I’m confused, who agreed and sold the crappy protocol as a tip top deal in the first place ?
Our ace negotiator and blagging buffoon.
Sunak made him look the utter fool that he is today, no wonder he wasn’t there to offer his wisdom.
Again, there are at least two sides to any negotiation. May, Boris, Barnier, Juncker, all played a part. No one can argue, though I expect the Europhiles to do so, that the EU needed to be as harsh as possible with the U.K. to ensure its own continuance. So a proper win/win was an impossibility. May couldn‘t get anything through Parliament due to obstruction from all wings of all parties and a particularly obnoxious remainer Speaker. Boris, I believe, always knew it was a crap deal but it was the only way to leave the EU. He initiated a plan and a law to bring the EU back to the negotiating table prior to Sunak. Sunak himself was under pressure to follow through or re-negotiate with a now changed EU leadership and it was even possible that Boris would elbow Sunak out. The EU of course hated Johnson and so it was in their own interests to get a deal done, especially as the USA had now barged their way into a position of influence. The Ukraine/Russia issue also played a big part in ensuring that all concerned parties concentrated more on what is really important as opposed to petty politics.That’s just the History.
Personally I am pleased that both sides are now beginning to behave in a grown up manner, I always wanted them to do so from the very beginning, but Eu intransigence, Macron and Putins puppet Merkel didn’t allow it to be. But things change, personalities have changed and realities are a bit more focused. I hope relationships between the EU, U.K. and USA continue in this new vein………
