>Tobias Ellwood MP @Tobias_Ellwood
>
>With inflation soaring and the cost of living crisis biting, the Chancellor’s recent £15bn intervention was welcome – but more radical thinking is required if we are to energise our economy through these stormy waters and earn another five years of Conservative government.
>
>Given the gargantuan economic challenges ahead, we must dare to assess how Brexit, the biggest geo-political decision in a generation, is faring. So loaded is the B word, many may prefer to steer clear of the subject. But this would be a dereliction of duty.
>
>If an army general, mid-battle, is mature enough to finesse his strategy to secure mission success, then government should do the same. Let’s have the courage to dare to make operational amendments as we seek to leverage greater success. …
–
Getting real, real difficult trying to figure the difference between News Thump and normal news these days.
Sounds like a grand plan, until the EU insist on us maintaining worker’s rights to their standard as a condition.
Their club, their rules.
Should have thought about this six years ago, bit late now.
I wouldn’t be so sure. There’s no way we’d be allowed to join the single market on similar terms to the ones we had before we left. If we were to attempt to rejoin the single market then they’d demand many more concessions from us.
Going backwards is generally considered a downgrade.
He seems to misunderstand his party’s stance on Brexit.
I remember the “Nobody’s talking about leaving the single market” comments and then all of a sudden a full on stiffy for crashing out.
While he is correct in asserting that this would solve most of the problems caused by Brexit, he sort of skirts around the issues IMHO.
> Political distance from Brussels has been achieved. This is not up for question. However, economically speaking, there is vast room for improvement.
This was and still is the trade off. Politics and economics are always connected. The UK is paying a huge economic price for having distanced itself politically. To repair the damage, as Mr. Ellwood suggests, it would tie itself politically closer to the EU again which means e it is going to apply rules that are the product of the EU’s political structures. The only difference with the situation the UK was in before is that in this proposed one it will have no say in this process. Would this really be acceptable? If even *shared* control over these regulations was unacceptable then, why would no control over them now be acceptable?
> There is appetite to make improvements – not U-turns but course corrections.
It would be a massive U-turn though. In fact, it would counter most of the promises made during the “leave” campaign, even though it was obvious even then that these were undeliverable. “Taking control of our borders, a.k.a. end freedom of movement” back to accepting freedom of movement as part of the single market? “Setting our own rules” back to applying the EU’s common economic policy? “Making better trade deals all over the world” back to the common EU trade policy? All that is somehow not a U-turn? In many ways it’s a U-turn away from the precipice, but a U-turn nonetheless.
> Any model will have benefits and drawbacks.
A fundamental truth that was sorely missing throughout most of the political debate during the Brexit negotiations.
> f joining the single market (with conditions)
The UK is not getting any opt-outs, if that is what he means. It is not in the EU’s interest to give an associating country extra benefits. That said, the political and legal commitments are fewer than those made by member states because the benefits are smaller too.
All in all, he IMHO makes some good points but it strikes me that he dances around the issues he knows to be problematic. I don’t think it would be wise to make a bid for rejoining the single market without complete honesty towards the UK electorate about what this would entail. If that is lacking, then such a hypothetical deal would be built on quicksand. The attitude of both UK major parties towards a “soft Brexit” suggests that they at least believe it (or more specifically: the set of obligations it will require the UK to undertake) will be unacceptable to a key fraction of the British electorate. If they are right, it would be foolish to pursue it, regardless of the obvious benefits of doing so. The process of the UK leaving the EU was triggered by lies and deception. The partial reversal of that process can not be handled the same way. Honesty towards the UK electorate as well as towards the governments of the UK’s neighbours is a sine qua non. It does not seem plausible to me that the UK political system can muster the political will to make that happen, or that it still commands the legitimacy to make any of this acceptable to those that will disagree with it.
Man consequences of actions really sucks hey
God people who support brexit still are such bellends
Which is pretty much the opposite of what people want from Brexit. It would be a good move but the whole point of Brexit was that people wanted to be free from the EU. Going back would mean those in favour of Brexit would have to admit that it was a mistake and that is never going to happen. It would also put the government’s economic policy under closer scrutiny, which is something else they are not going to want. The Tories want freedom from the EU more than they want an economy that works for the British people.
I don’t think the EU are prepared to talk and negotiate a deal with this clown.
>In a nutshell, all these challenges would disappear if we dare to advance our Brexit model by re-joining the EU single market (the Norway model). Leaving this aspect of the EU was not on the ballot paper, nor called for by either the Prime Minister or Nigel Farage during the 2016 referendum. There was, however, much discussion about returning to a “common market,” which is exactly what I propose.
Almost, almost.
