I can say with confidence that this is a deal that will please almost nobody. It isn’t what remainers or brexiteers wanted, exporters needed or farmers and fishermen hoped for, to name just a few of those affected. But none of that will matter because we are witnessing the government moving into top gear.
Ministers will be on every media outlet claiming it is a triumph, no one will be able to challenge them as they won’t have seen the details (neither will the ministers, but they will champion the deal for all they are worth anyway.) The government supporting papers are already declaring this as victory over the nasty foreigners and a triumph for the PM. False claims that red tape has been slashed will abound and money found to sugar the pill.
The document cannot possibly be read and assessed in the days remaining, debate in parliament will be less than a day and the Civil Service will rush to put out endless pro deal departmental press releases. No critics or even experts will be able to say for certain what the deal means until well after it is enshrined in law. Anyone resigning on principle will be mocked, attacked and end their political career overnight.
Business is already welcoming an end to uncertainty (hardly a great endorsement) and obvious losers, like seed potato farmers, are being fobbed off with the line that this is only the start of a new relationship and Westminster will continue to lobby and negotiate on their behalf.
The ability to do such things are some of the most powerful tools for any government, and let it force through policies almost at will. But that doesn’t mean they are a good idea or a sensible way of working or that the policy will work.
https://jonty.substack.com/