Category Archives: European Union

Boris Johnson insisted that Britain would not follow any EU rules after Brexit as he set up a showdown with Brussels over a trade deal.

The Prime Minister made clear that he would pursue a hard Brexit by saying there would be “no alignment” between the two sides, defying the EU’s claim that it was a “must” for any future relationship.

Alignment, when translated, means we must do whatever they decide to do. So if they decide that eggs must be packed in dozens then we must pack in dozens. Not following any of their rules would mena if they pack in dozens then we don’t – which is rather stronger than Boris is saying.

??

Hopes for a second referendum on Brexit are receding, as more and more Tories show their true colours and fall in line behind Boris Johnson and his controversial deal. They have passed through all the stages of grief to arrive at acceptance of a Brexit that they know will make Britain poorer and weaker. One of their leading lights, the former home secretary Amber Rudd, explicitly acknowledged that the deal would “hurt the economy” – but she said “it’s the right thing to do because we had a referendum”.

Pursuing an economically devastating Brexit is a choice, not a necessity. The referendum was a mandate to change the political basis of our relationship with Europe, not to terminate all our economic cooperation altogether, as envisaged in the new withdrawal agreement. The proposal would give Britain the same economic relationship with the EU as distant countries such as Mexico or Canada. That’s why the extremist interpretation of the 2016 referendum that was begun by Theresa May and accelerated by Johnson can and must be resisted. If that cannot be achieved by a second referendum – even the most ardent campaigners now accept they don’t have the numbers – then it is vital that politicians return to the arena of compromise.

The people don’t want it – that’s what not having the numbers means – therefore the people must have it by another means.

Where are the lampposts when you need them?

Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England, warned today that Brexit has dragged on “far too long” and was preventing Government from addressing underlying issues within the UK economy.

Speaking as City traders braced themselves for yet more volatility on the markets after MPs on Saturday delayed approval of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, Lord King said he thought most people now have the view “just do it”.

As Mark Carney has also been saying. It’s the uncertainty itself which is now doing more damage to the economy than whatever action might actually be taken. We’re at that piss or get off the pot moment. Past it actually.

Looking back, not only to the referendum but to the years before, it’s clear that the greatest weakness of the pro-EU cause has been an inability to find ways of fighting Europhobic faith with passionately argued reason.

Why?

That is the great question. Other than the EU being, well, you know, our sort of things among wet upper middle class types, why?

Give us an actual reason other than guff about playing nice with Johnny Foreigner.

Jolyon Maugham is at it again, this time he wants to stop Britain leaving with a deal. He has just tweeted “I intend to lodge an immediate petition for an injunction in the Court of Session preventing the Government from placing the Withdrawal Agreement before Parliament for approval. We expect that petition to be lodged tomorrow and to be heard on Friday.”

Why would we want to be in political union with these people?

This is an excellent description of why we should have nothing at all to do with the fuckwits:

In my day job I'm negotiating an agreement between the EU and another country. With my Brexit Twitter hat on, let me share some details on the steps involved in getting to that agreement, and why it's unwise (read mad) to expect it to be done quickly: 1/

— Chris Kraut Kendall 🇪🇺 (@ottocrat) 10 October 2019

“To counter the threat of serious cross-border crime, we are now strengthening the protection of the border against Sweden by introducing temporary border control and strengthening police efforts in border areas with Sweden,” Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup said at a news conference on Thursday.

The controls will begin on Nov. 12, he said, adding police would aim to avoid causing delays for the commuters.

Both countries are members of the European Union, which needs to approve the move.

Sovereign nations need permission to police their own borders. Very sovereign, eh?

Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan appeared to be all but dead on Tuesday night as the government admitted there was little prospect of a deal before 31 October, following a day of furious recriminations.

Carry on…..

It had finally dawned on the British government that it had committed itself to two incompatible things. One was that under no circumstances would there be a return to a hard border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

I have actually read the Good Friday Agreement. And I simply cannot find any reference in it at all to the border, let alone a pledge that there won’t be a hard one.

So, and this is a genuine question, not an attempt at a gotcha, can someone tell me where this pledge is?

Brexit-weary as we are, we must gird ourselves for the most significant few weeks for Britain since the Second World War. The crises of our economy, our constitution, our political parties, our identity and even public truthfulness are finally coming to a head. We must save our country from the duplicitous clutches of a zealous nationalist right – and for that the array of opposition parties and independent MPs, with Labour necessarily at its heart, must act.

Here he manages to be entirely correct for 56 words then fails, badly.

It’s not the nationalists nor the right doing the usurpation is it?

Alima Batchelor, head of policy at PDA said: “Whilst these shortages cannot be ascribed to Brexit, they do show the need for concerted action to ensure that leaving the EU will not exacerbate an already unacceptable level of drug shortages.”

What’s the problem?

Pharmacists have warned of shortages of every major type of medicine – including HRT, antidepressants and blood pressure pills.

Drugs for diabetes, epilepsy and skin problems are among the treatments in short supply, along with common contraceptives, a survey suggests.

So, being inside the EU system allows these problems to happen. But we must be careful about leaving because these problems?

Isn’t it actually an argument that we want to leave the current regulatory system?

Boris Johnson is whipping up fears of rioting and deaths on the streets if Brexit is not delivered by 31 October so that he can try to invoke emergency powers and avoid extending the UK’s EU membership beyond that date, Labour’s Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, claimed on Saturday.

After a week in which the prime minister was accused by MPs from all the main parties, including senior Tories, of inciting violence by accusing Remainers of Brexit “surrender” and “betrayal”, Starmer said it was part of an orchestrated plan to stoke a sense of outrage among Leave voters and create civil unrest, so an extension might be avoided.

Increasingly MPs across the House of Commons believe Downing Street is considering using the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, which grants special powers in the event of a national emergency, as a way to override the so-called Benn act, which mandates the prime minister to seek a delay to Brexit if no deal has been struck with Brussels by 19 October.

The only surprise here is that Remainers haven’t invoked the CCA already. You know, given the bloodcurdling claims of immediate doom if Brexit does ahead.

So, I’ve a request to do a column for the Americans on Brexit. Where we stand, what can be done, what will be done.

Anyone any ideas?

My last piece over there included the cunning plan of making the Queen’s Speech include “We’re leaving, Goodbye” so that either the House passed it or that’s a lost vote of confidence so therefore an election. Or, the House has 14 days to create a new government, then election.

But what else to say today?

Extinction Rebellion protesters have blocked a primary exit road for the Port of Dover causing “carnage” and delays for holidaymakers arriving from Europe.

Climate change activists are understood to have glued themselves to the A20 road near the busy harbour to “highlight the vulnerability of the UK’s food supply in the face of the ecological and climate emergency”.

Ferry companies have reduced the number of ships they disembark passengers from at one time in order to stagger the flow of traffic.

The impact upon the price of tomatoes in the supermarket has been what?

The vulnerability of the food supply system is therefore what?

Mr Cameron does not know his own country. His apology for “the uncertainty and division that followed” the referendum result is an attempt to keep alive the fiction that it had to be called – only its conduct was mistaken. Wrong. There was no widespread call for a renegotiated relationship with the EU in the country in 2013 when he made his fateful decision.

This four years after Ukip came second in the euro elections and one year before they came first?

No widespread call, eh?

Brexit: Labour deputy Tom Watson calls for referendum ahead of election

Because that means the current Remoaner Parliament gets to write the referendum question, doesn’t it?

I’m bored with this already.

And I’m absolutely insistent that the uncertainty is damaging the economy more than any of the possible actions would.

No, have no idea. Not going to read the details either.

Am instead polishing the piano wire just in case.