Need to rejoin the Customs Union as well and by doing so forfeit any independent trade policy (tariffs must be aligned.)
The reason why this is required is very evident in Dover. The queues seen there and the *constant* use of emergency measures Stack and/or Brock started in 2022. They started and will continue to persist all because in 2022 the country actually required customs forms ready *at the border,* like a normal 3rd country border. Shocking, I know.
Haven’t even implemented physical checks to verify if these customs forms are correct, and **haven’t implemented the standards forms or checks** required at the border. Note the bold is what the Single Market would fix. That’s what got delayed for the 4th time. Given these standards checks are frequently more strict and onerous, the border situation hasn’t even begun to get worse yet, and it’s already this bad.
Yes it is important to rejoin the Single Market. More important, actually. But it is evident the UK must **also** rejoin the Customs Union.
Why would the EU want Britain back?
I voted Remain and stand by that decision because I believe that it would have left the country in a better position.
However, leaving the EU didn’t need to be half as damaging as it has been. Whilst in the EU the Torys imposed austerity which had a terrible social cost. Rejoining the common market isn’t guaranteed to make things better for British people because the root cause of the issue is a government that has the capacity to do as they please.
Bloody knew it, the Tories would suggest rejoining the Single Market before Starmer grew the cojones to suggest it (after going all ‘me too’ on brexit).
So… Black Wednesday 2..back with a vengeance? The tories love breaking the country’s back
We need a more responsible and respectable PM. Not one who puts his personal life to please a child bride and partying before the country.
He claims he is sorry and he was at his desk at the cabinet office.
He has actually joined the party. By joining the party he has given the thumbs up of his approval, rather than telling evert one they must stop.
The party carried on till 04.00am the next morning.
His excuses are BULLSHIT.
Germanys current inflation rate is higher than the UKs.
As much as everyone here likes to blame things on Brexit that doesn’t seem to be the driver of inflation its clearly a global problem.
These remainiacs like Elwood are like a sinister cult that can’t accept you have left and keep trying to sell you their warped eternal vision.
Truly deranged.
What he’s actually done is remind people what’s waiting in the wings if Johnson goes.
No thanks.
so what kind of demented moron thinks joining the single market is a good idea … ?
French GDP declines in first quarter of 2022 and guess what UK GDP rises in the same period, sure lets spend good money bailing out Europe … again !!
19 comments
>Tobias Ellwood MP @Tobias_Ellwood
>
>With inflation soaring and the cost of living crisis biting, the Chancellor’s recent £15bn intervention was welcome – but more radical thinking is required if we are to energise our economy through these stormy waters and earn another five years of Conservative government.
>
>Given the gargantuan economic challenges ahead, we must dare to assess how Brexit, the biggest geo-political decision in a generation, is faring. So loaded is the B word, many may prefer to steer clear of the subject. But this would be a dereliction of duty.
>
>If an army general, mid-battle, is mature enough to finesse his strategy to secure mission success, then government should do the same. Let’s have the courage to dare to make operational amendments as we seek to leverage greater success. …
–
Getting real, real difficult trying to figure the difference between News Thump and normal news these days.
Sounds like a grand plan, until the EU insist on us maintaining worker’s rights to their standard as a condition.
Their club, their rules.
Should have thought about this six years ago, bit late now.
I wouldn’t be so sure. There’s no way we’d be allowed to join the single market on similar terms to the ones we had before we left. If we were to attempt to rejoin the single market then they’d demand many more concessions from us.
Going backwards is generally considered a downgrade.
He seems to misunderstand his party’s stance on Brexit.
I remember the “Nobody’s talking about leaving the single market” comments and then all of a sudden a full on stiffy for crashing out.
While he is correct in asserting that this would solve most of the problems caused by Brexit, he sort of skirts around the issues IMHO.
> Political distance from Brussels has been achieved. This is not up for question. However, economically speaking, there is vast room for improvement.
This was and still is the trade off. Politics and economics are always connected. The UK is paying a huge economic price for having distanced itself politically. To repair the damage, as Mr. Ellwood suggests, it would tie itself politically closer to the EU again which means e it is going to apply rules that are the product of the EU’s political structures. The only difference with the situation the UK was in before is that in this proposed one it will have no say in this process. Would this really be acceptable? If even *shared* control over these regulations was unacceptable then, why would no control over them now be acceptable?
> There is appetite to make improvements – not U-turns but course corrections.
It would be a massive U-turn though. In fact, it would counter most of the promises made during the “leave” campaign, even though it was obvious even then that these were undeliverable. “Taking control of our borders, a.k.a. end freedom of movement” back to accepting freedom of movement as part of the single market? “Setting our own rules” back to applying the EU’s common economic policy? “Making better trade deals all over the world” back to the common EU trade policy? All that is somehow not a U-turn? In many ways it’s a U-turn away from the precipice, but a U-turn nonetheless.
