2018-12-24T14:09:50Z https://www.taurillon.org/how-to-leave-the-eu-without-making-a-mess-of-it-and-why-it-s-still-not#comment23222 2018-12-24T14:09:50Z

<p>I am limited to 3000 characters so it is possible to answer only a few points</p> <p>UK annual growth rate is 1.5%, this has been trending up for three quarters. The EZ rate is 1.6% trending down for the last five. Destruction of the UK economy seems to be over stated</p> <p>With the “yellow jackets” in France and rioting in Germany this year are not the only country with disunity, although we have limited our arguments to political debate not throwing bricks</p> <p>Our politicians are incompetent. After the referendum ‘remainers' say the vote should never have been held and Cameron was stupid to put the question to the electorate. Continental politicians have never been so foolish as to give the electorate a voice. I agree that preparation for a ‘leave' vote should have been put in place, the arrogance of the elites was such that they could not conceive of the vote going against them. Indeed this is why Brexit is proving so difficult, a majority of those responsible for delivering it are against it but are unable to enforce their will having ‘incompetently' put the choice to voters.</p> <p>There is no evidence that the EU obtains better trade deals than smaller states. Switzerland has deals with Singapore, South African Customs Union, Japan, Canada, Ukraine and China, usually years before the EU Of course the EU has yet to achieve a deal with the US or China, the two biggest economies in the World. The EU (because it must take the conflicting demands of 28 states into account) is very slow at trade talks. Only 2 of the UKs biggest export markets outside the EU are actually covered by EU deals. As the fifth largest economy in the World the UK is an attractive trade partner that others will want deals with</p> <p>The Irish border is sensitive. Currently the RoI checks 4% of containers entering it from outside the EU. The vast overwhelming majority of imports into both the EU and UK are never checked by officials at borders. Electronic systems already exist and are used. As matters stand NI and RoI have very different tax regimes yet this seems to work despite the lack of any border posts. Is the EU is trying to manufacture a problem ?</p> <p>The UK and RoI have had freedom of movement and work for almost a century, no one wants that to end. Visa free travel to the UK from the EU is highly likely, as matters stand all passengers on ferries / planes must produce identification already. It is only those from the rest of the EU who want to work in the UK (and NI) who will have to obtain work visas.</p> <p>Finally, you accept the idea of one part of the UK wanting independence (Scotland) but fail to see that this is how the UK sees Brexit in relation to the EU. Your site is full of calls for more integration etc, yet here is a political union in being since 1707 with a common language, currency, political institutions etc. which is obviously under strain. Do you not think the EU without a common demos is ultimately even more at risk ?</p>