The government has finally released the first batch of its much-trailed no-deal “technical notices”. But far from providing the “reassurance” promised by Dominic Raab, the 25 documents highlight all sorts of new no-deal concerns.
1. A massive increase in red tape for businesses when importing and exporting, as EU businesses would now be in “third countries”. That means costly new tariffs and administrative burdens. Small and medium sized businesses would be hit hardest.
2. Financial services firms unable to provide services on equal terms across Europe, and potentially forced to open new offices in the EU. This would clobber a sector which contributed £119 billion to the UK’s economic output in 2017 and employs 1.1 million people.
3. The cost of card payments between the UK and EU will “likely increase” and won’t be covered by a ban on surcharges.
4. An immediate loss of worker protections for employees of EU companies, including rights to claim redundancy in case of insolvency and be consulted on key decisions.
5. Brits living elsewhere in the EU could lose access to UK banking and pension services unless the EU steps in to protect them.
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Click here to find out more6. A huge VAT headache as businesses have to grapple with new rules as a non-EU country. Those rules are different for different EU countries.
7. Medicines needing to be registered twice, once for UK regulators and again in the EU. Organisations moving organs, tissues and cells to and from the EU would also need to write new “third country” agreements.
8. Young people losing the right to study abroad as the UK drops out of the Erasmus+ programme.
9. Universities losing access to billions in research funding beyond projects already agreed, which the government has pledged to underwrite. We are currently net beneficiaries of the EU’s research budget, and a leading European power in science and innovation.
10. New picture warnings for tobacco products as the copyright for the existing picture library is owned by the European Commission
11. Uncertainty for Irish businesses as the government papers seem to be telling businesses and individuals to seek advice from the Irish government, rather than giving the guarantees they need.
No one voted for any of this, but these are the risks that Theresa May’s botched Brexit has exposed us to. People are increasingly unhappy about the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, and growing demand for a People’s Vote on May’s increasingly miserable-looking deal – and even more so if she fails to secure one.
Edited by Hugo Dixon
I wish one of the 17m people who voted for Brexit could outline factually correct and quantified benefits to the economy that we get from leaving and a credible plan for restructuring ourselves to secure them. I would accept just one person coming forward with a plan. A minimum of one. Anyone?? Please anyone!! What??? Nothing??!!
The ” Technical notices ” will give an indication to the general public in the UK just how integrated our country is with the EU Member States in all the fields one can imagine. One would hope that this would give some thinking members of the the population serious doubts as to the advisability or indeed the practical feasibility of Brexit
Raab C. Brexit looks like he could have used a stiffener before the presentation.
Obviously he’s a bit more cerebral than David Davis, but his nerves do betray him. He knows he’s on thin ice and only the EU can throw him a line to save him (and us). What an entirely pathetic situation – Is this where the British fascination with constant change, rebranding, and exceptionalist thinking has brought us? We must be an object of pity to sane people across the world.
Once we no longer have the EU to blame for everything, we can then declare war on ourselves. We obviously have a bone to pick with ourselves.
Ha! Only now? With 6 months to go does it become apparent that unpicking the stiches is near impossible and we certainly will not have a nice sweater knitted with the leftover wool. I don’t understand why we the people were asked to vote yes/no on a little understood and hotly disputed area of theoretical politics. I prefer my elections to be for deliverable outcomes, like having the moon on a lolly stick.
The media is the main obstacle. If only INFacts had the same reach as the Sun, we would be half way there. But the Brexiteers have the megaphone at present. The change in editorship at the Mail is a good sign however. Remainers need a charismatic leader who is on TV at least as often as Farage or Rees-Mogg
Brexit appears to me to equate to cutting one’s head cut off to cure a perceived headache.
What is more important…enforcing a democratic vote or the economic survival? Without a strong economy the UK would not have much of a voice in the world anyway as only money rules the world.
Poetically expressed: plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment, chagrin d’amour dure toute und vie!