Good morning. Hearing the reaction of British politicians to a report at the weekend that Rishi Sunak’s government might consider a “Swiss-style” trading arrangement with the EU, you might imagine that the only factor was whether or not the UK – and in particular the Tory party – is ready for it.
“Under my leadership, the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU law,” Sunak told the CBI yesterday. But as the story rumbles on with claims that chancellor Jeremy Hunt disagrees, there’s a factor besides the preferences of the Conservatives that appears to have been forgotten: what the EU wants. And while there are many in the UK who now yearn for closer ties, it’s far from clear that their counterparts on the continent feel the same way.