> Any model will have benefits and drawbacks.
A fundamental truth that was sorely missing throughout most of the political debate during the Brexit negotiations.
> f joining the single market (with conditions)
The UK is not getting any opt-outs, if that is what he means. It is not in the EU’s interest to give an associating country extra benefits. That said, the political and legal commitments are fewer than those made by member states because the benefits are smaller too.
All in all, he IMHO makes some good points but it strikes me that he dances around the issues he knows to be problematic. I don’t think it would be wise to make a bid for rejoining the single market without complete honesty towards the UK electorate about what this would entail. If that is lacking, then such a hypothetical deal would be built on quicksand. The attitude of both UK major parties towards a “soft Brexit” suggests that they at least believe it (or more specifically: the set of obligations it will require the UK to undertake) will be unacceptable to a key fraction of the British electorate. If they are right, it would be foolish to pursue it, regardless of the obvious benefits of doing so. The process of the UK leaving the EU was triggered by lies and deception. The partial reversal of that process can not be handled the same way. Honesty towards the UK electorate as well as towards the governments of the UK’s neighbours is a sine qua non. It does not seem plausible to me that the UK political system can muster the political will to make that happen, or that it still commands the legitimacy to make any of this acceptable to those that will disagree with it.
Man consequences of actions really sucks hey
God people who support brexit still are such bellends
Which is pretty much the opposite of what people want from Brexit. It would be a good move but the whole point of Brexit was that people wanted to be free from the EU. Going back would mean those in favour of Brexit would have to admit that it was a mistake and that is never going to happen. It would also put the government’s economic policy under closer scrutiny, which is something else they are not going to want. The Tories want freedom from the EU more than they want an economy that works for the British people.
I don’t think the EU are prepared to talk and negotiate a deal with this clown.
>In a nutshell, all these challenges would disappear if we dare to advance our Brexit model by re-joining the EU single market (the Norway model). Leaving this aspect of the EU was not on the ballot paper, nor called for by either the Prime Minister or Nigel Farage during the 2016 referendum. There was, however, much discussion about returning to a “common market,” which is exactly what I propose.
Almost, almost.
Need to rejoin the Customs Union as well and by doing so forfeit any independent trade policy (tariffs must be aligned.)
The reason why this is required is very evident in Dover. The queues seen there and the *constant* use of emergency measures Stack and/or Brock started in 2022. They started and will continue to persist all because in 2022 the country actually required customs forms ready *at the border,* like a normal 3rd country border. Shocking, I know.
Haven’t even implemented physical checks to verify if these customs forms are correct, and **haven’t implemented the standards forms or checks** required at the border. Note the bold is what the Single Market would fix. That’s what got delayed for the 4th time. Given these standards checks are frequently more strict and onerous, the border situation hasn’t even begun to get worse yet, and it’s already this bad.
Yes it is important to rejoin the Single Market. More important, actually. But it is evident the UK must **also** rejoin the Customs Union.
Why would the EU want Britain back?
I voted Remain and stand by that decision because I believe that it would have left the country in a better position.
However, leaving the EU didn’t need to be half as damaging as it has been. Whilst in the EU the Torys imposed austerity which had a terrible social cost. Rejoining the common market isn’t guaranteed to make things better for British people because the root cause of the issue is a government that has the capacity to do as they please.
Bloody knew it, the Tories would suggest rejoining the Single Market before Starmer grew the cojones to suggest it (after going all ‘me too’ on brexit).
So… Black Wednesday 2..back with a vengeance? The tories love breaking the country’s back
We need a more responsible and respectable PM. Not one who puts his personal life to please a child bride and partying before the country.
He claims he is sorry and he was at his desk at the cabinet office.
He has actually joined the party. By joining the party he has given the thumbs up of his approval, rather than telling evert one they must stop.
The party carried on till 04.00am the next morning.
His excuses are BULLSHIT.
Germanys current inflation rate is higher than the UKs.
As much as everyone here likes to blame things on Brexit that doesn’t seem to be the driver of inflation its clearly a global problem.
These remainiacs like Elwood are like a sinister cult that can’t accept you have left and keep trying to sell you their warped eternal vision.
Truly deranged.
What he’s actually done is remind people what’s waiting in the wings if Johnson goes.
No thanks.
so what kind of demented moron thinks joining the single market is a good idea … ?
French GDP declines in first quarter of 2022 and guess what UK GDP rises in the same period, sure lets spend good money bailing out Europe … again !!