The Irish Border. The Remainers last stand.

Can someone please tell me why Mrs May and others keep perpetuating the myth that we can't have a free trade Brexit because of the Irish border?  

Oh, it’s easy to understand why Remainers like Mrs May wish us to think that.  But the reality is really rather different.  

Firstly, you have to understand that not everyone on the EU set up is a raving, swivel eyed and only out to destroy the UK.  Oh yes, there are many of them that’s true.  But let’s give credit to one man, Donald Tusk.  He is perhaps the only one in the negotiations who actually realise that the EU and the UK are best served by a good deal.  He realises, as he said to Mrs May, there are no cherries on the cake.  This was interpreted by some as a sleight at Mrs May.  The reality was, he was just telling the truth.  And nor would we want cherries as an adornment.  What we want is the substance of the cake.

So in his pragmatic way, last week Mr Tusk confirmed that Canada +++ is still on the table.  It is an option.  So why Mrs May keeps saying there is no other option other than Chequers is beginning to sound rather silly.  Yes, there are strings attached. They could be negotiated.   But substantially, it’s a deal I think most would find acceptable.  Except the SNP who threaten to vote down any deal that comes though the UK parliament.    

Back to the border.  You can get Canada +++ and retain the border as barrier-free as it is today.  The only thing stopping it happening is the Remainer politicians like Mrs May who see it as a way to scupper any agreement and keep us under ECJ rule.   

And what does today’s border look like?  Yes, the tarmac changes colour.  But look closely around it.  Search it on GoogleMaps.  There is a complete infrastructure already in place in the form of ANPR cameras.  Does it cause disruption?  Does anyone complain that both sides are recording details of every vehicle that crosses the line on the tarmac?   And what of the other stuff, VAT, tax, excise and currency?  A border already exists for all these things.  So no new border.  The only thing needed to be added is Customs.  And to help Mrs May, there is a business in London that has just done such a project, in six months, for Singapore. 

So leaving the single market and the customs union, a promise, or should I say a threat, made by David Cameron, Vince Cable, Nick Clegg, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, Nicola Sturgeon and others for a Canada-style FTA adds one more item:  customs.     

But, let’s take an independent view from Lars Karlsson, a former director of the World Customs Organisation.  He has concluded that existing computerised customs clearing methods used across much of the world mean physical border infrastructure is unnecessary.  And from the UK?  Well, the chief executive of HMRC notes that companies currently traversing the border complete VAT returns electronically in a way that could be applied to future customs declarations.  Additional physical inspections by officials already happen away from the border.  So the Irish Border? The only people who think it’s a problem are those that want to stop us leaving the EU.

What did we vote for?

Once upon a time, as all good stories begin, there was a referendum.  It had been called to see if people wanted to stay in or leave the European Union.  Lots of people said, it will be good to get out of what had become in effect a parliament and legal system that was above our own UK parliament and those of the devolved nations.  Others took a different view.  They thought staying in this new super state was actually a good idea.   

Which was fine.  It gave a very clear line of what this was all about.  Sovereignty.   But the remain people decided that this wasn’t enough. They wanted to make a second case.  They wanted people to think that leaving was economically bad too.    

Indeed, using taxpayer’s money, the then government lead by David Cameron, aided by the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party, spent £9m of our money to lay out reasons other than sovereignty as to why we should stay.   So what did they say?  Well, one thing they said was voting Leave meant leaving the Single Market, including  introducing potential trade barriers, paying tariffs and even reverting to WTO rules.  There are countless examples of Messrs Clegg, Cameron, Brown, Osborne and Ms Sturgeon saying just that.   

Look at the words they used about the so called Single Market.  Voting Leave meant “less access”, “losing full access” and “uncertainty and risk”.  Or as Will Straw put it such easy to understand language, “we must be absolutely clear about what this means: Britain would not be part of the Single Market”.    This was echoed by former chancellor Alistair Darling:  “those wanting to leave the EU want to pull Britain out of the Single Market, which would mean introducing tariffs and barriers to our trade”.   

And even the then prime minister had his words of doom that “What the British public will be voting for is to leave the EU and leave the Single Market”.     

To be honest, I am not really how much clearer those in power could have been.   Leave meant Leave.     

So those who now say we didn’t know what we were voting for, really?  We knew exactly what we were voting for.

Let’s do some arithmetic, Mrs May.

