‘Cherry-picking’ will definitely not work.
To be frank, with such a constantly evolving debate surrounding Britain’s upcoming referendum it is difficult for me to predict its outcome, especially, since there are so many theories about it everywhere. What I can say for sure is that one side seems increasingly bold in their statements regarding Britain’s economic relationship with the EU:
‘We should be outside the single market, we should have access to the single market but we should not be governed by the rules that the European Court of Justice imposes on us which cost business and restrict freedom,’ Michael Gove claims. This in itself is quite a daring thing to say if you consider the international response of politicians in and outside the EU regarding Brexit.
Contrary to the Brexit campaigners, Barack Obama himself has stated that the UK would be at ‘the back of the queue’ as the US is focusing on a trade agreement with the EU. In addition to this, Michael Gove stated that Britain would be able to arrange tariff-free trading with the EU since “At the moment there are no tariffs between the UK and other countries in the European Union. Why should we seek to impose those tariffs when we are outside?’’
How can a politician argue like this if there has been a generally negative response to Brexit internationally? Back in 2013, several European politicians have stated that they are not keen on Britain’s referendum and their treatment of European politics. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/23/us-britain-europe-reaction-idUSBRe90M0MY20130123 As it is stated in this short article: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-brexit-idUSKCN0XN1GI ‘Britain should not get special treatment from the European Union if it leaves the bloc and negotiating bilateral economic agreements will be tough’.
So Politicians have actually stated that UK’s trade would be at a disadvantageous level should they leave the EU — therefore, it is beyond me how Michael Gove or the Brexit campaigners can argue that leaving the single market might be of advantage for Britain. I am no expert in economics so I may have overlooked a significant aspect — but this is quite straightforward, isn’t it?
Arguably, it is not certain whether the economic consequences of Brexit will be permanently negative but it is certain that the immediate impact will be. No one can be sure what the exact outcome might be.
Even if you leave out the backlash Mr. Gove’s statement has unleashed with some prominent business men in London, his reasoning is outrageous because it does not take into account what several international politicians have stated altogether: ‘Cherry-picking is not an option’.
Sources:
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0c5c74bc-151e-11e6-b197-a4af20d5575e.html#axzz48HFieCLH
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/22/barack-obama-brexit-uk-back-of-queue-for-trade-talks
