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No-deal averted
Britain and the European Union agree on the hardest Brexit

   A trade agreement is good news, but is limited
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   THE POST-BREXIT deal announced on December 24th by Boris Johnson,
   Britain’s prime minister, and Ursula von der Leyen, the European
   Commission’s president, has come extremely late for Christmas. It is
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   to build further agreements.

   Brexit has counterposed two visions of sovereignty. Mr Johnson rejoiced
   over Britain gaining the unfettered ability to write its own laws. Ms
   von der Leyen suggested instead that sovereignty was best assured by
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   until January. To the annoyance of many MEPs, EU governments are
   expected to apply it provisionally ahead of such a vote. Yet as a
   recent report from the House of Commons Brexit committee points out,
   most businesses will still be ill-prepared for the changes to come on
   January 1st. Chaotic disruption can be expected. This week’s lorry
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   the single market and customs union. Border and customs checks in the
   Irish Sea are likely to foment continuing debate over the future unity
   of the UK, as will continuing Scottish opposition to Brexit.

   Most analysis of the consequences finds that, even with a trade deal,
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   EU, there is little sign of offsetting gains from new trade deals with
   the likes of America, China or India. In short, this will be as hard a
   Brexit as anything but no deal, and much harder than might have been
   expected after the relatively narrow referendum result of June 2016.
   Yet it is still good to have, if only because (to adapt a favourite
   slogan of Brexiteers), any deal is better than no deal.
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