The alternative Brexit

I have been writing about Brexit occasionally, ahem, for nearly two years now, and have detailed the massive issues and problems that need to be overcome, and those issues have not been faced nor solution found or even explored.

At the root of it, UK decided to leave, and so the onus is on us to find solutions, especially where at the edge of our kingdom where it abuts the borders of the EU. These at lease should have been considered and addressed, anyone with a basic knowledge in project planning knows that risks or obstacles to the project have to be identified, and where possible, addressed.

But the "something will turn up" attitude has flowed through Brexit, and the Daily Express line, now give us a "proper Brexit" whatever that means! When the Cabinet doesn't know what Brexit meas, how can UK ever get a proper Brexit. And how can the EU negotiate and talk about the future when the UK is clueless about what it wants.

THere is a basic problem with Brexit; not what you're thinking of. UK joined the EU, the Common Market, the EEC, by means of a treaty. THe EEC turned into the EU by means of a treaty, so therefore, the best course of action would be to leave via a treaty. A50 (of the Lisbon Treaty) details how a state can leave, taking just two years. The author never intended it to be used, as it is not written in legal terms, and so has huge areas of grey.

But what A50 does is give the EU a massive advantage as the simple passing or time ramps up pressure on the leaving state. But this was known and pointed out to the Government, not that anyone listened, of course. UK embraced the A50 process, without even asking if a treaty could be the method. The EU probably would have said no, but not to have even enquired is a dereliction really.

It was pointed out by legal experts from many fields that leaving the EU would take much longer than 2 years and was more complicated that the Brexiteers said. All ignored, and now we are supposed to be surprised that the thing that Brexiteers said was simple turned out to be more complicated that they said? Unpicking 45 years of legal intertwining between UK and EU was always going to take longer than two years, a treaty would help do this by small steps, and then separating trade so there would be no cliff edge for both sides.

But for DD to complain that the EU is using the 2 year A50 to ramp up pressure is stupidity on a grand scale; that was the whole point of the A50 process, and DD along with most of the Conservative Party when may returned to the House to confirm the letter had been sent, cheered and waved motion papers.

It is with some morbid fascination watching Brexit unfurl, as disastrous as predicted, and yet it is us, realists, who are talking Britain down, being traitors to the country, not those who would wrench the country out of 750 trade deals with countries round the world, and exit from a free trade agreement with the largest and richest free trade area. In the name of free trade.

And without frictionless trade between the UK and EU, those few global countries that have manufacturing and assembly plants in UK would leave, just as the Japanese Ambassador has said would happen two weeks ago. So all those in Swindon and Sunderland working for Nissan and Honda must have realised that when they voted in huge numbers to Leave. But they, like Brexiteers, kidded themselves Brexit would have no ill effects and was a win-win. Having their cake and eating it.