Over 80% of our economy is Business to Business within the UK.  So that makes our overseas trade worth a max of 20% of our total trade.    

Now, not all of that 20% overseas is with the EU.  Indeed only 35% of that 20% of trade is with the EU.  So, do the arithmetic,  65% of our overseas trade is actually out with the EU.

That means that out of all the trade we do in the UK and beyond these shores, only 7% of our total trade is actually with the EU.      

I know this a simplistic way of looking at it.  And I know there are different ways of measuring what exactly is trade.  Any yes, you may come up with a few percentage point s of a difference.  

You could, for example, argue that some of our components come from the EU.  That’s true.   But the inescapable truth is we actually don’t need the EU as much as Remainers keep telling us we do.     

Quite why Mrs May then says today in her speech that it is up to the EU to come up with a counter offer to Chequers, I have no idea.  

All it can mean is she is still looking to negotiate even more away even though, as your simple arithmetic will have demonstrated in these last few seconds, we don’t need to negotiate.  We don’t need to give anything away.

Stop flogging a dead horse, Mrs May.

What do all of the 200 people listed at the bottom of this post have in common?  They run their own successful businesses. Many of them trade globally.  They are the kind of entrepreneurs that keep this country on the move.  They are real people who risk their own money to run real businesses that provides 60% of employment in the private sector.    

One thing they all believe in common?  They believe Britain deserves better than Chequers.

In a letter to the Telegraph today they outline their belief that the Chequers deal “is a muddled compromise that suits no one on either side of the referendum divide.   The “common rulebook” that Chequers accepts offers the EU carte blanche to dictate policy, stifling innovation and leaving us a passive rule-taker”.

In other words, even though we leave the EU, the EU still can veto what the UK wants to do.  How any democrat could come up with such a deal beggars belief.  Add to that, “Chequers also hobbles the greatest economic opportunity of Brexit: that of free trade agreements with old allies and new friends round the world”.

The reaction at Salzburg showed Chequers is doomed.  When you are flogging a dead horse, change horses.  There is no shame in that.   Indeed, it shows courage.    If Mrs May doesn’t show that courage now the result will be more uncertainty and continuing Government paralysis. 

Just remember, Donald Tusk in March 2018 offered an almost identical agreement to the one reached between Canada and the EU.  That deal does not tie Canada into accepting rulings from the ECJ.  

Why is Mrs May so incapable of swallowing her pride and actually doing something that will benefit not just the UK but the EU too?  Why can’t she go back and say ok Donald, bit late, but let’s work on that offer? 

The problem is becoming clearer.  And the problem is Mrs May and her clear desire to continue to be locked into judgements of the European Court of Justice.  I can’t think of any other reason for her behaviour, because it’s certainly not in the national interest.   

Indeed, I believe the 200 below understand more what is in the national interest than people like Mrs May or Mr Oliver Robbins who have never worked in what economists call the productive sector.  The people who make money so that governments, through taxation, can spend their money.

So, next time someone tells you that businesses don't want to leave the EU, don't let them get away with their contribution to Project Fear.  Just remind them of all these successful business leaders that employ so much of the UK workforce want to do just that.  Get out.

Tom Bohills   Co-founder, Alliance of British Entrepreneurs and Head of Legal, Red Deer Edward Harden   Co-founder, Alliance of British Entrepreneurs and Co-founder, JustSeats.org  

Tim Martin   Chairman, JD Wetherspoon

Lord Flight   Former shadow Conservative chief secretary to the Treasury

Chris Kelly   Chairman, Keltruck Limited, West Midlands

William Hynett   Chief Executive, Britten-Norman, London

Anthony Gibbon   Dairy Farmer, Garreg Farm, Carmarthenshire

Geoff Oborne   Owner, Geoff Oborne Gardening Ltd, West Sussex

Nick Cresswell   Managing Director, Glebe Engineering Ltd, Staffordshire

Tim Trotter   Chairman, Glenfern, London

Simon Beart   Director, Guardian, Kent

Lance Forman   Owner, H. Forman & Sons, London

Arabella Arkwright   Partner, Hatton Country World, Warwickshire

Johnnie Arkwright   Director, Hatton Ltd, Warwickshire

Martyn O'Connor   Managing Director, Heatshine, Ceredigion

Alex Bourne   Founder and Director, Hinpack Limited, Suffolk

Rachael Furness   Director, Hitvo Ltd, Cheshire

Trevor Honeyman   Chairman, Honeyman Group Limited, County Durham

William Bavin   Managing director, House of Marbles & Teign Valley Glass, Devon

Darren White   Managing Director, Ibex Risk Management, North Yorkshire

David W Ford   Founder and Director, Ingenica Solutions Ltd & Lightpoint Medical, Hampshire

