TheRealMrSteve
@reallymrsteve.bsky.social
Brexit broke the UK- we've got to fix it again!
Proud member of the tofu-eating Rejoinerati
Presenter of 'The Single Market Show'
Pro-HS2
Proud member of the tofu-eating Rejoinerati
Presenter of 'The Single Market Show'
Pro-HS2
Those EEA plans were just a unicorn fart dust topping on the Brexit cake.
EFTA/EEA + a CU with the EU (Norway+) = impossible.
The EFTA Secretariat got so bored of being asked this they had to spell it out very simply for thick Brits in their FAQ section during the Brexit years:
EFTA/EEA + a CU with the EU (Norway+) = impossible.
The EFTA Secretariat got so bored of being asked this they had to spell it out very simply for thick Brits in their FAQ section during the Brexit years:
December 11, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Those EEA plans were just a unicorn fart dust topping on the Brexit cake.
EFTA/EEA + a CU with the EU (Norway+) = impossible.
The EFTA Secretariat got so bored of being asked this they had to spell it out very simply for thick Brits in their FAQ section during the Brexit years:
EFTA/EEA + a CU with the EU (Norway+) = impossible.
The EFTA Secretariat got so bored of being asked this they had to spell it out very simply for thick Brits in their FAQ section during the Brexit years:
John- everyone that voted to leave the EU voted to leave the Single Market & Customs Union- they are exclusive to EU members.
Leavers conned people into voting out- their promises were worthless in 2016 & are still worthless today.
This guy was quite clear what leaving the EU meant:
Leavers conned people into voting out- their promises were worthless in 2016 & are still worthless today.
This guy was quite clear what leaving the EU meant:
December 11, 2025 at 4:12 PM
John- everyone that voted to leave the EU voted to leave the Single Market & Customs Union- they are exclusive to EU members.
Leavers conned people into voting out- their promises were worthless in 2016 & are still worthless today.
This guy was quite clear what leaving the EU meant:
Leavers conned people into voting out- their promises were worthless in 2016 & are still worthless today.
This guy was quite clear what leaving the EU meant:
Joining the EEA (which isn't the same as the SM) means joining EFTA & wouldn't make our Brexit trade border with the EU go away.
Look at all the things the EEA agreement lacks, including no common VAT area- why would you wish that on the UK?
And Norway has already said no, so it's a dead duck.
Look at all the things the EEA agreement lacks, including no common VAT area- why would you wish that on the UK?
And Norway has already said no, so it's a dead duck.
December 11, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Joining the EEA (which isn't the same as the SM) means joining EFTA & wouldn't make our Brexit trade border with the EU go away.
Look at all the things the EEA agreement lacks, including no common VAT area- why would you wish that on the UK?
And Norway has already said no, so it's a dead duck.
Look at all the things the EEA agreement lacks, including no common VAT area- why would you wish that on the UK?
And Norway has already said no, so it's a dead duck.
Barnier was always clear that if you want the club benefits we have to accept the club's rules- and he was only ever referring to EU membership.
Every step down from the EU has a hard trade border with the EU, so why do you want to keep our trade border to the EU in place with a sub-optimal deal?
Every step down from the EU has a hard trade border with the EU, so why do you want to keep our trade border to the EU in place with a sub-optimal deal?
December 8, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Barnier was always clear that if you want the club benefits we have to accept the club's rules- and he was only ever referring to EU membership.
Every step down from the EU has a hard trade border with the EU, so why do you want to keep our trade border to the EU in place with a sub-optimal deal?
Every step down from the EU has a hard trade border with the EU, so why do you want to keep our trade border to the EU in place with a sub-optimal deal?
My point was really that the term 'Single Market' only applies to the internal market between EU members- they invented the thing after all.↙️⬇️
The EFTA 4 also can't form customs unions with anyone.↘️
Which means there is no real world option of 'SM+CU but not in the EU'.
Would you agree?
The EFTA 4 also can't form customs unions with anyone.↘️
Which means there is no real world option of 'SM+CU but not in the EU'.
Would you agree?
December 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
My point was really that the term 'Single Market' only applies to the internal market between EU members- they invented the thing after all.↙️⬇️
The EFTA 4 also can't form customs unions with anyone.↘️
Which means there is no real world option of 'SM+CU but not in the EU'.
