Brexit 2021
If you thought that the end of the transition period and the passing of the Trade Bill would mark the end of my Brexit ramblings, dream on. Here’s why, amongst all the rubbish about cakeism and “cry freedom” yesterday, there ran a a thread, best expressed by the ERG’s “research” into the deal, which allowed them to vote for it. It said of the level playing field provisions "In any event they do not prevent the UK from changing its laws as it sees fit at a risk of tariff countermeasures, and if those were unacceptable the Agreement could be terminated on 12 months’ notice."
I am not sure legally the UK could tear up this treaty that quickly but it certainly could quite easily just say, this isn’t working for us we are off. As I have said before this is really holding a gun to the UK’s own head rather than the EU’s but that doesn’t matter, as it is only what the ERG thinks that matters.
They think they have a perfect out, that the UK can fall back onto WTO terms the second the EU complains that it hasn’t followed the rules and more fool them for thinking the Government would stick to the deal. This is what the Government tried to do with the Withdrawal Agreement with the ERG whipping them on. This looks much the same to me.
I wonder what the European Parliament makes of it all?
https://jonty.substack.com/