I am not sure why I am so happy about the decision to abandon a bridge/tunnel between Larne and a remote part of Scotland. This was the stupidest plan I have ever heard of, designed to salve the guilt of a PM who put a border down the middle of his own country and such a waste of money even the DUP was against it.
It might be because somehow it means there might just be the tiniest chink of post Brexit realism somewhere in government. But it is a very small ray of light if it has taken the Treasury this long to kill a project that linked two parts of the UK with excellent links already, at the cost of 10’s of billions of pounds and which would do absolutely nothing to abolish the border in the Irish Sea. Naming it after the PM was also reason enough to cancel it, what an ego!
But if this new realism is to work it needs to achieve more such as:
Rejoining the Single Market or at least useful things like the EU Space Agency, SPS standards, data rules, Reach etc etc
Realising that the NIP is here to stay and Article 16 does not let you rip it up, it doesn’t say that.
Admitting delays to border checks at Dover are because they are mad, damaging and the government forgot to prepare for them.
That large sectors of the UK economy are suffering because of Brexit and the government has a duty to help.
None of this will happen because the government is made up of fantasists. Only the most preposterous white elephants can break through their armour of Brexit dreams.
This is a very small victory for common sense, I can’t see many more ahead.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
Looking in from the Netherlands and the reason why we moved here, is that this Brexit fiasco was foretold from the start.
There are no illusions from this side of the world that the UK is suffering. It is reported daily and with a little remorse.
The Dutch genuinely do not want to see a formerly strong trading partner, fall apart like this. The fact that the majority of the UK population seems to think it's the fault of the EU is the one success story that the UK government can claim. Their spin (or lies depending on how generous you are feeling) is working a treat.