[jacques22]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

On a point of order, Turkey is not a member of the EU customs union. There is a separate arrangement between the EEA and Turkey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe..._Customs_Union
This is not a million miles different from Britain seeking to negotiate a trade arrangement with the EU, and serves at least as a working example of a trade agreement between the EU and a neighbouring non-EEA and non customs union state.

Thanks for the nuance. That still makes May's proposals all the more nonsensical. Why have a special customs partnership or a MaxFac fantasy when there is already the Turkish model? Unless May wants a Turkey plus plus agreement, of course.

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Part of being in either the EEA or the Customs Union is to accept the free movement of labour.

The four freedoms (including the free movement of labour) only apply is you are part of the single market. Despite the customs union, Turkey does not have free movement with the EU.

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Apart from the undermining of the British labour market caused by the "freedom of movement of labour", there are serious risks for British national security if millions of unvetted "refugees" from Africa and the Middle East can come and go as they please. These are legitimate concerns and the EU has militantly refused to acknowledge them or offer any solutions. To advocate any arrangement which will not repatriate Britain's control of immigration policy is inconsistent with any genuine acceptance of the Leave vote and ignores, yet again, the legitimate concerns which British people have expressed about this issue.

I understand your concerns about unvetted immigrants from Africa and the Middle East (i.e. terrorism), but freedom of movement only applies to EU citizens, not African, Arab, and Asian citizens. When the British government welcomes Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis, and Nigerians, it's the Home Office's decision, it has nothing to do with the EU, i.e. the EU does not oblige the Home Office to welcome them.

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Don't forget that leaving the EU is something no nation has ever done before. There is no blueprint. Until the EU made known its own red lines on single market participation there was no automatic mutually exclusive state of being.
Also of course, it is perfectly possible to belong to the single market as a non-EU member.

There are no EU red lines. The rules of the single market club have been known for a long time. If the UK wants access to the single market without being an EU member, then it just has to pay a fee like Norway and Iceland. Since day one, the problem with May, Davis, Johnson and Co. is that they want to have their cake and eat it. There can't be any exception for the UK, otherwise other countries like Canada, the U.S. and China will want similar exceptions and that will be the end of the single market.