The Meaning of the Brexit Referendum

By | December 11, 2018

What did the Brexit vote to leave the EU mean?
Leave completely? Hard border between UK & EU (including for Northern Ireland), out of Single market (European Economic Area) and Customs Union.
The fear was/is that a hard border brings a return to ‘the troubles’. Bombs, death and destruction. I do not remember it being made clear that voting Leave possibly meant voting for the death of people in Northern Ireland.
This fear lead to Prime Minister May’s ‘Red lines’. Out of of Single market and Customs Union, Soft ‘frictionless’ border for N. Ireland. The latter of course make a mockery of the claim about taking control of our borders.
This is the lie. These are incompatible, mutually exclusive.
EU:Non-EU borders are by default hard borders unless arrangements are made. Those with arrangements are described here. They all have infrastructure and delays. These countries are all in the Single market (European Economic Area) or Customs Union. The UK would need to negotiate something similar but that would effectively prevent the advantages of being out – Negotiate trade deals, control immigration, etc.

It was never conceivable that the UK could negotiate arrangements that would be so different from being in the Single market (European Economic Area) or Customs Union that there would not be a hard border in Northern Ireland.
The current proposal/deal is that the negotiations continue after we leave. Here is what Brexit supporters worry about and another lie. We leave in terms of Article 50 but that is replaced with the ‘Deal’ that includes remaining in discussions until they are concluded by mutual agreement, possibly never, i.e. Remain. If they are concluded the arrangements might prohibit most of what the Brexiters want and for them would be equivalent to Remain!

Hence no one is happy!
Regardless of where you stand this mess starts from lying about the situation.
Lies before the vote, lies after the vote is it any wonder that the situation becomes a mess from which no good outcome is possible.

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