CC0 Public Domain
One of the fascinating and under-remarked twists in the topsy-turvy course of the Brexit debate has been the quiet rehabilitation of regulation in general, and EU regulation in particular. In the Commons debate of 29 January, Theresa May stood up and said: “The government will not allow the UK leaving the EU to result in any lowering of standards in relation to employment, environmental protection or health and safety."
Whether you believe her or not is one thing. With the balance of power shifting towards the no-deal disaster capitalists on the Tory backbenches, it seems highly likely that Brexit will in fact result in deregulation – whether directly, or indirectly through new trade agreements with the likes of Donald Trump. But the mere fact that May now feels that promising to keep EU regulations is a political necessity rather than a political liability is nothing short of astonishing.
