The battle over fishing is a sideshow
So far, so routine. Labour wants to update and if possible upgrade the United Kingdom's arrangements with our immediate neighbour and by far our biggest trading partner, the European Union. As any new government would. The recent destabilisation of world trade adds urgency to the task. So our government goes to Brussels and (after the customary silly European 'to the wire' theatrics) hammers out what looks like a sensible improvement on the existing unnecessarily irksome restrictions and procedures. The deal involves – inevitably – a few concessions on both sides (we concede a bit on fishing) but overall looks modestly advantageous for us and for them.
A thoroughly workmanlike result. As governments are wont to do, ours somewhat exaggerates the scale of the achievement, but is entitled to take some satisfaction from the result. Polling suggests that a majority of the British population believe a new EU deal will have a positive effect on the UK economy. Lord Rose of Monewden (former boss of Marks and Spencer) is enthusiastic. 'It has to be a win,' he tells Times Radio.
And – oh sweet Jesus spare us, here we go – the Tories kick off on Brexit. 'We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again,' snarls their leader, Kemi Badenoch – as if a fair measure of alignment were ever avoidable once Boris Johnson's Brexiters sensibly swerved the 'cold-water Singapore' option. Then 'Former home secretary Suella Braverman says the government has 'let down our fishing community'', reports the BBC. And the easing of restrictions on youth mobility? 'Very concerning,' says Badenoch. Summing up (before the details of the deal have even been announced), the leader of the opposition has given us the Conservative verdict: 'This isn't a reset, it's a surrender.
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