Jason Mark Rutter   Managing Director, Jason Mark Rutter Ltd, Worcestershire
Miles Brough   CEO, JBM International Ltd, Staffordshire

John Crampton   Owner, JC Fabrications, Surrey

Max Johnson   Director, Johnson Insurance Services, North Yorkshire

Phil Valori   Co-Founder, JustSeats, London

Kevin Davies   Director, KDM Events, UK wide

Colin Low   Founder, Kingsfleet Wealth, Suffolk

Ajay Jagota   CEO, KIS Group & Dlighted, Tyne & Wear

Charles Breese   Director, Personal Capacity, London

John Turnbull    Owner/CEO, M8 Software, Merseyside

John Davies   Owner, Manufexl, West Glamorgan

Roger Hall   Owner, Marlowe James, Derbyshire

Richard Ayres   Director, Maroon Analytics Ltd, London

Nigel Roberts   Managing Director, Megasteel Limited, Wiltshire

Colin Pettit   Proprietor, Miko Coffee, Cambridgeshire

Peter Roberts   Director, Mill-Tek Limited, Devon

Christopher Evans   Director, Ministry Developments Ltd, Wiltshire

Keith Wannell   Director, MM Enviro Ltd, West Sussex

Dr Alan Watt   Owner, Monkey Tower Ltd, Essex

Ben Walker   Owner, MonkeyFist Construction and Precision Planning, South Gloucestershire

Mark Gilbert   Director, MuscleDiet, Staffordshire

Dr Tom Walker   Founder, MyLash, Edinburgh

Ian Harris   Proprietor, N Bloom & Son, London

David Pilsworth   Author, New Novelist

Nigel Green   Managing Director, NLG Associates, London

Alan Graves   Director, Norcon Computers Ltd, Derbyshire

Paul Jenkins   Director, North IT, County Durham

Ross Bland   Director, Oakleys Fuel Oils, West Midlands

Henry O'Lone   Managing Director, Oare Limited, East Sussex

James Bromley   Director, One Ten OneHundred Ltd, Aberdeenshire

Karl Pearsall   Director, Original Thing Ltd, Middlesex

Alistair Bruce   Partner, Original Design Company, Derbyshire

Allison Wild   Managing Director, Oxford Biosciences Limited, Oxfordshire

James Dean   Chairman, Patrick Dean Limited, Lincolnshire

Tim Stephenson   Executive, Personal Capacity - 'Financial Services Recruitment Consultant', UK Wide

