Quote of the day 24th May 2016

Mr Duncan Smith seems to think Turkey joining the EU is an imminent threat. Which is odd, because that would require the EU to be efficient and decisive. And Mr Duncan Smith thinks the EU is the opposite. Indeed, that’s one of the main reasons he wants us to leave.

“The EU can only move as quickly as its slowest member states, and that means it can only move very slowly indeed,” he said. “EU leaders and the Brussels army of bureaucrats can’t agree on how to fix the euro. They can’t agree on what to do about refugees. They can’t agree on what kind of transatlantic trade partnership they want with the USA – such that it is very unlikely that it will ever happen.”

So the EU is hopelessly slow, inefficient and indecisive, then – even when pursuing trade deals that would be in its own economic interest. Oh dear. That’ll make it difficult for Britain to strike a trade deal with the EU after we’ve voted to leave. Won’t it?

Suddenly, Mr Duncan Smith’s view of EU efficiency changed.

“We’re the fifth largest economy in the world!” he snapped. “Are you telling me that with a trade deficit with the rest of the EU, we aren’t going to be able to arrive at a deal that is particular to the UK? I don’t think so! I think they’ll do that straight away!”

So, to summarise. When it comes to negotiating a trade deal with the world’s largest economy, the EU’s chronic lethargy means it will probably never agree one. But when it comes to negotiating a trade deal with the world’s fifth largest economy, the EU will snap out of its torpor and agree one immediately.

Yes, I think I’ve got that."

(Michael Deacon

Comments

Jim said…
“We’re the fifth largest economy in the world!” he snapped. “Are you telling me that with a trade deficit with the rest of the EU, we aren’t going to be able to arrive at a deal that is particular to the UK?"

that is exactly what I and the rest of the Leave Alliance have been trying to tell you, and have been for some time, sure they will allow us single market access on pretty much the same terms we have now "the Norway option", but they wont give us better as its pretty much an invitation for everyone else to follow. We will have to do "better" over the long run, when the 2 year article 50 limit is no longer a factor. For now lets just get out, how many more times Brexit is a process not an event, but well done "vote Leave" you got what you wanted I guess.

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