Would you agree?
The EFTA 4 also can't form customs unions with anyone.↘️
Which means there is no real world option of 'SM+CU but not in the EU'.
Would you agree?
That's not correct.
The EFTA 4 most definitely do not have full access to the EU's internal market.
EFTA members don't even have free movement of all goods into the EU- agri/fish are excluded from the EEA agreement & are subject to quotas/tariffs.
There's also no common customs/tax area.
The EFTA 4 most definitely do not have full access to the EU's internal market.
EFTA members don't even have free movement of all goods into the EU- agri/fish are excluded from the EEA agreement & are subject to quotas/tariffs.
There's also no common customs/tax area.
December 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
That's not correct.
The EFTA 4 most definitely do not have full access to the EU's internal market.
EFTA members don't even have free movement of all goods into the EU- agri/fish are excluded from the EEA agreement & are subject to quotas/tariffs.
There's also no common customs/tax area.
The EFTA 4 most definitely do not have full access to the EU's internal market.
EFTA members don't even have free movement of all goods into the EU- agri/fish are excluded from the EEA agreement & are subject to quotas/tariffs.
There's also no common customs/tax area.
Alas, there is no option of rejoining the Single Market now & rejoining the EU at a later date.
You're probably conflating EFTA/EEA with the EU Single Market- not the same thing as they still have trade borders with the EU.
And I doubt they would let us join temporarily- Norway has said no before.
You're probably conflating EFTA/EEA with the EU Single Market- not the same thing as they still have trade borders with the EU.
And I doubt they would let us join temporarily- Norway has said no before.
November 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Alas, there is no option of rejoining the Single Market now & rejoining the EU at a later date.
You're probably conflating EFTA/EEA with the EU Single Market- not the same thing as they still have trade borders with the EU.
And I doubt they would let us join temporarily- Norway has said no before.
You're probably conflating EFTA/EEA with the EU Single Market- not the same thing as they still have trade borders with the EU.
And I doubt they would let us join temporarily- Norway has said no before.
Steady on, Eddie- you've got stuff wrong there.
We didn't set up the SM- that work was done before we joined the EC. Our Commissioner wrote a white paper in 1985 that set out what needed to be done to complete the SM- do read Cockfield's WP!
Lastly- a Norway deal doesn't get us back in the SM.
We didn't set up the SM- that work was done before we joined the EC. Our Commissioner wrote a white paper in 1985 that set out what needed to be done to complete the SM- do read Cockfield's WP!
Lastly- a Norway deal doesn't get us back in the SM.
November 26, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Steady on, Eddie- you've got stuff wrong there.
We didn't set up the SM- that work was done before we joined the EC. Our Commissioner wrote a white paper in 1985 that set out what needed to be done to complete the SM- do read Cockfield's WP!
Lastly- a Norway deal doesn't get us back in the SM.
We didn't set up the SM- that work was done before we joined the EC. Our Commissioner wrote a white paper in 1985 that set out what needed to be done to complete the SM- do read Cockfield's WP!
Lastly- a Norway deal doesn't get us back in the SM.
OK- here's fact 1
The Single Market is the internal of the EU. Only EU members are in the Single Market with the 4 freedoms because they have signed up to all of the political & economic integration that the EU Treaties create.
Are you with me so far?
The Single Market is the internal of the EU. Only EU members are in the Single Market with the 4 freedoms because they have signed up to all of the political & economic integration that the EU Treaties create.
Are you with me so far?
November 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
OK- here's fact 1
The Single Market is the internal of the EU. Only EU members are in the Single Market with the 4 freedoms because they have signed up to all of the political & economic integration that the EU Treaties create.
Are you with me so far?
The Single Market is the internal of the EU. Only EU members are in the Single Market with the 4 freedoms because they have signed up to all of the political & economic integration that the EU Treaties create.
Are you with me so far?
The EFTA 4 are neither in the Customs Union nor the Single Market.
November 25, 2025 at 11:45 AM
The EFTA 4 are neither in the Customs Union nor the Single Market.
And your own screenshot debunks your claim anyway- 'varying levels of access' does not mean the same as 'in the Single Market'.
Even this guy knew the difference.
Even this guy knew the difference.