Peter Harris   Managing Director, Peter James Group, Dagenham

Tim Price   Managing Director, Price Value Partners, North Yorkshire

Mark Norton   Managing Director, Prima Bakeries Ltd, Cornwall

Gareth Bott   Founder, R.E.P Air Services, Loughborough

David Furness   Director, Rapierstar Ltd, Cheshire

Simon Boyd   Managing Director, ReidSteel, Dorset

Colin Rennie   Principal, Rennie Park Associates, London

Debbie Flint   Founder, Retreats For You, Devon

Ian Goodyer   Director, Reydoog Ltd, East Sussex

Dr Tom Brook   Managing Director, Santel Ltd, London

Neil Sawyer   Director, Sawyers Consulting Limited, Bristol

Manuel Alsoni   Signing in a personal capacity

Justine Thomas   Director, Simrush Ltd, Norwich

Christopher Neal   Non Executive, Director, Sirius Petroleum Plc, London

Mark Rushe   Director, Stonehouse Homes, Lancashire

Barbara Stratton   Director, Stratasys Ltd, Somerset

Oliver Tickner   Founder/Director, Streetwire, London

Bruno Prior   Director, Summerleaze Ltd, Berkshire

Angus Macdonald   Chairman, SWRNewstar, Hampshire

Andrew Hamilton   CEO, Syn2gen Ltd, Essex

Tom Scollen   Managing Director, T&G Training, County Durham

Graham Mitchell   Owner/CTO, T2 Technologies Ltd, Dorset

Mark Foster   Director, Taxhelp Accountants Ltd, East Sussex

Michael Webster   Director, Telum Media, London

Patrick Wallace   Owner and Chairman, The Arkle Group, London

Sir David Ord   Director, The Bristol Port Company, Bristol

Terence Mordant   Chairman, The Bristol Port Company, Bristol

Ken Thomson   Managing Partner, Thomson Harrower Fencing, Dunfermline

John Biggin   Managing Director, TruckEast Ltd, Northamptonshire 

Tony Young   Creative Director, Urban Fires Limited, London

Dr Michael McGetrick   Managing Director, UtterSense Ltd, Hertfordshire

Andy Ockleton   Director, Uttoxeter Brewing Company, Staffordshire

Simon Rowland   CEO, Veritas International, London and Dorset

Nicholas Timms   Managing Director, War on Waste Ltd, Dorset

Bruce Smith   Senior Partner, Westminster Consultants, London

Alistair Macmillan   Founder and Managing Director, White House Products Ltd, Renfrewshire

Steven Farrall   Senior Partner, Williams Farrall Woodward, Ipswich

Peter Thompson   Director, Woodpecker Inn (Estates) Ltd, Cheshire

Stuart Leasor   Managing Director, Woodstock Leasor Limited, London

Daniel Hodson   Signing in a personal capacity

Danny Corrigan   Signing in a personal capacity

Sandra Dangoor   Signing in a personal capacity

Richard Royden   Managing Director, Royden & Co, London
Hunter DuBose   Managing Partner, Spitfire Capital Advisors, London

Matthew Byrne   Director, Greengage Lighting Limited, Greater Manchester

Lord Vinson

Lord Daresbury   Director, Daresbury Estates Ltd, Cheshire

Robert Law   Managing Director, AGD Equipment, Warwickshire

Arthur Jones   Founder, ANJ Executive, London

Jon Moulton   Chairman, Better Capital LLP, Guernsey

Brian Yeardley   Founder, Brian Yeardley Continental, West Yorkshire

Mark Wheatley   Common Councilman, City of London, London

Elaine Harries   Managing Director, County Couriers Ltd t/a Action Express, Northamptonshire

Richard Stoughton   Chairman, Crossflight Limited, Berkshire

Dave Bentley   Owner, Dave Bentley Ecology Services, Greater Manchester

David Kirk   Director, David Kirk & Co, Cheshire

Christopher Nieper   Managing Director, David Nieper Ltd, Derbyshire

Bill Good   CEO, Diverco, Worcestershire

William Jones   Chairman, Global Village, Buckinghamshire

John May   Founder, Hillhouse Nexus, Essex

Graham Hutton   Founder, Hutton Collins Partners LLP, London

Rupert Gather   Chairman, Invest UK, London

Julian Morgan   Joint Managing Director and Owner, KPM-Marine, Birmingham

Tim Parker   Chief Executive, Messels, Surrey

Oliver Hemsley   Founder, Numis Securities, London

Edgar Miller   Managing Director, Palladian  Limited, London

Emma Pullen   Managing Director, The British Hovercraft Company, Kent

Richard Patient   Managing Director, Thorncliffe, London
Ian Herbert   Chief Executive Officer, Vistair Ltd, Bristol

