howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Courtesy of the Times - I think this is just a bluff.
The European Union has demanded that Britain effectively hand over sovereignty of Northern Ireland to Brussels if it cannot find a solution to the Irish border question. In an uncompromising legal text published today, the Commission also calls on the UK to make Europe’s highest court the ultimate arbiter of any Brexit disputes. The EU has also rejected British proposals that cover the transition period. The document states that EU citizens arriving after March 2019 must have identical rights to those already living in the UK.
It also gives the European Commission powers to suspend Britain’s access to the single market unilaterally if Brussels believes the UK has broken the terms of the agreement. All the demands will be rejected by the government, potentially jeopardising the chances of signing a transition agreement at next month’s European summit. However the text may also cause concern in some European capitals with worries that the Commission’s uncompromising line could be counter-productive. The hard-hitting document sets out in legal terms to establish a “common regulatory area” between the north and south of Ireland covering customs, VAT, energy and product standards if no deal is agreed. Britain would be expected to carry out customs checks on all goods crossing the Irish Sea while Northern Ireland would be “considered to be part of the customs territory of the Union”.
While the Irish government welcomed the move, the Commission’s tough line was angrily rejected by the DUP, which accused the EU of trying to use Northern Ireland as a port to keep the whole of the UK in the single market and the customs union. “The EU have been trying to manoeuvre the negotiations to ensure that the United Kingdom as a whole stays within the single market and customs union and have been using — or abusing — Northern Ireland to try and bring that situation about,” Sammy Wilson, the party’s Brexit spokesman, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. “It seems that the EU have made it quite clear that the only option they are interested in is regulatory alignment which would either remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, separate us from our main market and politically create an issue where we are separated from the rest of the United Kingdom, or else force the whole of the United Kingdom to stay in the single market and the customs union.”
Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,257
They really don't know how to play well with others do they!
Bob Whysman likes this
Arte et Marte
Neil Moors- Registered: 3 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,299
This is a smart move by the EU. They know that their Ireland "backstop" position is a non starter, but one assumes that they are doing this as a wake up call to the UK Government that play time and naval gazing is over, and that Brexit just got serious. It will be interesting to see how we respond, but we really have to move beyond nonsensical Boris statements otherwise we may as well all give up and go home now.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
mrs may looked hacked off, spitting nails to be honest. might get her and cronies of there backsides .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
A lot of these aggressive outbursts from Barnier and his muckers are borne out of frustration. The PMs initial contribution after triggering Article 50 was to opine "no deal is better than a bad deal" without saying what constituted a bad deal. Since then all we have had is sound bites from the P M, Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Chief negotiator that too many times have been contradictory.
Mrs Merkel said that the last time she met Cruella she asked her what she wanted in a deal, the reply came back "make me an offer"? The UK is looking to leave the EU so it is up to the PM or chief negotiator to make demands and then the haggling starts.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
just wish they get on with it and stop messing around.
Bob Whysman likes this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Round and round we go as David Davis threatens to put a block on the "divorce" money if the EU use Northern Ireland to bash us with. Not long ago the Chancellor said the money was guaranteed whatever happens. The whole point of having a cabinet is that decisions are reached then everyone (whether or not they agreed) answers any questions with the same answers.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yep got this government by the short and curlys, and may cant get out of it. not with out losing face.
Button
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 3,053
Boris (53) has been writing about the ILB, Sky News reports. Following which, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry accused Mr Johnson of lying to the House of Commons and to the UK public.
"Is there no issue that he doesn't take seriously? Is there no issue that he thinks that he can't just get through by lying?," she told Sky News.
Always had him down as a joker, myself.
(Not my real name.)
Bob Whysman
- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 1,937
Did I detect a note of glee in your post Brian because whatever vote any of us cast in the referendum we will have to live with the results..............some longer than others!!
Do nothing and nothing happens.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
to be honest bob its going tits up which is a good sign, might evan end up with another in out vote.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I cannot see another Referendum especially as we didn't give the right result last time I fully expect a Commons vote on the leaving deal(if there is one) and if that is voted down I haven't a clue what will happen.
Button likes this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
A lot of people have ridiculed our Foreign Secretary over the Irish land border issue, most unfairly in my view.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
howard,not nessary a referendum but a genrael election with a side vote to see if brexit carries on or not.
Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
Isn't it time to build a wall along the land section border between Eire and N. Ireland thus preventing the threat of Mexican infiltration?
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
