[Sephiroth]

I've been thinking about all this having watched the former Australian PM on QT last night.

He said that one of the struggles, which he accepted in his day, with negotiating a trade deal with EU (which hasn't yet happened) is the matter of agricultural products. He acknowledged that the UK could face the same issue as a third country - protection for the EU's agricultural sector. Australia has no expectation of quota/tariff free trade.

Wind forward to what the UK initially hoped for: quota and tariff free trade with the EU. This then pulls in the extra price the EU wants the UK to pay for the privilege. Remember, the Canada Deal is not totally tariff/quota free.

The UK finds the price that the EU wants to charge is unacceptable on sovereignty grounds. Fair enough. So, we can't have a tariff/quota free deal.

But then they originally offered a Canada type deal but have now withdrawn that offer. The UK, apparently, would be content with the Canada deal. But the EU has created an artificial objection that our proximity to the EU rules that out - which is where the punishment aspect applies.

In other words, they are baddies and sod 'em.