Theresa May has given a major speech on Brexit, in which she warned that Britain needs to face up to “hard facts” and reiterated that leaving the EU would mean a reduction in Britain’s access to the single market.
Below, we collate some of the reaction from readers of the Guardian’s politics live blog.
‘We’ll continue to send billions to the EU for access’
So after 20 months Theresa May has in effect told the UK electorate that Brexit is a total waste of time. All you’ll get is the illusion of taking back control and not even stronger vacuum cleaners and old light bulbs because we will still have to abide by EU regulations. They won’t even see much control of our borders or reduction in immigration or no longer abiding by ECJ rules. We’ll also continue to send billions to the EU for access to a more limited market.
- Driscoll
The speech made a very strong argument for joining the EU.
- Valencia1984
‘This will all take years and cost billions’
We’re heading for an almighty fudge, but it won’t be as good as what we’ve got now and it will cause damage, but not as much as Rees-Moggeddon.
The fudge will necessitate renegotiating our relationship across dozens of areas, from customs to Euratom to the role of the ECJ, with possibly a new adjudication system to oversee everything.
This will all take years and cost billions. Thanks Brexiteers, we could have got all this and more simply by a few of you voting Remain.
- TheSadMafioso
‘Her best speech on Brexit’
I thought that was by far her best speech on Brexit - some more detailed considerations of the different sectors. Big points obviously the independent arbitrator and achieving equal regulatory outcomes rather than identical regulations.
- Smithy07
‘A tricky but achieveable vision’
That was a pretty good speech. It set out an honest, tricky but achievable vision of what a good Brexit deal would look like. Ireland is still being fudged, but again, that’s largely because the EU refuses to engage with any proposals about how it could work.
For Verhofstadt - we are not asking the EU to change its rules. We asked for that in 2015, to give us a reason to stay in, and the rest of the EU didn’t want it. What we’re asking for is a bilateral agreement that offers good market access but doesn’t include freedom of movement. There is no reason that is impossible, it is just that the EU is currently choosing not to negotiate at all.
- FFC800
‘The onus remains on the UK’
If May had made this speech about a year ago, before Article 50 was triggered, we could just shrug and say it’s an understandable position for her to adopt prior to any negotiations. Now, a year later, with time running out, it is self-destructive and dangerous.
The EU negotiators will yawn and say ‘So when will you be tabling a detailed proposal about what you want?’ The onus remains on the UK to make a proposal.
- somalipirate
I fear that Mrs. May is setting up the country to fail in the negotiations, but now she has a wide latitude for blaming the EU27 when they’re deemed “inflexible and unimaginative” by the right-wing press because she has set her stall out now.
I think she’s trying to inveigle Europe into making compromises she knows they can’t or won’t be able to because, at least, it’s not been done before. No guarantees over the Irish border, but everything is being based on vague aspirations requiring a lot of trust probably because it is a deal where the European side is holding most of the cards. The UK is the supplicant, but at this point how much trust and goodwill remains?
- El Zorro
