Brian CoxOvjeren akaunt

He is correct in that if we leave on a deal, there will be a surge in investment, but politically in the long term we would just become a rule taker and our world influence will be vastly diminished.

I agree. Which is why we will rejoin at some point if we make the mistake of leaving.

Yet he’s still ‘in favour of brexit’. Have we reached a point where it’s good to hear a politician only advocating an attenuated degree of damage rather than full catastrophe? Any sort of ‘brexit’ is bad for U.K. and Europe.

I didn’t say I agree with everything he said.

Patrick Mindford, therefore drivel.

WTO is not a permanent solution. We know that but it is still better then the alternative.

How so? Why is he wrong that, ultimately, there will be no trade deal with Europe until we sort out the border in Ireland (to the satisfaction of Ireland), pay our debts and guarantee citizens rights? The leverage we currently have is that we have a free trade deal at the moment.

@RoryStewartUK is v good. But his argument for supporting Brexit with a deal is fatally flawed by a point he notes himself: resolution of the Irish border. If we’re outside the Single Market and Customs Union then the consequential signific barriers to trade mean border controls.

Although I don’t think it’s sustainable long term because of the loss of influence, it can be argued that joining the EEA and a customs union or some equivalent arrangement with a different name would be ‘leaving’ the EU and would prevent any changes on the island of Ireland.