Brexit - or Article 50: the Phoenix!

Status
Not open for further replies.
bluewolf said:
Why did the EU set the timelines?
Click to expand...

Possibly to try and control the outcome, you'll need to ask them.

As there are red lines on both sides then perhaps a more sensible approach would be to agree on what they agree on (which has happened in a number of cases but doesn't seem to warrant much coverage in the media) and then argue about the trade and other red lines when, because of the rules laid down by the EU, cannot be discussed until after the end of March.
 
Interesting piece in The Irish Times today, "Irish and EU must stop ridiculing border technology." The piece is evenly balanced and also recognises that implementing the technology can't happen at the flick of a switch. It also states that the EU is already in the process of implementing a technical solution on all the EU borders by 2025.

Nice to see a reasoned piece that criticises all sides, including the UK.

EDIT: So the EU are implementing a technological solution for cross border trade that they have repeatedly said isn't possible.

Nice piece in a Norwegian paper about the difficulties of stopping small scale smuggling. Very much akin to the old days of Calais trips in the late 90's and filling up your car with beer, wine and cigs, a lot of which was for 'friends.'
 
Last edited:
Doon frae Troon said:
They did negotiate and both sides agreed a plan.
After they had agreed the plan our Government decided to change it.
Click to expand...

Both sides took the plan they'd agreed on to their respective parliaments for approval/ratification. The meeting of EU ministers took 40 mins to agree it, the UK parliament said no.

Nowt like facts for a bit of clarity.
 
Old Skier said:
Like most plans, it falls apart when first contact with the enemy is made - no plan for what happens when stalemate occurs in the negotiations.
Click to expand...
Er...Wrong!

Clause 3 covers that possibility (likelihood!).

Btw. 'Enemy'? Not a great term for 'the largest trading bloc in the world' - whose ongoing trade and many other relationships is/are very important the the economic welfare of UK!
 
Hobbit said:
Both sides took the plan they'd agreed on to their respective parliaments for approval/ratification. The meeting of EU ministers took 40 mins to agree it, the UK parliament said no.

Nowt like facts for a bit of clarity.
Click to expand...
That is an area where May deserves every bit of criticism she gets. She was told for months before that the agreement would not get through parliament. Ridiculous that she kept ignoring all of the advice, all of the comments and brought back an agreement guaranteed to fail. That wasted time, made her look foolish, weakened the UK position. Totally inept.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
That is an area where May deserves every bit of criticism she gets. She was told for months before that the agreement would not get through parliament. Ridiculous that she kept ignoring all of the advice, all of the comments and brought back an agreement guaranteed to fail. That wasted time, made her look foolish, weakened the UK position. Totally inept.
Click to expand...

I wonder how much of the plan was agreed and how much was a 'take it or leave it' from the EU?

The reason I look at the whole thing very sceptically is some of the clauses in the agreement are appalling. For example, I was having another read of some of it yesterday. If the EU and the UK can't agree on something in, say, 5 years time it can be taken to an international court for adjudication. Sounds fair. However, the EU doesn't have to abide by that adjudication. The EU can then refer it to the ECJ for adjudication.

There's also a clause in there that says the EU have the right to impose new laws on the UK for 4 years after the transition has taken place.

Wow!

As much as I'm not keen on Gina Miller, she nailed it on Question Time last week. Its an appalling deal.
 
If clauses like that are in it then she should have left it, much earlier as well. The whole Irish issue is masking clauses like those above. It has become a major distraction with all of the focus being on that single issue. 'Solve Ireland and everything sails through'. May's legacy is not going to be good, whatever the outcome.
 
bluewolf said:
Anyway, I hope no one minds if I take my leave for a few days. It's quite tiring in front of the firing squad 😉 I've said my piece and genuinely enjoyed the debate, but, like a one legged monkey, were just going round in circles now.
Catch you in a few days 👍
Click to expand...
Good analogy.
Bit like May being a one armed paper hanger or trying to get the EU to negotiate being very much like nailing jelly to the ceiling.
 
Saw this quote on twitter :

The Tory Brexit divide is like a porcelain vase with a massive crack that's been there for decades, yet somehow it's still standing. The Labour Brexit divide is a porcelain vase that has been immaculately pristine since the late 1980s, but which is about to be thrown at the wall
 
Meanwhile France has got the hump with Italy and withdrawn its ambassador - the EU elections look like being interesting.
 
I'm curious about Varadkar's tactics.

I can see that he wants to cosy up to Juncker et al in the hope of getting more cash or will it be loans which are already pretty high. However it is his citizens and small businesses that will feel the brunt of a dislocation with the UK. How does he propose to get this cash (when or if it ever comes) to these families/small enterprises quickly. The UK has always played a pretty straight back with the Republic so I'd have thought he'd want to play a careful long game. If the UK starts to adjust corporation tax and import duties to become attractive to RoW I could see Ireland being one of the first casualties. Does he want to keep operating under the UK's defence capabilities?

Perhaps he's just in it for himself and wants to get on the EU gravy train by being a good boy. I've a feeling he may be backing the wrong horse (mind you the racing has stopped at the moment because of equine flu) especially if the EU changes it base language from English as Juncker has wanted for some years he may feel an outsider / outpost.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Tashyboy
Party holes at golf comps.
2
Replies
34
Views
1K
Pin-seeker
Pin-seeker
Don Barzini
Christmas 2025
14 15 16
Replies
319
Views
9K
kp17
kp17
Lucifer MorningStar
Best clubs of all time (Probably)
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
srixon 1
srixon 1
B
Ping 7 wood head shortage.
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
KenL
KenL
VVega
What age is your Seniors?
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
Arthur Wedge
Arthur Wedge
Top