Britain is installing steps to the EU now; and wheelchair access in 5-10 years

By George ILIEV
Brexit Metaphor No 99. 

There is a principle in architecture: "never build one step; build zero or three." If you face a small difference in levels, smooth it out without a step. Or if the difference is big, use at least three steps. If you built just one step, people would not notice it and would stumble and fall all the time.

Britain's Brexit process seems to be the implementation of this architectural principle; we just don't know yet if it will be implemented correctly. Britain's relationship with the EU before 2016 was characterised by a marked difference in the level of commitment to the European project but both sides "agreed to disagree" and managed to smooth out their differences without building steps. The 2016 referendum, however, advised the British Government to build steps between the UK and the EU. The referendum never specified how many steps would need to be built; it just spat out an (advisory) instruction: "Leave! Build steps!"

The Luxembourg Prime-Minister Xavier Bettel laid out eloquently in 2018 the British penchant for sitting on the fence: “They were in with a load of opt-outs. Now they are out and want a load of opt-ins.” Theresa May is trying to "leave" by buiding two steps between Britain and the EU (OUT of the EU institutions and OUT of the Single Market), while Jeremy Corbyn is (unrealistically) calling for only one step (OUT of the EU institutions but remaining in a customs union with the EU). It will be interesting to see how many steps Britain will end up with, given the historical annoyance of the EU with the 2.5 steps that Switzerland has ended up with (i.e. some access to the Single Market).

Ironically, in 5-10 years, a wheelchair ramp with no steps will most likely be installed between Britain and the EU to smooth over the bigger difference in levels. However, in the meantime prepare for some hopping up and down the steps of different regulatory regimes - just like hopscotch but for adults.

Two steps, in violation of the architecture principle (Killarney, Ireland, Jan 2019)

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Notes:
1. Timeline: This article is part of a series of original #BrexitMetaphors published daily. A total of 99 have been posted so far and another 62 Brexit Metaphors will be published every day until the planned Brexit date of March 29, 2019.
2. Disclosure: The author has a master's degree in European Integration. He also thinks he knows a bit about business, economics, entrepreneurship, China, history, geography, nature, science and Rubik Cubes.
3. Invitation: If you'd like to contribute to the debate, please leave a comment below or re-tweet the blogpost link.
4. Sign-up: I would be thrilled if you signed up to receive my blog daily by entering your email address in the blank in the top right-hand corner of this page.
5. Thank you for being here!

Britain wants to launch itself out of the EU and orbit as a comet. Weight & thrust pose a problem.

By George ILIEV
Brexit Metaphor No 78.

Planets and comets orbit the sun - it's the most natural thing. But try to shoot a one-tonne satellite from Earth into space and you'll find it takes enormous energy, effort and technological sophistication to defy the pull of gravity.

Norway and Switzerland are small comets that orbit the EU. They function perfectly well in their stable orbits but they have always been flying in space around the EU and were never part of it. 

Britain is the opposite case: it is struggling to defy gravity to launch itself out of the EU and into space. It faces two major problems in this endeavour: 

1) Weight: The heaviest satellite that has ever been launched from Earth had a payload of 7 tonnes, while Britain is the size of a very large comet.

2) Thrust: The UK is a very heavy satellite that will require a gigantic rocket to launch it into space. The search for such a rocket is still going on three months before take-off.

Will Britain manage to launch itself into space? We'll find out by March 29.

Comet (Source: Wikipedia)

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Notes:
1. Timeline: This article is part of a series of original #BrexitMetaphors published daily. A total of 78 have been posted so far and another 83 Brexit Metaphors will be published every day until the planned Brexit date of March 29, 2019.
2. Disclosure: The author has a master's degree in European Integration. He also thinks he knows a bit about business, economics, entrepreneurship, China, history, geography, nature, science and Rubik Cubes.
3. Invitation: If you'd like to contribute to the debate, please leave a comment below or re-tweet the blogpost link.
4. Sign-up: I would be thrilled if you signed up to receive my blog daily by entering your email address in the blank in the top right-hand corner of this page.
5. Thank you for being here!