TM rejecting Barnier on Ireland is headlining the news media and they are showing her comments at PMQ's and they will be well received in the Country
May is rejecting what she agreed to just 2 months ago. Barnier's exasperation is fairly comprehensible.
Nah, he’s being provocative as a tactic for sure, to wind back later. But let’s get this clear, a foreign power has today actually proposed in writing economically annexing part of our country. There are no words.
No price is too high to remove ourselves from this web, our politicians have woven us into over decades, without referring to the people for four decades.
No price.
Yes but how is that different to what was agreed in December?
Did May not understand what she agreed then? or has she just reneged on the agreement?
The EU are making zero effort to sweeten any pill or present things in a sellable way. Today has been a PR huge own goal for them. They can’t help themselves.
It is a pity that our own government has been too lazy/incompetent/conflicted to publish our interpretation.
But while you may not like the tone, what is the difference in content to the December agreement?
It's generally the best approach in a negotiation to get the other side to offer first. Barnier had been talented at forcing the UK to do this for much of the first stage, but now has had to buckle this time round. I imagine it's a result of pressure from national governments who have felt him be too hard line to date.
In an ideal world you want to prepare the first draft. I don’t know why the EU did this one but that’s the way it works sometimes.
Of course this draft is EU friendly. But to have it rejected out of hand is a bad error - it basically gives the UK a free turn of the document without a mark up
But in the absence of agreement on mutual recognition, EU rules apply in NI.
If you are so confident that mutual recognition will be in place by end of transition then it is not worth arguing about. If however agreement on mutual recognition becomes prolonged, there needs either to be a default position, or a customs border.
It'd probably be much easier if the EU would actually negotiate what the future trading relationship will be. It might just be relevant to the current row over NI.
As has been obvious from the beginning......the EU devoting a lot of effort to what it claims is its non-favoured option - while refusing to discuss its allegedly favoured one.....
We should be devoting all our efforts to the least preferred option. That is, we should be building customs posts on the border in Northern Ireland, and at Calais.
The more serious we look about No Deal, the more leverage we have.
Sounds more like Noel Edmunds' "Deal or No Deal", plenty of empty red boxes to choose from....
A UK government inspired game of high stakes bluff, as proposed by rcs1000, is likely to see the markets and business hit the panic button.
We have few cards to play and should play them judicially. The UK is not the only nation that might build customs posts and in the end the Germans will decide our fate. A nation that absorbed East Germany isn't likely to go weak at the news at the thought of Rees-Mogg and cohorts rattling their sabres from the White Cliffs of Dover.
So, one takes a couple of days off the internet to do some proper work, and comes back to read that the EU are apparently seriously suggesting annexing Northern Ireland. What the...
And equally barmy, a hagiography of Chris Rennard. What next, a review of the artistic merit of Harvey Weinstein’s new movie?
So, one takes a couple of days off the internet to do some proper work, and comes back to read that the EU are apparently seriously suggesting annexing Northern Ireland. What the...
And equally barmy, a hagiography of Chris Rennard. What next, a review of the artistic merit of Harvey Weinstein’s new movie?
Of course some are saying 'its just the same as the December agreement.'
It is not, just two of the changes:
The December joint statement states that Northern Ireland business ‘unfettered access’ to the UK market will be protected, (implying no sea border) but the February text does not include this statement.
The December statement includes a commitment to the continuation of EU funding programmes to Northern Ireland and Ireland: Peace and Interreg programmes, but the February text does not mention this commitment.
So, one takes a couple of days off the internet to do some proper work, and comes back to read that the EU are apparently seriously suggesting annexing Northern Ireland. What the...
Comments
Of course this draft is EU friendly. But to have it rejected out of hand is a bad error - it basically gives the UK a free turn of the document without a mark up
We have few cards to play and should play them judicially. The UK is not the only nation that might build customs posts and in the end the Germans will decide our fate. A nation that absorbed East Germany isn't likely to go weak at the news at the thought of Rees-Mogg and cohorts rattling their sabres from the White Cliffs of Dover.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/01/maybot-jokes-boris-johnson-david-mad-max-davis-snap-election-westminster-correspondents-dinner?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews#link_time=1519882156
And equally barmy, a hagiography of Chris Rennard. What next, a review of the artistic merit of Harvey Weinstein’s new movie?
It is not, just two of the changes:
The December joint statement states that Northern Ireland business ‘unfettered access’ to the UK market will be protected, (implying no sea border) but the February text does not include this statement.
The December statement includes a commitment to the continuation of EU funding programmes to Northern Ireland and Ireland: Peace and Interreg programmes, but the February text does not mention this commitment.
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2018/03/01/the-irish-border-issue-is-not-going-away-no-matter-how-much-the-uk-government-may-wish-it-away/
https://twitter.com/rafaelbehr/status/968774981818732545
Coincidence?
(Yes, probably....)
Except her speech is tomorrow. Bugger.