By Eric King-
A post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal might take a decade to finalise and still fail, according to Britain’s ambassador to the EU.
The BBC revealed on Thursday that Sir Ivan Rogers warned ministers that a deal might not be done until the early to mid-2020s.
Rogers also highlighted the real possibility that an agreement could be rejected by the national parliaments to other EU countries. Rogers view was reflecting the assessment of other EU countries that a free trade agreement could take as long as a decade.
Further complications to a deal is the concern that other countries might not approve the deal in their own parliaments. Sir Ivan’s statements in light of the grounds for them will come as a shock to the public.
The formal line to the public has always been that it would take 2 years from the triggering of Article 50 for a deal to be sealed. This seeming contradiction underscores the tension and conflict of views regarding the process Brexit would take.
Downing Street has defended their original position by saying Sir Ian’s revelation does not affect the UK’s government’s view, but they would say that.The UK governement could be wrong, but so could the rest of the other EU countries.
Rational thinking suggests that more credibility should be given to the views of the wider EU Community, who must have assessed the likey obstacles that can prolong a deal. Theresa May can prove them all wrong if she has an extra smart idea to get around the potential barriers to a smooth deal.
However, this would likely require a strong allaince with a few of the EU countries given the crucial element of co-operation.
The U.K has been trying for a while to come to an agreement in talks over the free trade and the single market, but has hit a brick wall everytime. EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss Brexit terms without the inclusion of Theresa May.
May skirted over the revelations by Sir Ivan Rogers when confronted with them by a BBC reporter. The issue of how quickly a deal can be established between the U.K and The EU will be crucial to whether Britain will be going for a hard Brexit or not