Nick Boles, a former minister who previously was loyal to May, said May’s plan was a ‘humiliation’ and suggested ending UK-EU talks, and joining European Economic Area.
His proposed “Better Brexit” alternative would see Britain abandon its current negotiation and instead attempt to continue membership of the European Economic Area from March 29, 2019, applying to become an associate member of the European Free Trade Association. This would give Britain a trading relationship with the EU similar to Norway’s. Boles then suggests using that position of safety to negotiate a long-term agreement with the EU that would be closer to Canada’s.
Boles insisted his plan wasn’t part of a move to get rid of May, but rather to find a Brexit path that the divided Conservative Party could unite behind. Although he acknowledged that ERG members would smell a trap to keep Britain tied to the EU forever, he pointed out that this style of departure had originally been proposed by Brexiteers.
“This is an interim soft Brexit in order to be able to achieve a hard Brexit,” Boles said in an interview. “If you’re a proper ERG supporter, you should find this appealing. It’s much more likely to get through Parliament than ‘No Deal.”’
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