Brexit Negotiators Working ‘Day And Night’ For Agreement

[GT93]

I think it was always critical to the EU that any Brexit agreement not encourage other countries to leave. This interest greatly restricts the EU's options as does the inertia from its huge size and bureaucratic processes. Any agreement was always going to be very difficult.

The British also seem to be negotiating from a position of great weakness because of their shambolic domestic politics on Brexit. It's easy to bag May but who might have done better given the very messy politics? The leading Brexiter politicians seem way out of their depth?

[thaiguzzi]

Yet another meaningful and controversial post by Thai whatever his name is, backed up with the usual swathe of facts and figures, is it any wonder I feel so inadequate following up after such a mind blowing post from the intelligentsia?

Back to the thread, it would seem the talks have failed, the double backstop idea the negotiators put to Raab isn't sitting well with May (shock) and it looks like the DUP aren't falling for her "not permanent" promise either. Once again it looks like we're either being softened up for a hard Brexit or the dancing queen is going to kowtow even more to the powers that be but with a lot of her cabinet threatening her I'm not sure she'll play ball...hopefully.

Brexit talks hit 'real problem' over Northern Ireland border http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45859282

GFY

[rick]

The leading Brexiter politicians seem way out of their depth?

Agree. Yesterday?, 8 of the Brexiteer ministers held a meeting, everyone thought there would be resignations and rebellion today - zilch. Rumour has it that they couldn't come up with an answer either. They certainly were snapping at the reporters!

What we see is the result of a total lack of research and preparation, and a deeply divided country.The EU were much better prepared and have left the UK doing catch-up for the last 18 months. The UK should have spent 3-5 years doing there preparation BEFORE invoking article 50.

As said, commerce will find a deal, of sorts, one way or another. But chaos will continue well into 2020. Long term. the prospects include the breakup of the UK if it doesn't work out, but currently it is hard to predict what a lot of the fallout will be. But saying that exports will boom post Brexit is pure speculation - world trade is no plum for the picking anymore.

[vincemunday]

I’m a bit confused Rick, in what way were the EU better prepared? Reading between the lines (no one knows for sure) it would seem the pro Brexit front benchers took their place in a queue and told May that they would not accept an open ended backstop and that her chequers deal was dead in the water. Insofar as trading under WTO rules is concerned we already have many countries pledging trade deals including Oceania and the USA! Oh and by the by, nothing threatens the peace of Ireland more than putting a border between the mainland and NI as proposed by the EU, the problems in Ireland go a long way beyond trading and tariffs.

[tamada]

Why was article 50 invoked relatively quickly? The referendum was in June 2016 and by October, TM was already saying that it was going to happen in Q1 of 2017 and so it came to pass. From my limited reading, there was no time limit on how long one could delay the invocation but appreciate that negotiations couldn't start until after it was invoked. Maybe a missed chance for some no-pressure research and planning?

Just trying to jog my memory. Was there something else going on that, by appearing to be decisive, all-knowing and taking the fight to the EU first, made for a handy deflection? Or did the Miller challenge spook them into jumping quicker just in case some other entity did a better job with the parliamentary vote malarkey?

[Giggle]

Inept and hideous. A potent combination

[vincemunday]

There was no reason for it not to be invoked, the referendum wasn't for ifs, buts or maybe, it was straight in or out, leave the EU and the CU end of

[yartims]

its all down to the irish border.. EU monkeys are using this as a reason to stall talks ..technology makes it possible but they dont like the idea