Is it time to start thinking about applying to rejoin the Single Market?
Ros Atkins on the BBC’s Outside Source explains clearly why Northern Ireland would always make the Brexit Johnson et al envisaged impossible to achieve. Over the past few weeks, threats from both sides to trigger Article 16 (from the EU on January 29th and from Johnson several times over the past few weeks, most recently on February 3rd) have made it clear that leaving the EU’s Single Market would have ramifications. This did not need to happen. In 2013, Johnson told Sky News, ‘I’m in favour of the Single Market. I want us to be able to trade freely with our European friends and partners.’ The only way to resolve this conundrum might have to be our application to rejoin the Single Market (so out of the EU but in the EEA like Norway, Liechtenstein or Iceland or have a series of bilateral treaties like Switzerland) or welcome a united Ireland.
Bath for Europe 