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Best of times … Worst of times … Brexit continues
Syed Nasir Ershad
The world appears to becoming more and more unstable now a days. People are not happy staying in a single place for long. They tend to shift their living location in every given opportunity. Migration is happening because of economic, political and many other reasons. While people from the developing world aspire to go to the so called advanced countries, countries like Britain has a plan to curbing migration under plans being considered by Theresa May. They also wants to retain access to the single market for financial sector and the car industry. They are planning for Britain to retain access to the single market on a sector-by-sector basis.
Prime Minister Mrs. Theresa Mary May has previously suggested that Britain should have a ‘bespoke’ deal after it leaves the European Union. Her cabinet will outline how their departments can make a success out of leaving the EU. It comes amid reports of an internal row between senior figures in the party over whether or not the government should retain membership of the single market.
Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is understood to believe Britain should fight to stay in the economic area. Some quarter in Britain thinks that single-market access could be maintained on a sector by sector basis. They also comprehend that a key priority for UK is going to be financial services. On the other hand, the automotive industry is going to be the key for the Germans.
However, some believe that Britain can only curb migration if it leaves the single market. According to a segment of the Conservatives there is a tussle going on there in this regard. The chancellor has taken the position that there are no red lines, that they have got to stay as part of the market and it does not matter what they give way on. There is a feeling that the Treasury is operating as a blocking mechanism.
According to them the Mrs. May’s team believe that the controls on immigration are vital, this is the bit where the chancellor has been dragging his feet. The Treasury wants to run all this stuff. They are furious that anyone else is responsible for it. It is amusing to hear the official view of the Treasury who dismissed suggestions of a cabinet split, arguing that ministers all share a similar view. They agree that there has to be controls on immigration and some access to the single market.
It comes after a former Cabinet Secretary said Brexit is not inevitable and the UK could instead stay on as part of a changed European Union. His anticipation was that whatever happens in future the UK would also keep in place EU law and rules. They also holds view that there should not be any rush for Theresa May to trigger the two-year negotiation period that will take the UK out of the EU. They cite the Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which gives any EU member the right to quit unilaterally, and outlines the procedure for doing so. It gives the leaving country two years to negotiate an exit deal. However, once set in motion, it cannot be stopped except by unanimous consent of all member states. So they must be cautious, because Article 50 is a bit like the Bomb: best kept as an implicit threat.