WGPlus (Archive)
Editorial commentary: More Brexit ‘pondering’ |
Three items from Briefings for Brexit provide ‘food for thought’ regarding just whose ‘side’ the Civil Service is ‘on’. Also, when it comes to ‘delusions’ in Brexit negotiations, it appears the RoI’s PM cannot do simple subtraction. He was quoted in The Telegraph (& elsewhere) as saying: “Any relationship in the future between the EU and UK isn’t going to be one of absolute equals. We’re 27 member states, the UK is one country, we’re 500 million people, the UK is 60 million, so that basic fact needs to be realised and understood”. (Telegraph: Irish PM warns Theresa May that Britain is outnumbered in Brexit talks) The last time I checked (last weekend), the EU (28 countries) population is around 508m and the population of the UK 66m. Basic maths would suggest that the EU (27) will only be a population of around 442m! He also said; “'If we have a no deal Brexit, which is unlikely but possible, then the UK will essentially crash out of the customs union and single market, will not be able to trade freely anymore with any part of the EU and will be losing access to a market of 500 million people.” This statement was made despite the fact that the USA, China, India and many other countries, appear to trade freely with the EU under WTO rules! It also ignores the reality of the fact that UK trade with the EU has been declining for many years. |
Researched Links: |
(Civitas: EU share of UK exports is in dramatic decline, new analysis shows One notes that the Commonwealth population is over 5 times the size of a post Brexit EU! A Brexit plan that Parliament can debate without giving away UK ‘negotiating secrets’!) BfB: Is H M Treasury the Enemy of Brexit? by Graham Gudgin Remain and the Civil Service By Pamela Dow A Very English Coup d’Etat by Gwythian Prins MoD: Over 10,000 troops from nine nations ready to meet global challenges |