> Distant relationship, surely. She was negotiating a hard Brexit rather than the soft one
No, Junker asked her if she wanted a FTA. She declined and wanted a closer relationship with frictionless trade. So she got the deal she wanted. The UK in the customs union.
> Her mistake was pushing for an unreasonably hard Brexit which lead to all sorts of problems, including the Irish border.
No being in the customs union means the UK has regulatory alignment with the EU. Frictionless trade. It's called BINO. Brexit in name only. It's a soft exit.
She couldn't get it through parliament due to the ERG in the conservatives wanting a much harder brexit and labour saying it did not do enough to be more aligned with the EU.
I'm going to ask a serious question. Have you actually read the withdrawal treaty? Because it's BINO. It's not a hard brexit.
Do you even know what a hard brexit is? Let me explain it to you.
- Own immigration policy. No free movement.
- Able to set own taxes. Corporate Tax, Income Tax, VAT, etc.
- Able to set own foreign policy, full control of army.
- Full control of local fishing waters. Only British fishermen allowed to fish.
- Able to set own regulations for businesses and for manufacturing goods and services.
- Outside of the ECJ. UK law > EU law.
- Great Britain and NI outside of the EU, together. The UK will not be putting up a hard border. Who knows (and cares) what the EU will do.
Let me explain Boris's Deal.
- Own immigration policy. No free movement.
- Regulatory alignment with EU. We have to set our taxes the same as theirs.
- In the transition period. The UK cannot veto anything the EU does and the UK cannot act in such a manner that the EU does not like. After the transition period, some fear that Britain will join the EU army.
- Whilst UK fisherman now have access to UK waters. EU fisherman will STILL be able to fish there.
- Regulatory alignment with EU. We have to set our regulations the same as theirs.
- Probably still under the jurisdiction the ECJ.
- NI inside the EU still. A border in the Irish sea. Although the NI assembly have the right to change this every 4 years. But they have not sat for many years, who knows if this will ever get changed. Regardless the DUP are not happy.
Now that I have outlined both scenarios. Do you still think that May/Boris were wanting a hard brexit?
Finally, why does the EU want the UK to ratify this terrible deal and why the EU does not want a hard brexit?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/11/angela-merkel-...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/14/eu-right-fea...
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1180469/Brexit-news-fear-E...
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1195966/brexit-lates...
These 4 articles should tell you everything you need to know.
