UK Politics Thread

[Catfish]

Old, but well worth reading.
"It was never about Europe. Brexit is Britain’s reckoning with itself"
And this is very.. dommage.

" ... in truth nobody has won anything – it is a losing game all round.
For all of this is the afterlife of dead things. One of them is Brexit itself. When did Brextinction occur? On 24 June 2016. The project was driven by decades of camped-up mendacity about the tyranny of the EU, and sold in the referendum as a fantasy of national liberation. It simply could not survive contact with reality. It died the moment it became real. You cannot free yourself from imaginary oppression."

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...-purpose#img-1

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by skidman

The British Lion's mouth may be big, but it is toothless. So when the roaring pauses you can hear the antelopes giggling.

I like that analogy

[Jimbuna]

A "narrow path" has opened up for the UK and EU to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, the president of the European Commission has said.

Ursula von der Leyen said the "next few days are going to be decisive," with just two weeks left before the UK quits EU trading rules.

She said differences over enforcing a deal are "largely being resolved," but talks over fishing remain "difficult".

PM Boris Johnson told MPs there was "every opportunity" to reach a deal.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55330599

Are these the first murmurs of a last minute deal and why does fishing remain such a major priority?

[Jimbuna]

[Catfish]

Well i have said i won't hold my breath with the UK leaving until december 31st, 23:59 and 59 seconds. And i did not even mention the year.

[Jimbuna]

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has said the chances of the UK and EU agreeing a post-Brexit trade deal are "less than 50%".

Earlier, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, tweeted "good progress" had been made on a deal.

But Mr Gove told MPs "regrettably the chances are more likely we won't secure an agreement".

Talks in Brussels are continuing on Thursday, with two weeks to go before the UK leaves EU trading rules.

European Parliament leaders have set Sunday as a deadline for them to see the text of any deal agreed by the negotiating teams.

The senior MEPs said they would "not be rushed" into approving an agreement at their end, and would have to see the text by the end of the week if they were to sign it off by 31 December.

MPs from the UK Parliament have been warned by Mr Gove they could be called back during their Christmas break to ratify any deal that emerges from talks.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55347723

Perhaps best if somebody simply flips a coin.

[Jimbuna]

The UK and European Union have announced formal agreement on how the new Irish Sea border will operate in January.

Senior representatives of both sides met at the Joint Committee on Thursday.

They confirmed an agreement in principle which Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič reached last week.

Separate negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are still taking place.

A special deal for Northern Ireland, known as the protocol, formed part of the Withdrawal Agreement which took the UK out of the EU earlier this year.

The protocol will keep Northern Ireland in the EU single market for goods even as the rest of the UK leaves it at the end of this month.

The two sides had been negotiating on how the protocol should be implemented.

Among the key features of the agreement are a trusted trader scheme which will mean the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.

There was also agreement on the role of EU officials in Northern Ireland to oversee aspects of the protocol.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55354451

[Jimbuna]

There are "just a few hours left" for the UK and EU to agree a post-Brexit trade deal, says Michel Barnier.

Speaking in the European Parliament on Friday, the EU's chief negotiator said it was "the moment of truth" for the two sides to come to an agreement.

He said there was still a "chance" of a deal, but the "path is very narrow".

The comments follow a warning from Boris Johnson that a no deal scenario was "very likely" unless the EU position changed "substantially".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55358963

Please, just bring a swift end to this one way or the other.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Catfish]

“You know you are from an Irish Catholic background when Withdrawal Agreement means something entirely different..”

[Jimbuna]

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[Jimbuna]

Knowing how bolshy the French can be with regards to strikes and industrial unrest could mean we are in for some fun and games.

[Jimbuna]