Originally Posted by Chris

The question of alignment is slightly more involved than it first appears, precisely because “no plans to diverge” is a million miles away from “dynamically align”, which is the EU’s starting position in negotiations. Even if we have no plans to change our rules that will lead to divergence over time as the EU change theirs. Dynamic alignment, in which we automatically update our rules to remain in line with theirs, solves this, at the expense of giving up one of the principal benefits of leaving the EU in the first place. Even without intention to actively change UK market rules, the only viable trade deal with the EU is one based on mutual recognition, not alignment.