Why Brexit is Ridiculous

Extra paperwork, delays, and costs

Starting from January 31, 2024, specific goods, especially fresh foods, coming from the EU to Great Britain will be subjected to full Brexit border controls and checks. This means that there will be additional paperwork, delays, and increased costs.

The UK government had previously postponed the implementation of these new Brexit controls five times due to concerns about how they would impact British businesses.

It is important to note that since Brexit, the EU has already implemented border controls and checks for imports from Great Britain.

Why Northern Ireland is an exception

However, this does not apply to Northern Ireland. The reason for this is that Northern Ireland is still part of the EU's Single Market for goods, which is a unique situation.

Due to the Northern Ireland Protocol, with amendments made by the Windsor Framework, which came into effect on October 1, 2023, Northern Ireland has exclusive full market access to both Great Britain and the EU.

While England, Scotland, and Wales have to deal with Brexit border controls for goods exported to and imported from the EU, these controls do not apply to Northern Ireland.

The benefits for Northern Ireland

Last February, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke about the advantages that Northern Ireland receives as a result of being in the EU's Single Market for goods. He described it as an "unbelievably special position."

During a speech at the Coca-Cola factory in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Mr. Sunak emphasized that the new Windsor Framework has created "the world's most exciting economic zone," attracting international companies to invest in the region.

He stated that Northern Ireland has privileged access to both the UK home market and the European Union Single Market, which is a unique position that no one else has.

Contradictory stance

It is interesting to note that Mr. Sunak's enthusiastic promotion of the Single Market benefits for Northern Ireland does not imply that he endorses these same benefits for the rest of the UK. Downing Street clarified that his comments should not be seen as endorsing EU Single Market benefits for the entire UK.

The Prime Minister's spokesman explained that the British people made their decision in the 2016 referendum, but Northern Ireland needs access to both the UK and EU markets due to the Good Friday Agreement and the desire to avoid a border on the island of Ireland.

The flaw in the argument

So, we have Mr. Sunak highlighting the benefits of the EU Single Market for Northern Ireland but not supporting those same benefits for the rest of the UK. As a result, the UK must face trade barriers with the EU, our largest export and import market in the world.

Conclusion

This situation serves as yet another example of the absurdity of Brexit and the challenges it presents for businesses and trade. Brexit is proving to be quite ridiculous.