The withdrawal deal will be binding but the statement on the future relationship will not
by Matthew Bevington / September 19, 2018 / Leave a comment
Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Photo: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Wire/PA Images
Red, white and blue. Jobs first. Hard. Soft. Brexit with a runny middle. There is seemingly no end of ways to describe the UK’s exit from the European Union. You might even have heard the latest—a “blind Brexit.” Michael Gove referenced it over the weekend in his interview on Andrew Marr. Alastair Campbell has said it’s “as bad as no deal.” And French President Emmanuel Macron is apparently opposed to it.
But what exactly is it? Is it likely to happen? And why does it matter?
What is a “blind Brexit”?
Put simply, it describes a situation where the UK leaves the EU without knowing what kind of relationship the two will have in future. This possibility arises from the fact that there are two parts to the Brexit deal: the Withdrawal Agreement, which will be a legally binding treaty setting out the terms ending the UK’s EU membership; and the statement on the fut…