Great expectations of EU departure

KEVIN Lynch (Letters, Oct 12) stoutly asserts the EU has no interest “in providing the UK a reasonable transition period”.

My understanding is a transitional deal that is within the grasp of negotiators would mean Britain, as part of the European Economic Area, would remain part of the single market and so be able sell goods tariff-free to the Continent. Added to which services could continue to be sold unimpeded to Europe, which in turn would mean that UK banking would retain its ‘passport’ to do business on the Continent without having to move out of London.

The UK would also be able make deals with other countries around the world – and it would regain full control on fisheries and agriculture.

What is not reasonable about that? Nothing, you’d think. Well, from a hard Brexiters’ point of view, the unreasonable bit would be that, as part of any such deal, the UK would be expected to continue to allow free movement with the EU, and furthermore there may have to be annual payments to the EU.

In other words, what the UK wants is all the parts of the deal which would benefit the UK, but thinks that it’s unreasonable of the EU to suggest that it sign up to those parts it does not like.

It certainly does one’s heart good to think that we have such reasonable people negotiating on our behalf. Kevin Cryan Radford