacts of it though. Also likely did nothing to understand the consequences of their vote snd simply believed the populists who were peddling this crock of shite instead of listening to experts. Sadly a large percentage of the UK electorate are not fit to receive the vote
Indeed. But international affairs are conducted between countries, or groups of countries, not with individuals. Until the US is able to work out a stable common position balancing both of those elements, things can't advance much.
No. You have no obligation to do that. Better example: in order to retain the right to enter the EU under the visa waiver system to have an obligation not to stay there for more than 90/180 days. If you fail to comply, you lose that right.
I hope not, but I fear you may be right. I am simply dying to ask: *what is a re-set, really?* It seems to mean observing normal good manners (gee, diplomats are talking to each other!), and hoping to find a way to slice and dice what they want of the SM.
I think the Brexiters believed that the UK could leave and have all the benefits of the SM and CU - in particular, the EU’s trade surplus (cars, Prosecco etc) with the UK was supposed to be enough to secure this.
Alas, yes. Remember the German car manufacturers? Not long after that meme appeared I heard a real German car manufacturer explain very carefully that his interest in the integrity of the SM and the EU's decision making was orders of magnitude greater than his interest in the UK market.
And Brexiter Jim "the UK is full" Ratcliffe quietly moved the location for his new car plant from Wales to France once he realised the impossibility of Just in Time manufacturing outside the SM & CU.
I would frankly be amazed if a member of the public could name any regulation or any trade deal.
Public opinion would support anything if it meant more choices and cheaper prices, even better, just don't tell them.
Note the absolute and complete lack of interest in the crap deals Badenoch did.
Frankly the rest of Europe thought the UK had lost its coĺlective mind about banana quality.
Plenty of new EU legislation could have warranted a protest, but as the UK rarely engaged in the drafting or substance of anything, the EU almost never had a UK Joe public input to consider.
The really silly part is that it was the importers and distributors of fruits and vegetables who came to the EU, asking them to standardize bananas and a bunch of other fruits and vegetables, to enable smoother trade across borders.
Until you explain UK can't afford to have its own regulations hence still using CE mark, with enforcing UKCA(& TCA border) abandoned. EFTA members are members of the SM/EEA, but have own trade deals. Just need to stick to minimum EEA standards (which public wants)
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A revamped protocol could alleviate these (almost emotional, but still important) concerns and smooth the way for UKs re-entry.
Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward.
Why would we do that?
The subsidiarity protocol is only relevant to EU Members. Not EEA members.
If we can improve our institucional processes, while simultaneously adressing legitimate concerns from a potential future entrant, that would be positive on my book.
I hold no grudge against the UK.
But it is important for the City and for UK's trade deal with Australia and CPTPP.
So...
So a customs union would be relatively easy. Relatively.
If Starmers doing anything he's doing it behind closed doors and hopefully over the years some of the problems will simply melt away. The public won't have to re-litigate anything.
It's a nonsense position. The UK has nothing of value to offer. Any advantage/leverage it may have had was surrendered by the brexit wreckers.
The UK needs to understand what it has made of itself.
The big problem is when parliamentarians and ministers lack understanding for, and interest in, the processes and procedures on the other side of the Channel.
This problem gets worse due to ministers playing musical chairs.
I think you’ll find some people want benefits.
Other people don’t want Obligations.
Different people.
Unless you are a Brexiler.
They are not delinquent in their obligations.
Public opinion would support anything if it meant more choices and cheaper prices, even better, just don't tell them.
Note the absolute and complete lack of interest in the crap deals Badenoch did.
Though I still don't know if the EU was supposedly banning bananas that were too straight or too bendy.
Frankly I never cared to look into it.
Plenty of new EU legislation could have warranted a protest, but as the UK rarely engaged in the drafting or substance of anything, the EU almost never had a UK Joe public input to consider.
Not something the EU came up with on their own.
Hardly anyone really understands this stuff, and so what gets sold is what gets bought. And what is on sale is cake-ism.