Jonathan Lis is "deputy director of the think tank British Influence, which researches the impacts of Brexit. He specialises in diplomacy, foreign and security policy and the single market." He sez

Downing Street's wheeze is instead to leave the single market and customs union and then pretend that Dover and Northern Ireland are still inside. Secret agreements have revealed that the government plans to introduce no additional checks on goods entering the UK after Brexit, even if we leave without any deal at all. In other words, we can fall off the cliff-edge next March [2019], without any transition or indeed any existing EU laws to bind us, but behave as though we are still in fact full members of the EU.

Until 31 Dec 2020, having been cheated 3 months more EU tariff-free-trade, privileges to line up 27 bi-lateral deals, and "voting rights." So he hasn't read [G] highlighted Draft A50 or may be searching for "implementation period" progress elsewhere.

m'k. No news that.

To where does "secret agreements" redirect? To Business Insider (US) promotion of Sky News (UK) "investigative" reporting.

Report: The UK is considering opening its borders and abandoning all customs checks after Brexit
Inexplicably, there is confusion as to whether or not the UK abandoning tariffs applies to goods and services entering the UK. Business Insider also touted The government is hiding its Brexit plans by making firms sign secretive 'gagging agreements'.

The source for both stories is Brexit Forensics: Playing chicken with the Channel Tunnel

Sky News has revealed that the Government had obliged key border operators to sign non-disclosure agreements over the shape of the post-Brexit border.

Further Sky News exclusive reporting

The development was described by Meg Hillier MP, the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, as "extremely unusual" and "a sign of Government paranoia".

She told Sky News: "I'm pretty staggered by that because I don't see why the Government shouldn't be revealing what it knows about Brexit but also why would it want to shackle organisations that might want to criticise or comment on Brexit by asking them to sign NDAs?"

Considering Tory gov's conspicuous objection to EU jurisdiction and data sharing in the Draft A50, I am surprised that this MP is surprised. Far be it for Tory gov to leave money on the table.


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