Why Hard Brexit Could Be Inevitable

Earlier this week, Norway warned the European Union that any special Brexit deal could result in it going back on its own agreements with Brussels. Norway accepts the free movement of people in return for access to the single market and it also pays more to the EU than the UK on a per capita basis. Late last year, the EU produced a graphic which warned that the UK is heading for a hard Brexit.

The following infographic is based on that, and it shows how Theresa May's demands are incompatible with the current relationship Norway enjoys, along with Iceland and Liechtenstein. The UK is demanding to be free of European courts, trade rules, migration, regulation and financial contributions. That would also mean it couldn't possibly use Switzerland as a future template, along with Ukraine and Turkey. That means it would be forced to seek a deal with the same type of relationship as that agreed upon with Canada and South Korea. If there is no deal, the UK will be forced to turn to the WTO.