Brexit: David Davis 'pretty sure' of free trade deal

[AtW]

David Davis preparing to cave into all EU demands

David Davis's "trade-deal" will simply be EU membership with some window dressing to make the the UK look "hard".

[BlasterBates]

Sure he'll get a trade deal:


David Davis preparing to cave into all EU demands

David Davis's "trade-deal" will simply be EU membership with some window dressing to make the the UK look "hard".

Reminds me of a weed wearing a cap sleeve T-shirt in the 1970's.

[Lambert Simnel]

Remember, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. No trade deal, then no 'divorce payment', no rights for EU citizens in the UK, hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and all that. But most importantly, the 'divorce payment'. The EU wants nothing from us more than money.

But even Davis has accepted that's not how discussions are going to progress. So while the somewhat combative approach you're suggesting is not unusual online, it doesn't reflect what anyone who is involved in the discussions will actually be doing.

[scooterscot]

You want the best deal?

You already have it.

[AtW]

So the position is now the Tories will burn the UK economy into the ground if they don't get what they want? I suspect the EU wouldn't get in your way.

Yes

[AtW]

Free trade does not mean no tariffs at all - services might not even be covered

Not being in customs union will be logistical disaster on its own

[chopper]

So the position is now the Tories will burn the UK economy into the ground if they don't get what they want? I suspect the EU wouldn't get in your way.

The negotiators would walk away from a deal which would itself cause the UK economy to burn into the ground, i.e. a punishment deal. I suspect the electorate would expect that. Why 'pay' for a bad deal, the deal has to be worth it, otherwise 'no deal'.

Reality - transitional deal (possibly EFTA/EEA, but probably not. I'm not sure EFTA would want the UK in on a short term basis. Probably harder to allow UK to remain in EEA but not EU or EFTA). Transitional deal justified on the basis that we're still paying in to the budget. This will prevent the cliff edge, and will be structured to allow the UK to start negotiating replacement deals around the rest of the world.

Both sides have to talk tough for the benefit of their own audience. When all is concluded, the EU will be able to claim the UK's deal is worse than EU membership. The UK will be able to claim that everything is fine.

Politics, dude. Politics. Just like Davis didn't cave in to the EU over the timetabling of talks - he merely took the pragmatic view that it didn't really matter which order talks were conducted in, but really no point holding the talks up over an irrelevant sticking point.


Brexit cannot be reversed - it would send the wrong signal to the EU that all is well with the EU project. That is sure.

[scooterscot]

So the position is now the Tories will burn the UK economy into the ground if they don't get what they want? I suspect the EU wouldn't get in your way.

[chopper]

His position is now arguing for a non EU member to have a free trade deal alongside paying members. They're quite literary living in la la land.

A Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement is not Single Market Membership (for which a contribution is required into the budget). CETA is a free trade agreement, running alongside paying members.

David Davis' aspirations here are not entirely unrealistic, even if the timescale is - Hence a transitional deal. The risk of a great transitional deal is that it ultimately becomes the permanent deal.

Remember, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. No trade deal, then no 'divorce payment', no rights for EU citizens in the UK, hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and all that. But most importantly, the 'divorce payment'. The EU wants nothing from us more than money.

[scooterscot]

This is hilarious. Where have we heard this speak before.

No really it's not. I'm really really sure. In fact very sure. It'll be a great free trade deal. The best deal.

His position is now arguing for a non EU member to have a free trade deal alongside paying members. They're quite literary living in la la land.

"Very French": What David Davis thinks of his French EU counterpart.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has told the BBC he is "pretty sure", but not "certain", that he will be able to get a free trade deal with the EU.

He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that other EU states "have a very strong interest in getting a good deal".

"I'm pretty sure, I'm not 100% sure - it's a negotiation."

But he said that if the UK was only offered a "punishment deal" then it had to be prepared to "walk away... we have to plan for that".

He also defended Theresa May as a "very good prime minister" - although said she was "under pressure".

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When asked if it would be "catastrophic" for Brexit negotiations for there to be a Tory leadership contest, he replied: "Yes."

"Let me be absolutely plain about this, number one, I happen to think we have got a very good prime minister. I know she is coming under a lot of pressure at the moment, but I have seen her in action.

"I think she is very good. She makes good decisions. She's bold. She takes her time.

"Point number two is, I want a stable backdrop to this Brexit negotiation."

'No deal'

Mr Davis is heading up the UK side of negotiations, and began talks last week with his EU counterpart Michel Barnier. Of Mr Barnier, he said: "He wants a deal as much as we want a deal, I think."

Mrs May has been criticised by some for saying "no deal is better than a bad deal" with the EU.

Last week, Chancellor Philip Hammond said "no deal would be a very, very bad outcome for Britain" although he went on to say a "worse outcome" would be a deal "deliberately structured to suck the lifeblood out of our economy".
When Mr Davis was asked by Marr whether he was sure there would be a deal, he said: "I'm pretty sure, I am not 100% sure, you can never be, it's a negotiation.

Reminded of his past words that "we are guaranteed to get a deal", Mr Davis said: "You can be sure there will be a deal, whether it's the deal I want which is the free trade agreement, the customs agreement and so on - I'm pretty sure but I'm not certain."

On the prospect of no deal, he said a bad deal "would be better than a punishment deal".
"We cannot have a circumstance where the other side says that they are going to punish you. So if that happens then there is a walkaway, and we have to plan for that."

source: Brexit: David Davis 'pretty sure' of free trade deal - BBC News