kuro68k wrote: » The British government is going to take it right to the cliff edge and hope that someone else compromises. Of course they have their excuses already lined up if no-one does, only real question is who they will blame.
J Mysterio wrote: » May has become totally pathetic today. Absolute embarassment.
Enzokk wrote: » As to the proceeding so far, anyone have any idea what is happening? They will go back to negotiate a deal that cannot be changed according to her own words last week. They have delayed the vote on the deal to an undetermined date. They could take this all the way down to 28th March if they wanted to. She could take it down to the wire and dare the MPs to vote for no deal because the amendment that the HoC must have a vote to stop no deal would then not come into effect.
briany wrote: » If she's going back to Brussels to seek assurances, that wouldn't be changing the deal as such, just underlining certain parts of it.
Ireland’s taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, who had spoken to the UK prime minister on Sunday, said such a clarification of the EU’s intentions would be possible but pointed to the lack of substance to such an offer. Varadkar echoed the consensus among the 27 member states that a clarification would not detract from the legal reality that the UK would fall into the backstop by default if another solution for avoiding a hard border on the island was not realisable by the end of the transition period. He said: “We have already offered a lot of concessions along the way. We ended up with the backstop with this withdrawal agreement because of all the red lines the UK laid down along the way. “This is a withdrawal agreement which has the support of 28 member states. It’s not possible to open up any one aspect of this without opening up all aspects of the agreement.” Varadkar added: “I have no difficulty with statements that clarify what’s in the withdrawal agreement [like Gibraltar] but no statement of clarification can contradict what’s in it.”
J Mysterio wrote: » She knows and understands what the backstop is and exactly how 'temporary' it is. I dont see what Brussels can tell her that she doesnt already know. Its totally pathetic to weasel out of the 'meaningful vote' with this. Total incomptence, it's ludicrous.
Laois_Man wrote: » Boris in the background finding it hard to stay awake!
Enzokk wrote: » I know that, everyone in the EU knows that. I think everyone in the UK knows that and even if she comes back with a letter where the EU gives their best assurances that they will work their hardest to ensure the backstop will never be needed they will know it is a farce. There is no way she is getting her deal through, whether on the 28th March so I am confused on what she actually is trying to do.
McGiver wrote: » By the way, I've noticed that this was the first time TM mentioned that NI wants status quo basically. “And the fact that Brexit will create a wholly new situation: on 30 March the Northern Ireland/Ireland border will for the first time become the external frontier of the European Union’s single market and customs union. The challenge this poses must be met not with rhetoric but with real and workable solutions. Businesses operate across that border. People live their lives crossing and re-crossing it every day. I have been there and spoken to some of those people. They do not want their everyday lives to change as a result of the decision we have taken. They do not want a return to a hard border. And if this House cares about preserving our Union, it must listen to those people, because our Union will only endure with their consent.”
An Ciarraioch wrote: » Euro rapidly hurtling to 91p - at least the Northern shopping centres will profit from the chaos.
McGiver wrote: » Delaying tactic, that's how I read it. There is no other explanation. The problem with this that she can run the clock down to No Deal in this way under the right circumstances i.e. Labour doing nothing and Tories prefer the party over the country.
Today's delay of the Brexit vote is yet another blow for companies desperate for clarity. Investment plans have been paused for two and a half years. Unless a deal is agreed quickly, the country risks sliding towards a national crisis.
Mr.Nice Guy wrote: » A lot of criticism for May, understandably, but I think Corbyn has been just as bad. We have a situation where the UK party of government is making it up as it goes along, propped up by a party that says it has no confidence in the leader yet is continuing a confidence and supply arrangement, and an opposition leader who chides the PM by saying renegotiation is impossible, before saying in the next breath he will go over there and renegotiate a deal without a backstop. If this had been written as fiction ten years ago it would have been dismissed as too far-fetched to be taken seriously. This is now the reality we are living in.
Rjd2 wrote: » May has had a bad day (no **** sherlock) but so far and despite some fine politicians questioning her, I don't think any of them have landed a knock out blow to her which is odd as its not as if they don't have much material to work with.
Ireland will be required to give its approval to any declaration - unlikely Dublin will agree to the HoC having a veto on the backstop down the line.
