Polish Londoner

These are the thoughts and moods of a born Londoner who is proud of his Polish roots.



Thursday, 31 December 2020

Brexit - was it worth it?

After reading your editorial and numerous articles in the Daily Telegraph on December 31st, let me see if I have got this right? As a result of the post-Brexit trade deal, the UK can still have access to tariff-free trade with EU countries as before, but must complete complicated customs and health documentation which it did not have to do before. It is no longer legally obliged to comply with EU directives on product specification, safety, health and climate control, but it must still comply with those current and also future directives of its own free will, if it wants to retain tariff-free trade. So, while it is now voluntarily, but not legally, obliged to shadow EU legislation over which it has no control, it no longer has an input into that legislation which it had before. It is now able to prevent newly arrived EU citizens from settling, retiring or working in this country, but UK citizens are equally prevented from settling, retiring or working in EU countries. The UK has now finally got “Brexit done” with this trade deal, but this deal is only the first of many such deals during years of negotiation and renegotiation, as details of the agreement are ironed out or modified. The UK previously had to contribute to the EU to subsidize agriculture and regional development, and now has to raise money to subsidize its own agriculture and regional development. At least the United Kingdom has now recovered its sovereignty; but it has lost its integrity as customs and health controls on the Irish Sea regulate the flow of goods in and out of Northern Ireland, while Scotland is chafing at the bit in order to hold its separatist referendum. Was it all worth it?

1 comment:

  1. Hi Wiktor, I have just sent you a facebook message regarding my dissertation project looking at how the British Left assisted Solidarność during the 1980s. It would be great to have a chat! The message may be in your 'Message Requests' section of facebook messenger, hence why I am giving you the heads up here! Thanks in advance. - Tom Palmer

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