November 24, 2025 at 10:56 AM
And your own screenshot debunks your claim anyway- 'varying levels of access' does not mean the same as 'in the Single Market'.
Even this guy knew the difference.
Even this guy knew the difference.
You're making the classic error of conflating the EEA with the Single Market, which is what AI does as it skims through the most commonly viewed sites.
If you actually knew what the Single Market was you'd ask AI the right questions.↙️
Or how about reading the EU's own explainer?↘️
If you actually knew what the Single Market was you'd ask AI the right questions.↙️
Or how about reading the EU's own explainer?↘️
November 24, 2025 at 10:51 AM
You're making the classic error of conflating the EEA with the Single Market, which is what AI does as it skims through the most commonly viewed sites.
If you actually knew what the Single Market was you'd ask AI the right questions.↙️
Or how about reading the EU's own explainer?↘️
If you actually knew what the Single Market was you'd ask AI the right questions.↙️
Or how about reading the EU's own explainer?↘️
You're making the common error of conflating the EEA with the Single Market- not the same thing.
Single Market- for EU members hence no trade borders between members.
EEA- enhanced trade with the EU compared to a FTA, but lack of integration means trade borders remain with the EU.
👇
Single Market- for EU members hence no trade borders between members.
EEA- enhanced trade with the EU compared to a FTA, but lack of integration means trade borders remain with the EU.
👇
November 22, 2025 at 10:42 PM
You're making the common error of conflating the EEA with the Single Market- not the same thing.
Single Market- for EU members hence no trade borders between members.
EEA- enhanced trade with the EU compared to a FTA, but lack of integration means trade borders remain with the EU.
👇
Single Market- for EU members hence no trade borders between members.
EEA- enhanced trade with the EU compared to a FTA, but lack of integration means trade borders remain with the EU.
👇
No, we were all told very clearly that leaving the EU meant leaving the Single Market.
The only people saying we could leave the EU but stay in the Single Market were the Leavers. Guess what- they lied to con people into voting out.
Only rejoining the EU gets us back in the SM & CU now.
The only people saying we could leave the EU but stay in the Single Market were the Leavers. Guess what- they lied to con people into voting out.
Only rejoining the EU gets us back in the SM & CU now.
November 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
No, we were all told very clearly that leaving the EU meant leaving the Single Market.
The only people saying we could leave the EU but stay in the Single Market were the Leavers. Guess what- they lied to con people into voting out.
Only rejoining the EU gets us back in the SM & CU now.
The only people saying we could leave the EU but stay in the Single Market were the Leavers. Guess what- they lied to con people into voting out.
Only rejoining the EU gets us back in the SM & CU now.
Yes- the border between the EU & the EFTA 4 is a real barrrier to trade that costs time & money.
The exclusion of farming/fisheries from the EEA agrmnt means tariffs/quotas on those goods- throttles that trade.
Not aware of specific modelling on EEA but Treasury doc from March '16 useful- i.e.👇
The exclusion of farming/fisheries from the EEA agrmnt means tariffs/quotas on those goods- throttles that trade.
Not aware of specific modelling on EEA but Treasury doc from March '16 useful- i.e.👇
November 18, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Yes- the border between the EU & the EFTA 4 is a real barrrier to trade that costs time & money.
The exclusion of farming/fisheries from the EEA agrmnt means tariffs/quotas on those goods- throttles that trade.
Not aware of specific modelling on EEA but Treasury doc from March '16 useful- i.e.👇
The exclusion of farming/fisheries from the EEA agrmnt means tariffs/quotas on those goods- throttles that trade.
Not aware of specific modelling on EEA but Treasury doc from March '16 useful- i.e.👇
You claimed that the UK could rejoin the Single Market & Customs Union, but not the EU.
The Single Market exists between EU members only.
People conflate the EEA with the SM- the EEA does not remove all barriers to trade like the Single Market does.
I'm trying to help your understanding here.
The Single Market exists between EU members only.
People conflate the EEA with the SM- the EEA does not remove all barriers to trade like the Single Market does.
I'm trying to help your understanding here.
November 17, 2025 at 5:58 PM
You claimed that the UK could rejoin the Single Market & Customs Union, but not the EU.
The Single Market exists between EU members only.
People conflate the EEA with the SM- the EEA does not remove all barriers to trade like the Single Market does.
