Thread: Brexit discussion
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Old 25-06-2018, 09:37   #3201
OLD BOY
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Re: Brexit discussion
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1andrew1 View Post
I don't see every difficulty as an insurmountable problem, Old Boy. That's unfair. There were a number of quick wins with Brexit like equal settlement rights for EU27 citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU 27 countries.

I do think that the Irish border presents a very, very difficult and fascinating situation to solve.
Giving Northern Ireland membership of the WTO won't solve the issue. NI and Eire need something akin to a customs union and single market for a soft border and this on its own would not achieve it. That's what you'll find Pascal Lamy was talking about. This of course creates a hard border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is unacceptable to the DUP.
The following quote gives some insight into Pascal Lamy's thoughts which I think you will find instructive.


The Irish border situation has been unsolved for two years now so 24 months' thinking hasn't come up with a solution acceptable to the Brexiters, DUP or the Irish Republic.

I'm not sure why you're bothererd about Barnier. The UK Government hasn't actually proposed a solution to the border issue yet due to internal divisions. Both solutions under consideration are unacceptable to Ireland and the EU.

https://www.ft.com/content/f67f71f4-...1-31da4279a601
There are two possible solutions that have been put forward by our government just recently, but of course, rather than talk about how this might work, Barnier just dismisses all our proposals out of hand, because he's trying to ramp up the pressure. He is helped by the continual arguments that are being put forward by hostile remainers, who are doing their best to undermine the government's position by negatively influencing public opinion.

The point I am making is that there are many potential ways around this problem of the Irish border if the will is there and I think we should consider what is happening right now.

If we take a look at what happens at the external EU border currently, most of the necessary formalities are conducted electronically, with pre-arrival checks which in some cases are followed up at warehouses. Currently, the HMRC only physically checks 4% of goods arriving in the EU at the external border and the Irish authorities check only 1%.So, in practice, we are already seeing 95% of goods pass the border with no checks.

Given that, one can see why the government's two recent suggestions make sense, in particular, the idea of a maximum facilitation arrangement. This involves managing rather than eliminating customs checks, with more businesses being granted 'trusted trader' status. This allows traders to settle their dues at regular intervals rather than every time they moved goods across the border.

This is not a million miles away from existing arrangements, and to reject the idea out of hand does not exactly show Barnier in a favourable light. He will eventually have to face the wrath of the remaining EU countries if he rejects an arrangement that would benefit both sides.

Given the degree to which Ireland relies on trade with the UK, they would be stark, raving mad to follow Barnier's line for much longer. As I've said before, this is a show to get public attention and to strike the best deal for the EU. Say what you like about Theresa May, but she has not buckled under this pressure. Cameron would have shied away from the fight in the early stages, and Corbyn would buckle and ask the EU what else they wanted from us!
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