Andrew Kitchen   Director, LK2 Architects Ltd, Lincolnshire

Alastair James Robb   Director, Marlborough Tiles, Wiltshire

Lesley Hollingshead   Director, MPS Financials & Accountancy Ltd, Berkshire

Adrian Hawkins   Chairman, Weldability-Sif, UK Wide

Spencer Clarke   Director, 121prodata Ltd, Gloucestershire

Anthony Smethurst   Owner, A S P Stampwise Rubber Stamp Ltd, Greater Manchester

George Bowen   CEO, Able Lyons Consulting, UK and Australia

Clive Underdown   Chairman, Advantage Group, Suffolk

Stephen Britt   Managing Director, Anchor Storage Solutions, Suffolk

Andrew Dixon   Owner, Andrew Dixon Photography, West Midlands

Angela Cook   Managing Director, Angies Transport Services Ltd, Lincolnshire

Scott Fletcher   Founder, ANS Group, Manchester and London

Colin Penny   Director, APG Equine Limited, Devon

Annette Penny   Director, APG Equine Limited, Devon

Tristan Lee   Director, Archerfield Homes, Surrey

Matthew Snowden   Independent Artist, Matthew Snowden Art, Wales

Philip Brooker   Managing Director, Arun Microelectronics Ltd, West Sussex

Geoff Greenall   Owner, Ascot Shoes, West Midlands

Andy Richards   Director, ASL Catering Agency Ltd, Cheshire

Paul Dorey   Director, Aspidistra Software, Devon

Iain Baillie   Founder & Executive Director, Asset Match, London

Robert Neal   Director, B&N Hydraulics, West Midlands

Neil Ballantyne   Managing Director, Ballantynes of Walkerburn, Scottish Borders

Danny Cox   Owner, Barcs Woodworks, Essex

Mark Fox   Director, BDSX, South Yorkshire

Neville Wright   Director, Beeson Wright Ltd, Cambridgeshire

Charles Buckley   Director, Belport Capital, Oxfordshire

Alistair Emery   Director, Belport Capital, Oxfordshire

Clive Blackman   Director, BHCG Ltd, Hertfordshire

Peter Bishop   Managing Director & Founder, Bishop GmbH, Hamburg
Steve Barson   CEO, Burley Appliances, Rutland

Didier Delmer   Owner, Business Booster 247

Steve Smith   CEO, Buzz Networks Ltd, Dorset

Stephen Wilkinson   Managing Director, CAS Recruitment, South Tyneside

Adam Cleary   Director and Chief Executive, Cavenham Capital, London

Kevin Bell   Director, CDM 2014, Essex

Steven Wake   Managing Director, Chapters Property Development And Investment Limited, Wiltshire

Said Amir Faqirzada   Owner, Chelsea Tailors, London

Chris Hills   Managing Director, Chris Hills Financial Consultancy Ltd, Hampshire

Patrick Hurd   Managing Director, Cintis International Ltd, Farnborough

Steve Ody   Owner, Citrus Travel, Sussex

Steve Hardeman   Managing Director and Co-Owner, Clevedon Fasteners Ltd, West Midlands

Geoff Townley   Owner, Commercial Gas Consultants, Hampshire

Chris Chatfield   Managing Director, Compass Travel, West Sussex

Chris Kirk-Blythe   Director, Complex Legal Limited, Manchester

David Buik   Market Commentator, Core Spreads, London

Guy Cowling   Director, Cowling & Wilcox, London

Gwyndaf Jones   Managing Director, Cwrw Da Cyf, Wales

Gregg Reed   Owner, Damson Square Properties Ltd, West Midlands

Patrick Eatherden   Owner, Dapapod, London

David Campbell   Professor of Law, Lancaster University

David Watson   Owner, David Watson Transport, Norfolk

Michael Bilewycz   Managing Director, Decisis Limited, London

Christopher Gower   Executive Deputy Chairman, Direct Nickel Projects Limited, London

Judith Donovan   Chairman, DIY Direct Marketing, North Yorkshire

FCA Hamilton   Director, Dscribe Ltd, London

Kevin Dowd   Professor of Finance and Economics, Durham University/Economists for Free Trade

Nick Berry   Managing Director, Early Oak Reproductions Ltd., East Sussex

Ivor Chivers   Managing Director, Eco Solutions Limited, North Somerset

Julie Williams   Owner, EdgeC, London and Essex

Richard Debenham   Senior MD, Elevation Lift Services Ltd., Essex

Mick Kelly   Managing Director, Elmesthorpe Projects Ltd, Leicestershire

Dr John Hart   CEO, Endocrine Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hampshire

James Blott   Former CEO and Entrepreneur, Engineering and Defence Sectors

Eddie Pilsworth  Managing Director, EP Industries, Derbyshire

John Theobald  Managing Director, Erimus Management Ltd, London

Flavius Fernandes   Director, ERPSirius Ltd, Essex

Nick Sellick   CEO, Estate Insurance Group, London

Dermot Glynn   Founder and Senior Advisor, Europe Economics, London

Richard Foleher   Technical Director, Everything Voice Ltd, West Yorkshire

John Fifield   Chairman, Fifield Glyn Ltd, London

Stu Taylor   Managing Director, Firenze Partners, London

Bill Blair   Founder, Fluxible, Lancashire

Amy Folkes   Director, Folkes Holdings Ltd, West Midlands

Constantine Folkes   Chairman and CEO, Folkes Holdings Ltd., West Midlands

Glyn Johnson   Owner and Director, G.H Johnson Plant & Machinery Sales, Derbyshire

The utter incompetence of the CAA

I was at a meeting a few months ago at the Scottish Parliament.  We were talking about leaving the European Union.  Almost everyone around the room was moaning about how they may have to be forced at the last minute to make preparations.   

