Brexit means Brexit. As always

Yesterday, it emerged that all British towns and cities that had applied to be the European City of Culture in 2023 we all told their applications were void as Britain was leaving the EU.

This enabled Brexiteers to crawl out of the woodwork to lambast the EU for being petty and tiny minded. But turns out that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport knew this two years ago, and let the towns and cities compete, spend money knowing that, in the PM's words, Brexit means Brexit. Turn out that as long as the country fits on one of the following criteria: EU, EFTA, EEA, joining EU, candidate for joining EU, seeking to be candidate to join EU, they can apply. But leaving the EU, no. Applications were only allowed as it was initially unclear as to what Britain wanted from Brexit.

Still doesn't really, but leaving the EU and the PM ruling out the Single Market and Customs Union, means Britain doesn't fit into any of the boxes.

Still, Brexit means Brexit, eh?

There is a possibility that the EU might accept the £40 billion that May is offering to trigger part 2 of the talks. That is if Ireland doesn't veto that, but let's assume that it is deemed that sufficient progress has been made, them talks can move onto trade. This is not as straightforward as it seems, as at this point, Britain; the PM, the Cabinet, the Government, Parliament and the country as a whole has to decide what it is exactly that is wanted. It is a simple case of trade and control. Put simply, the more you have of one, the less you have of the other. And then when it comes to trade, is it the EU or America that Britain wants to deal with, as their imposition of regulations will make trade with the other much harder.

The big Brexit lie. Or one of the biggest Brexit lies is about EU red tape. The truth is that free trade areas, like the EU, is about the removal of red tape and regulation to smooth trade between member countries as simple, cheap and efficient as possible. Any free trade area will have the same objectives, and it this that most international trade is moving towards. Dreaming and saying that both is possible is a lie, a lie that will be revealed. There is no cake and eating it. As once you eat the cake, it is gone.

Reality is closing in, the EU cares more about the Irish border issue that Westminister, that sees no problem in imposing a fudge on a divided country, when NI voted to remain. Ireland will be the issue that makes or breaks Brexit, and there is no easy solution. Earlier today, a Downing Street spokesperson seemed to suggest that NI staying in the SM a possibility, that did not last an hour until it issued a clarification.

What there is no doubt about, is that if no solution is found, a hard border will be imposed on Ireland at 23:00 on 29th March 2019. And at the moment, that looks the most likely outcome, with whatever effect that might have on NI and the Republic.