So what DOES that Brexit jargon mean?

What is ‘full alignment’?

In last week’s Brexit deal, Theresa May agreed to keep the UK in ‘full alignment’ with the EU on issues relevant to Northern Ireland. Remainers seized upon the language to say it meant Britain would be closely tied to Brussels, but ministers insist it does not mean Britain will be tied directly to the single market and customs union. David Davis said it meant Britain will meet the same ‘outcomes’ – but not do it ‘by just copying what the EU does’.

What is ‘divergence’?

Brexiteers warn it would be a disaster to tie Britain too closely to the EU’s rules. They want to allow for maximum ‘divergence’ – distance from the EU – so Britain can negotiate better trade deals with non-EU countries. However, managing the border between the North and South of Ireland becomes more difficult the more the UK diverges from EU rules. For example, if Britain did a US trade deal to allow chlorine-washed chicken into the UK, how can you prevent the chicken being sold into the European market?

What happens next?

Cabinet ministers must decide next week what the UK wants the ‘end state’ of relations with the EU to look like – that is, how much divergence they will seek. In theory, the more distance Britain seeks, the more restrictive its trade deal could be. The Cabinet’s crunch meeting is next week – expect Remainers to call for less divergence and Brexiteers for more freedom.