This is not fake news

The May-Juncker spat is not fake news. In fact, its hardly news at all. It was obvious in the BREXIT campaign that the BREXITEERS were either lying or deluded about the problems. Obvious that unwinding 40 years of 'ever closer union' would be a mammoth task that could not be done in two years. Obvious, too, that much of the money paid to the EU would have to be used to replace EU funding stopped when we leave.

Whatever your view on BREXIT we should all be clear that the UK has a weak negotiating position.

• The UK government wants to keep the trade benefits but avoid the costs and obligations of the single market but the EU27 can't agree to this. They MUST, to keep the Union, give the UK a worse deal than we get now.
• The UK hasn't negotiated a trade deal for 40 years and lacks the experienced people needed.
• The deal has to be done in less than two years - such deals usually take 5-10 years.
• This is more than a trade deal. The problems of the Irish border and Gibraltar and the possible secession of Scotland make it much more.

Meanwhile the uncertainty itself is damaging to UK businesses and to families from EU27 countries who have made their homes here.

Last year our country voted for this and the Tories are determined to provide it. It's a great folly and we probably can't avoid leaving the EU. We can avoid the worst of the damage and only the Greens and the LibDems are standing up for this.