The UK, the EU and Brexit - a Canadian view

Mel Cappe (Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and former Canadian High Commissioner to the UK) - After Brexit, Canada will have access to the EU with less friction than the UK. Are there lessons from Canada to help the UK in its post Brexit world? Much has been heard during the Brexit debate about the so-called ‘Canada Plus’ model of a new relationship for the UK with the EU’ based on CETA – the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement negotiated between Canada and the EU from May 2009 and finally signed in October 2016. In fact, after Brexit, Canada will have access to the EU with less friction than the UK. Are there lessons from Canada to help the UK in its post Brexit world and are there lessons from the UK that can help Canada avoid some of the challenges of Brexit? Mel Cappe argues that the role of parliament, political parties, sovereignty, complexity and globalization all play out in ways that make realignment of relations challenging for both Britain and Canada. ‘We need to learn from each other’, he concludes.