I'm trying to help your understanding here.
The Single Market exists between EU members only.
People conflate the EEA with the SM- the EEA does not remove all barriers to trade like the Single Market does.
I'm trying to help your understanding here.
Here's *EFTA* saying 'sorry UK no CUs with anyone if you want to join EFTA', like Norway, and go EEA.↙️
(People conflate the EEA with the SM)
And here's the *EU* confirming that the EEA is not the Single Market as it doesn't remove all barriers to trade.↘️
(People conflate the EEA with the SM)
And here's the *EU* confirming that the EEA is not the Single Market as it doesn't remove all barriers to trade.↘️
November 12, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Here's *EFTA* saying 'sorry UK no CUs with anyone if you want to join EFTA', like Norway, and go EEA.↙️
(People conflate the EEA with the SM)
And here's the *EU* confirming that the EEA is not the Single Market as it doesn't remove all barriers to trade.↘️
(People conflate the EEA with the SM)
And here's the *EU* confirming that the EEA is not the Single Market as it doesn't remove all barriers to trade.↘️
Most people don't know the difference between the EEA (EFTA 4) and the Single Market (EU only) and neither does AI as it skim reads and looks for common patterns. So I started with a simple question then gave it prompts to get more detail.
November 10, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Most people don't know the difference between the EEA (EFTA 4) and the Single Market (EU only) and neither does AI as it skim reads and looks for common patterns. So I started with a simple question then gave it prompts to get more detail.
The LibDem plan is clueless nonsense.
There's no rejoining the Single Market but saving rejoining the EU for a later date- only people who don't know what the Single Market is think this is possible.
Norway etc. aren't in the SM because they can't freely export agri/fish into the EU- see attached
There's no rejoining the Single Market but saving rejoining the EU for a later date- only people who don't know what the Single Market is think this is possible.
Norway etc. aren't in the SM because they can't freely export agri/fish into the EU- see attached
November 9, 2025 at 11:26 AM
The LibDem plan is clueless nonsense.
There's no rejoining the Single Market but saving rejoining the EU for a later date- only people who don't know what the Single Market is think this is possible.
Norway etc. aren't in the SM because they can't freely export agri/fish into the EU- see attached
There's no rejoining the Single Market but saving rejoining the EU for a later date- only people who don't know what the Single Market is think this is possible.
Norway etc. aren't in the SM because they can't freely export agri/fish into the EU- see attached
There's actually no I in AI, but it can get to the right answer if you ask the right questions.
If you copy & paste the text in this link into google AI (pastebin.com/spQK9uWi), you too can have the answer to 'is Norway in the Single Market'.
Tell me how you get on...👍
If you copy & paste the text in this link into google AI (pastebin.com/spQK9uWi), you too can have the answer to 'is Norway in the Single Market'.
Tell me how you get on...👍
November 9, 2025 at 12:16 AM
There's actually no I in AI, but it can get to the right answer if you ask the right questions.
If you copy & paste the text in this link into google AI (pastebin.com/spQK9uWi), you too can have the answer to 'is Norway in the Single Market'.
Tell me how you get on...👍
If you copy & paste the text in this link into google AI (pastebin.com/spQK9uWi), you too can have the answer to 'is Norway in the Single Market'.
Tell me how you get on...👍
Switzerland is the only EFTA state you could label as 'bespoke' as it isn't in the EEA.
EFTA/EEA is as close as a non-EU country can ever get to the EU & that deal still has a trade/fiscal/customs border with the EU & doesn't help agri/fish exports.
NI needs to be back in the EU along with GB.
EFTA/EEA is as close as a non-EU country can ever get to the EU & that deal still has a trade/fiscal/customs border with the EU & doesn't help agri/fish exports.
NI needs to be back in the EU along with GB.
November 3, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Switzerland is the only EFTA state you could label as 'bespoke' as it isn't in the EEA.
EFTA/EEA is as close as a non-EU country can ever get to the EU & that deal still has a trade/fiscal/customs border with the EU & doesn't help agri/fish exports.
NI needs to be back in the EU along with GB.
EFTA/EEA is as close as a non-EU country can ever get to the EU & that deal still has a trade/fiscal/customs border with the EU & doesn't help agri/fish exports.
NI needs to be back in the EU along with GB.