Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien
Doesn't no border mean customs union?
By the way the dynamic that's changed is that May doesn't have the majority or statute to do whatever she wants. The Telegraph has reported Hammond made a demand that jobs and the economy should come first. Ruth Davidson has called for a softer Brexit too. There are enough MPs on both sides of this to cause problems given the size of the majority so the dynamic has changed now. Who knows what will actually happen ...
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The customs union prevents independent trade deals being made. That's why the Tory position has been thar Brexit means leaving the CU. The Single Market is one of the four freedoms and the EU's negotiating position is that you can't pick and choose between them; it's all or nothing. Hence, the Tory position is that we will leave the single market.
This is why the concepts of "hard Brexit" and "soft Brexit" are misleading. There is in reality no such thing as soft Brexit. Remaining in the CU and the SM means retaining a lot of the things that people actively voted against in the referendum. "Soft" Brexit is not Brexit at all. It is merely continuing to remain a member of the key institutions of the EU whilst surrendering all influence over the way they work and develop.
This is the inescapable logic of Brexit and parliamentary maths doesn't change it. I believe the agitators within the Tory party know this, and the prospect of May's administration collapsing and being replaced with Jeremy Corbyn will be enough to frighten them into shutting up.
I believe it will be possible to reach a unilateral agreement with the Irish republic that allows a frictionless border to exist, even though there will be a customs frontier. I'm sure a technological solution can be found to monitor what's crossing the border.