They argue that Brexit removes the UK from current arrangements and so also changes the EU’s entitlements. First, it shows the labyrinthine nature of trade talks, rebutting hard-Brexiter claims that deals can be whipped up in a trice. Other countries see Brexit as an opportunity to reopen settled matters because they know they can drive a harder bargain. Above all, the episode exposes the vacuity of arguments that “WTO rules” are some kind of safety net for the UK in the absence of a Brexit deal. Brexit, in trade talks as in many other areas, turns out to have a price tag denominated in the most cherished commodity of the leave campaign – control.

Source: The Guardian October 05, 2017 18:45 UTC