This was in sharp contrast to the businessman who lives in the productive sector of the economy who told the room, “the moment the vote happened we started preparing, as any prudent business would, for the worst of options.  And we did.  Within six months we were ready for no deal.” 

Now, leaked notes from the Civil Aviation Authority reveal that they are nowhere near ready.  Instead of spending the last two years preparing it appears they have done precisely nothing.   

The documents paint a picture of the CAA being an organisation scrambling to make the necessary preparations for a no-deal Brexit and the UK dropping out of the aviation single market altogether.   

The advice to stakeholders issued by the CAA's head of flight operations, Captain Rob Bishton, says: "If the UK no longer continues as an EASA member, UK issued licences, ratings and certificates may continue to display EASA references beyond 29 March.   In this instance, licences, ratings and certificates will be reissued by the UK CAA."   

This is not news.  This was known two years ago.  So can someone at the CAA explain what they have actually been doing for the past two years.  This should all have been in place a year ago.

All this news item shows is the utter incompetence of the leaders at the CAA and other such bodies.

Just two words.

What two words link Donald Trump, Serna Williams and Remainers?   

“Petulance”.  And “Me, me, me”.  Ok, that’s four words.  But the link is really pretty simple and straightforward.   

They all think only they are right.  And they all want to challenge authority.  And they show a remarkable disregard for the rule of law.  And they all set a terrible example of how to live.    

Trump.  How often has he tried to exceed the powers that the American people allow their president to have.  If he is ever convicted of a criminal offence will he seriously be of the mind that he should pardon himself?  Basically, don't like what people say?  Abuse them. 

Ms Williams.  A liar and a thief she called one of the best umpires on the planet.  So next time a child rocks up to an umpire on a junior tennis tournament and abuses them, you know where their role model comes from.    But I suppose she is just behaving like Trump.  Don't like what people say?  Abuse them.  Welcome to the new America.  A nation of intolerant people.

Remainers.  How many of them want to stage a coup and overturn the democratic wishes of the electorate in the biggest plebiscite the nation has ever seen.   Of course in this case, it is the Remainers who are seeking to be the thief, stealing a democratic vote.  Don't like how voters voted?  Abuse them.

The tide is not for turning.

In today’s Telegraph Justine Greening writes an excellent piece trying to make sense of where Mrs May has got us.  She alludes to the story of the "graceful and magnificent" King Canute, who died on 12th November 1035.  

In the story, Canute was like Mrs May   He had flattering courtiers around him. Call them the Ollys for the sake of a name. The Ollys tried to persuade their master that he had super natural powers, to create amazing deals with the tide no one else could make.  Or in the EU negotiations they could confound economic and legal logic.   

But Canute was wise.  He knew this was rubbish.  And to prove it he plonked a chair in the path of an incoming tide to prove he didn’t have the power to turn it. Point graphically made.   

Mrs Mays problem is she doesn’t realise she is not in control.  And the tide is still coming in.   

Here endeth the lesson for today.

As all good stories begin....

Once upon a time Mr Barnier offered a Canada +++ .  And, surprise surprise, that deal was also wanted by many of those in favour of leaving the EU.  But, even bigger surprise, it was also wanted by many of those who didn’t want to leave the EU, that is, the ones that had accepted the democratic wish of the people.   They realised that Canada +++ is actually a pretty good deal for the EU and the UK.    

And all was fine till Mrs May thought her Chequers proposal would be better.  And so we are in the mess we are in.   

Given no one seems to like Chequers, let’s just do the deal that seems to unite everyone.  Canada +++!

With good will (and yes I think Mr Barnier is a person of goodwill, though a hard negotiator) this can be done and dusted easily by 29th March 2019.  End of story.   

What’s so difficult Mrs May?  

What is so strange in this story is it is Mr Barnier that is leading the charge to a credible Brexit and thus spearheading the democratic mandate given to Mrs May there by creating clean break.  But he is a Gaullist after all, so it makes sense.