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Now that Boris and Nigel have run away from the problem they created we are left with a bit of a dilemma in trying to salvage our economy.
Even if we wanted to get back to the trade deals we've negotiated over the last 40 years Europe has already made it clear that without freedom of movement, we are not going to get anything like the deal we had before the referendum so we already know that we are going to have to accept increased immigration (thanks Boris and Nigel!) - and possibly without the protection the EU currently gives us in places like Sangat and via first contact asylum, however there is a much bigger concern and that's to do with showing our cards before the game has commenced.
Negotiation 101: Don't tell the people you are going to negotiate with that you have to reach an agreement.
Unfortunately for England, Wales and any remaining bits of Britain, one of the cornerstones of the Leave campaign was to tell the world that we would be able to negotiate a new deal when we leave. Having made that promise to the voters they are now in a position whereby they have no choice but to take whatever deal Europe and the World is prepared to offer. And the mood our soon-to-be former partners are in we are going to get even more shafted than anyone had imagined especially as Farage and Johnson have gone to great lengths to tell them how desperate we are.
George Osborne is talking about slashing corporate tax to under 15% (European average is 25%) in order to try to offset investors distrust since the referendum so international corporate fat cats will pay less tax because of the referendum - maybe that will slow down the rush to take investment out of Britain?
The reality of the situation is that the negotiations are happening NOW. Our Civil Servants are running around like headless chickens trying to get some idea just how bad it's going to be before the button is pressed. They are trying to find out what the EU is prepared to let us have and what they refuse to budge on.
This information will then form the basis of Tory policy and to some extent determine who will be leader.
This week they found out that the key European powers were still prepared to ratify the CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) deal between Europe and Canada but that if Britain wanted a similar deal with Europe we have to accept free movement of people.
Already the Tories are telling Leave voters that not only will immigrants currently resident in the UK stay, but we have no more power to control immigration than we had before the referendum.
And every time they learn something new about the EU/World negotiating position, it becomes part of the electioneering rhetoric.
So is there any hope for whoever is eventually lumbered with the task of trying to get us back to somewhere near where we were before the referendum?
Having shown our cards, is there anything we have left that will give us some leverage in the negotiations apart from an ageing market of 65 million people?
And then there's the other scenario.
Supposing they find out that our negotiating position is so weak it would be suicide to leave the EU? Would they have the strength of character to say so to the British people and refuse to enact Article 50 in the full knowledge that their core voters would be up in arms and turning on them? I doubt it.
No wonder Boris and Nigel have run away.
Even if we wanted to get back to the trade deals we've negotiated over the last 40 years Europe has already made it clear that without freedom of movement, we are not going to get anything like the deal we had before the referendum so we already know that we are going to have to accept increased immigration (thanks Boris and Nigel!) - and possibly without the protection the EU currently gives us in places like Sangat and via first contact asylum, however there is a much bigger concern and that's to do with showing our cards before the game has commenced.
Negotiation 101: Don't tell the people you are going to negotiate with that you have to reach an agreement.
Unfortunately for England, Wales and any remaining bits of Britain, one of the cornerstones of the Leave campaign was to tell the world that we would be able to negotiate a new deal when we leave. Having made that promise to the voters they are now in a position whereby they have no choice but to take whatever deal Europe and the World is prepared to offer. And the mood our soon-to-be former partners are in we are going to get even more shafted than anyone had imagined especially as Farage and Johnson have gone to great lengths to tell them how desperate we are.
George Osborne is talking about slashing corporate tax to under 15% (European average is 25%) in order to try to offset investors distrust since the referendum so international corporate fat cats will pay less tax because of the referendum - maybe that will slow down the rush to take investment out of Britain?
The reality of the situation is that the negotiations are happening NOW. Our Civil Servants are running around like headless chickens trying to get some idea just how bad it's going to be before the button is pressed. They are trying to find out what the EU is prepared to let us have and what they refuse to budge on.
This information will then form the basis of Tory policy and to some extent determine who will be leader.
This week they found out that the key European powers were still prepared to ratify the CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) deal between Europe and Canada but that if Britain wanted a similar deal with Europe we have to accept free movement of people.
Already the Tories are telling Leave voters that not only will immigrants currently resident in the UK stay, but we have no more power to control immigration than we had before the referendum.
And every time they learn something new about the EU/World negotiating position, it becomes part of the electioneering rhetoric.
So is there any hope for whoever is eventually lumbered with the task of trying to get us back to somewhere near where we were before the referendum?
Having shown our cards, is there anything we have left that will give us some leverage in the negotiations apart from an ageing market of 65 million people?
And then there's the other scenario.
Supposing they find out that our negotiating position is so weak it would be suicide to leave the EU? Would they have the strength of character to say so to the British people and refuse to enact Article 50 in the full knowledge that their core voters would be up in arms and turning on them? I doubt it.
No wonder Boris and Nigel have run away.
