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This is the correct combination to persuade British voters. Euro is much more of a public opinion barrier than FoM. samf.substack.com/p/the-route-...

Also FoM is a red line for the EU and I don't think the Euro or Schengen would be.

The Euro and Schengen are membership criteria for joining the EU. If the UK is still in the exceptionalism mindset, it can forget about joining the EU.

Ireland isn't in Schengen. Nor is Cyprus (yet). And countries only need to be "working towards" the Euro on accession - with no firm date or pressure to join.

You seem to have missed the very obvious fact that both Ireland and Cyprus are EU members. They don't need to apply to join the EU or adhere to the membership criteria for states looking to join. The UK isn't a member and consequently can only join by complying with the membership criteria.

You’re suggesting the UK joins Schengen, Ireland stays out and so there’s a passport control along the Ireland/NI border? Or is Ireland compelled to join Schengen despite being an EU member and EU members don’t have to adhere to applicants’ membership criteria? This is inane, sorry.

No the blocker that has prevented Ireland's membership of Schengen is removed with the UK's EU accession (in this hypothetical scenario). The separate point being made here is that some existing Member States have historical opt outs that aren't available to new accession states.

Sure, so Ireland is de facto forced to join Schengen. So compelling an applicant to forgo flexibilities permitted to an existing member will prevent another member retaining those flexibilities. This framing that the UK must maximally be punished leads you into some very silly places.

It's mad. The right Q is "is there a deal that works for EU states and the UK" not "how can we punish the UK".

Correct. The idea that the EU is so rigid that it can’t flex to broker mutually benefical deals has been proven wrong time and again