Where are we with Brexit?
We have left the EU. Gone, can’t change our mind and would have to reapply for membership if we wanted to be part of the EU.
We agreed a Withdrawal Agreement which was signed a year ago.
The Withdrawal Agreement is the deal that the PM was quoted as having said was Oven Ready. It was, and is and was signed.
In the Withdrawal Agreement we agreed that it would last 12 months and
During that period we would negotiate a Trade Agreement with the EU that sets out how we would trade and co-operate with the EU.
We have come down to 3 points:
Fishing
The UK as a sovereign state wants to decide who will fish in our waters. That might include France, but the UK decides. France objects as their northern fishing fleets catch 80% of the fish from our waters.
The EU wants to continue to allocate licenses to fishermen to fish in UK waters. Mainly driven by France as Macron dare not upset he French fishing industry.
Rules and regulations
The UK wants to set it’s own laws and decide if it implements any new rules and regulations. No other sovereign country allows another country or bloc to set their laws.
The EU wants the UK to implement all rules and regulation changes so that there is a level playing field. If the UK don’t they want the right to punish the UK with fines. The UK object to this because they cannot agree to another country of bloc exercising control over their laws.
Governance
The UK wants an independent arbitration service to police breaches to the Trade Agreement. They have proposed that a special court be set up to oversee the Trade Agreement with equal representation from the EU and the UK.
The EU wants the European Courts to provide arbitration. The UK says this is unreasonable as they are a sovereign country and the EU sets the rules, imposes the fines and if they are the court of arbitration when there is a dispute, it would be unfair.
The main positions of the two parties are:
The EU sees itself as a trading block whose businesses have to be protected at all costs from outside interference and competition. Some observers say this is anti-competitive.
The UK sees itself as a sovereign state who is independent of any other country or trading bloc and that sets its own laws and strikes trade deals with anyone they want to do business with. Some observers say that this is too insular and that strength lies in consortiums not individually.
Katie Adler of the BBC says that these two positions are incompatible and that there will never be concord; only compromise.