At the time of writing it's Wednesday 11 April.
Tomorrow, we would've been due to leave the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May has asked the EU for an extension of the leave date for 30 June, 2019.
I would like to claim that prior to the EU referendum, that I knew all about the difficulties with dispensing with the EU Customs Union and the EU Single Market. That when the Leave result was announced I would say "Hang on a minute! What about the Northern Irish/Republic of Ireland border? Won't our exit from the EU cause a hard border? Won't that fly in the face of the Good Friday Agreement?"
Truth is, I didn't say anything about any of those issues, and I didn't even think of those issues. But then again, I am only a voter and not a politician.
What was noticeable was that many seasoned MPs and even Cabinet members were having the same struggles as me. One MP didn't even know what the Customs Union was. To be fair, I didn't hear of this term until about 2013, and even then, I wasn't really sure what a Customs Union actually did.
Remain was where we remained in the EU. If Remain had won, then it would be business as usual and we could focus on things like the NHS, education, police numbers, affordable and social housing, Mental Health and employment. How exotic that sounds today. It's called running the country.
Leave was where Britain would leave the EU. At the time, it was made to sound as simple as giving your notice in at work. You'd start your new job and within two months everything would've been sorted out for good.
Leave required a plan "B".
We had then and have now - NO plan "B".
Today, pretty well everyone, whether they voted leave or remain understands very well that not only is Brexit hideously and impossibly complex, but we will be worse off, rather than better off.
I've always subscribed to the notion that if I change my bank, my insurance or my internet - the deal that I cancel has always got to be inferior to the one that I am signing up for. The one that I am signing up for has to be better than my previous arrangement. I know of no-one who thinks it's a good idea to do otherwise.
How will Brexit affect me?
Sadly, I have no Irish relatives, so Brexit will affect me. Otherwise, I would be off to the Irish Republic for a year and become an Irish citizen. This would be because remaining a British citizen will become inferior to being an Irish citizen. As an EU/Irish citizen, I will retain the same freedom of movement as I have now (until Brexit day, whenever that is?) and I will continue to have visa-less travel to the USA as well. (EU Britain currently has a visa waiver arrangement with the USA which takes just 20 minutes to complete online).
The post Brexit blue UK (non-EU) passport (You know. The one that's made in France!) will hopefully:
- include a description of your nationality as a ‘British Citizen'
- be an ePassport with the internationally recognised symbol on the front cover
I fail to see how restricting my passport privileges benefits me, or anyone else.
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Stop Press:
UK together with the EU27 have agreed an extension for 31 October.
Donald Tusk has told Britain "Please don't waste this time" - so sad that
we need to be told.
I wish we were better than this.
