Well, what a surprise!

Brexit: Any form makes UK poorer, suggests Treasury analysis

In other news the Pope has recently admitted he is Catholic, and rain has been found to be wet.

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This was referred to in today’s PMQs.
The BBCs Daily Politics analyst told the program that despite TMs answer to the contrary, the information is completely true but, with the caveat that this report was produced in response to her so called Chequers plan - not the Political Declaration - her wish list not enshrined in law - and the new evidence is far worse!

and President Trump had nothing to do with conception of Baroness Trumpinton :grin:

I’ve been thinking about “the deal” and whether I should write to my MP who has been identified as likely to vote in support and put the point that it is damaging to the UK.

In truth I can’t, or at least I haven’t figured out what arguments to make - the problem is that the deal consists of the actual withdrawal deal (I haven’t read it I’m afraid - 585 pages is a bit too daunting) which is OK on the whole and a back-stop position to guarantee frictionless trade across the Irish border in the event that we can’t agree a trade deal in the transition period.

As far as I can see there isn’t anything to preclude us negotiating EEA/EFTA membership as part of the “future relationship” and that weakens an argument to ditch the deal and go immediately to that position.

In truth this is “Blind Brexit” and the serious problems have, once again, been kicked down the road.

It is clear, however, that two years, even three with an extension will not be enough to negotiate and ratify a trade deal with the EU - and once out our weak bargaining position will be even weaker. It is clear from Macron’s comments - which I believe was a slip, but one which revealed how negotiations will pan out - that concession after concession will be sought and, quite possibly, if there isn’t something in the deal for each of the EU27 it will be subject to veto.

As we won’t be able to do a deal in time (unless it is to enter EFTA and the EEA via that route) we will inevitably drop into the backstop customs union. Life there really will be all the things that the Brexiteers claimed were wrong with EU membership - tied into EU regulations, no access to the decision making process, no access to the services market, in practice unable to negotiate separate trade deals, and even unable to withdraw from the customs union without EU agreement.

It all sucks.

Edit: I think I might have the start of that letter to my MP.

Apparently one of Putin’s opponents refers to him as Liiliputin because of his diminutive stature. I don’t think he likes it.

We are still blindly following Brexit whilst there are criminal investigations into the funding of the Leave campaigns.
We are putting an explanation of how No Deal or TM’s Deal will affect us and other UK citizens, especially those in Spain where there is no dual nationality.

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I’d be surprsed to learn that Vladimir Vladimirovich was even remotely acquainted with Gulliver’s Travels, or knows what being a Lilliputian involves.:thinking: But one never knows, he seems a man of many parts :person_fencing::horse_racing::weight_lifting_man::swimming_man:🤼

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What I should have said that is we are including this explanation into our Christmas cards we are sending to UK.

Peter, wot no emoticon for a judoka riding a bear ? :wink:

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The figures for the future trade agreement, which will make the U.K. worse off, are also predicated on the massive assumption that all the trade deals the E.U. has with 3rd countries will be rolled over to the U.K. and U.K. will also make a whole load of new ones. (India for eg has already said that will be dependent on visas, Argentina has an agenda & US will insist on including our NHS)
FWIW there are no comprehensive FTA s anywhere in the world which are comprehensive on services - 80% of U.K. GDP.
No MP with he country’s interests first should be supporting this rubbish deal. Instead they should level that all the golden promises cannot be fulfilled and support a people’s vote - the deal or remain.

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