His argument is based on the premise that the EU will "force" the UK to recognise the commitments it made in December and honour the terms of the Good Friday Agreement by avoiding a hard border in Ireland.
The UK for its part insists it will find a solution which avoids a hard border in Ireland and takes the UK out of the single market, which Lamberts described as a "contradiction" which was "not based on reality." [...]
He said the argument was a "contradiction" and a case of Britain "denying reality, as they denied in the past that they had any financial obligations to the European Union" before agreeing to pay a £39 billion divorce bill. The EU itself says it is open to a "better idea" from the UK than the fall-back option, but none has been forthcoming so far. [...]
"But when you also look at the interests of the UK which are mostly in the services sector, that would be shooting themselves in the foot, because it plays to the advantage of the EU27 who have a net positive balance towards the UK in goods. [...]
Norway is signed up to single market rules but has no veto over the rules the EU sets. While this option would potentially be on the table for Britain, Lamberts said that arrangement would represent a "loss of sovereignty" and prompt the question: "What is the point of Brexit?"
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