A medium offer for a U.K. as it eyes NAFTA — join Canada instead: Don Pittis

Last week, a London Telegraph, a journal famously well-connected to the British regressive establishment, pennyless a story that Britain was severely deliberation apropos partial of a North American Free Trade Agreement.

The paper pronounced supervision ministers were deliberation fasten NAFTA as a Plan B if a U.K. unsuccessful to negotiate a post-Brexit understanding with Europe.

Far-fetched as it competence seem for a nation on a other side of a Atlantic, other arguable news services — including Canadian-owned Reuters — found a account credible adequate to pass on in news stories of their own.

“The [Telegraph] pronounced British ministers were looking during fasten a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as partial of formulation for a probability of Britain withdrawal a EU in Mar 2019 though a trade deal,” Reuters reported Tuesday.

C is for Canada

But now that U.S. President Donald Trump is sowing seeds of doubt over either NAFTA can survive, maybe Britain needs a Plan C.

And C stands for Canada.

This medium offer competence not be well-received by all Britons or by many Canadians, though if British ministers really did have their hearts set on redrawing a lines so that their islands are grouped with North America instead of Europe, fasten a Canadian Confederation competence be a good initial step.

As I’ll explain shortly, a full domestic partnership is essential to solve Britain’s post-Brexit trade problems. As for since Britain would be fasten Canada and not vice-versa, well, it’s Britain that has gotten itself into this fix. 

It worked flattering good for Newfoundland, an island about a same distance as England, already so apart out into a Atlantic that it has a possess time zone.

The inclusion of Newfoundland in 1949 has been a good success for a rest of Canada, charity not only fish but some of Canada’s cleverest politicians and funniest comedians, never mind all those Alberta oil workers. 

Perhaps Britain would yield some of a same advantages. For instance, crazy British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson could be a good fit to reinstate Rick Mercer, who announced he’s retiring from his weekly comedy show.

Could British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson be as humorous as Rick Mercer? (Mary Turner/Reuters)

 

Of course, the U.K. wouldn’t unequivocally be fasten for a initial time. Much of North America used to be partial of Britain until a unpleasantness between my (theorized) apart relations Sir William Pitt and a Thirteen Colonies over taxation though representation.

By fasten Canada rather than fasten adult with a U.S. proper, they could dodge recriminations over who started it, avoiding another round of “Don’t discuss a war!” In Canada, a subdivision routine was some-more amicable, and due to a inherent couple to a British Crown, it never unequivocally ended.

In that regard, Canadian money bearing a design of a British emperor would be a norm to a new adults of a Great White North.

But it’s a dry cold

The continue is not as opposite as some competence think. Winter visitors to Britain know damp and breezy conditions only above frozen can feel bleaker than a subzero though dry Feb day in Winnipeg.

Of course, Brits would have to adjust to Canadian morals. Not only when it comes to smoking pot — for that Canadian youth, even before legalization, are world leaders — but hand-holding.

The undisturbed BBC was recently repelled when Prince Harry was seen holding hands with his sometimes-Toronto-based girlfriend during a Invictus Games. Just a heads-up for a BBC in box this devise goes any further: holding hands is OK in Canada. In Canada, we don’t have to be engaged or anything.

tut tut tut. change of those terrible colonials in Toronto https://t.co/T2IJC7zG4z

—
@don_pittis

That said, a tie-up between a king and Meghan Markle would have a essence of a dynastic matrimony rejoining a continents, that will only have to do until a destiny era of Windsors can work out some arrange of marriage deal with a House of Trudeau.

From a particularly trade indicate of view, apropos partial of Canada would solve a problem that gathering British Brexiters toward NAFTA to start with. 

In a universe with favoured trade blocs, British politicians know it’s dangerous for any country, generally those with a race underneath 100 million, to turn removed outward one of a tellurian giveaway trade clubs.

Back in a club

With a Brexit referendum, a U.K. voted itself out of Europe, one of a world’s best trade partnerships. Following the political split, they only can’t seem to work out a new blurb arrangement.

Voila! By fasten Canada, Britain could be behind on a inside since with CETA — a Canada-Europe giveaway trade deal — Canada has improved entrance to Europe than roughly any non-European country in a world, including a U.S.

Regrettably, there are reasons since a Canada-U.K. partnership could face insurmountable obstacles.

If a U.K. assimilated Canada, former renter of a London Telegraph, Conrad Black, would recover his citizenship. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)

 

As one British-born crony points out, for a Brexiters, the captivate of North America competence indeed be a abhorrence from those odious Europeans, many of whom pronounce some unfamiliar language. Things like a European Court of Human Rights and magnanimous immigration policies massage them a wrong way. In those regards, Canada competence yield small relief.

Besides, even before they get a possibility to have a second referendum on either to couple adult with Canada, there are expected lots of Canadians, including many francophones, who would halt a application.   

Difficult as a intrigue competence be, one probable voice in foster could be Conrad Black, who was once a renter of a Telegraph, a paper that pennyless a British NAFTA story. With a plan, Black, who gave adult his authorised links with Canada to accept a chair in a House of Lords, would regain his Canadian citizenship.

With apologies to a CBC radio program This is That, that was expected formulation a shred of a possess on this critical topic, reader comments on a thought of carrying Britain turn partial of Canada are acquire below.

Follow Don on Twitter @don_pittis

More analysis from Don Pittis

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nafta-britain-canada-1.4353341?cmp=rss