LSB2
Vital Football Hero
Millions agree.
More millions don't.
Millions agree.
US and Canada are two independent states in the sense that you talk about them. They are part of a three-way agreement with Mexico which is very lightly worn compared to the EU. Nevertheless, Canadian independence is hugely circumscribed by the fact that it is dependent on US markets for its exports. It has to meet US specs (usually lighter than Canadian ones) both on products and how they are produced if it wants to sell into that market. Its motor industry is functionally integrated into a North American motor industry to which it contributes bits which go back and forth across borders at various stages of manufacture. And while the Bank of Canada sets Canadian interest rates, it usually has to set them just above US rates or capital simply flows out of Canada to the US.
All this not only hugely circumscribes what Canada can do abroad. It also has a profound impact on life in Canada. All this is so, even though Canada is independent or, more properly, sovereign, in the way you want Britain to be. It matters that Canada is sovereign on a whole rack of issues from metric measures through abortion, guns, and health service, to going to war, but economic realities and the economic expectations of most of its people dictate that its freedom of action on a whole range of issues is hugely circumscribed. The Canadians tried to break this continental drift a couple of times -1950's trade diversion back to the UK and Commonwealth; 1980's trade diversion to Europe. The gravitational pull was just too strong, as were the upfront costs of trying.
The UK faces similar realities in its relations with the European Union. Sell into the EU market and you sell on EU terms being the most obvious example. One big difference though is that there is no big North American project. Ten, twenty, thirty years from now, it will look pretty much the same. This cannot be said of the EU, at least not in its aspirations. It wants to be more and is determined to succeed or die trying (my money is on the latter). Either way, however, it is not good news for us to be a part of it.
That's why
a) it's important to have left,
b) much more should have been done to make clear the limits of what leaving could possibly mean, and what remaining was going to entail,
and thus,
c) a complicated, fiddly, half-arsed exit has much to commend it -but, at the time, had no one except a few grown ups to speak for it
Excellent summary.I'm not making any suggestions but I am saying the current situation is rubbish because those in charge of the process have and had no plan and repeatedly trim to the whims of a minority. Cuttting all ties with the EU is a fine sounding, absolutist position but it takes us nowhere. Much of what is now being objected to was never discussed in the campaign and represents routine administration and agreement with neighbours, it's nothing to do with the EU lording it over us.
The problem with allowing the ideologues to control the agenda is that they had a dream rather than a practical project. They are in so deep now that they will literally never agree to any settlement. There will always be some further withdrawal, or separation they demand and they will never be satisfied. At some point every one of them will declare the project at least partly betrayed. What the public expects and demands and expects of governments is that they make legislation and stuff work. That is what they will be judged on, not some purist pie in the sky.
What has Brexit achieved?
More illegal migration
Quite incredible that this Government is breaking a Treaty it created and signed itself just a couple of years ago, having lauded it as brilliant at the time.
Apparently it was a "Remainers" treaty. If so, why? Steve Baker said it was signed under duress? Why? The Government had an 80+ seat majority (having purged most Remainers). How could they have been forced to sign it? No deal was better than a bad deal, we were told.
Embarrassing.
Sadly , I have to agree with you , 100,000 are expected to land in 2022 (by dinghy alone)
With 90% of arrivals being fighting-age men ,
'The Great reset' and 'Great replacement' theories are now mainstream
It will be the ethnic and cultural identity that will ultimately decide the Victor.
Doh, the EU regarded the Single Market as sacrosanct. No shit Sherlock. So amazed they stuck to it - NOT.It was only a small part of the deal but it was the one thing that had held up the completion of Brexit for an unacceptable period of time and so some sort of halfarsed compromise had to be agreed in the short term.
I don't know but I do suspect that the UK expected the EU to have a light touch, and spot check, system of checks at the Irish sea border and it has turned out to be far from that.
Actually, if the EU was so concerned about the integrity of their single market and want to do extensive checks, they still have a further opportunity at the sea borders between the Republic of Ireland and the European mainland.
Of course, they would say that would be putting an artificial border within their union but they seem to have had no qualms about creating such an artificial border within OUR union, the UK.
I suspect that may be the basis of the legal advice obtained by the UK government.
The argument can also be backed up by the paralysis that has been caused in Stormont so in any legal proceedings the EU would have to explain how else that can be remedied.
I don't know where you're getting these figures from, so far according to Migration Watch, 12161 migrants have arrived illegally in 2022Sadly , I have to agree with you , 100,000 are expected to land in 2022 (by dinghy alone
Doh, the EU regarded the Single Market as sacrosanct. No shit Sherlock. So amazed they stuck to it - NOT.
Nasty EU won't treat us like a member any more. Well I never. Shock.
I don't know where you're getting these figures from, so far according to Migration Watch, 12161 migrants have arrived illegally in 2022
????? Wierd.And the UK government and the Protestant Irish regard the UK as sacrosanct. No Shit Holmes. So amazed they are sticking to it.
Nasty UK making Simon Coveney cranky. Well I never. Shock.
There’s a bit of chicken going on on both sides with peace on the island of Ireland and the Irish government’s security budget at stake. The EU is in no mood to be flexible, figuring the balance of forces, reason and right lies on its side, even though all sorts of fudges could work. HMG is in a mess of its own making but might be just crazy/desperate enough to risk a harder border on the island. Dublin says, mess this up the pair of you, and you drop us right in it. Both sides seem to be replying, that’s a chance we’re prepared to take.
But that is the whole point. The UK had the right to leave the EU, in the same way that the Republic had the right to stay in it.
But what exact compromise has the Republic been making with the protocol? Everything has stayed exactly the same for them with no interruptions to their trade with either the rest of the EU or Northern Ireland whatsoever, while at the same time trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is being interrupted and causing delays and product shortages.
That needs to be addressed with a fair give and take on BOTH sides, not just one, as it is in both their interests. IMO that will be central to the legal argument.
But what exact compromise has the Republic been making with the protocol? Everything has stayed exactly the same for them with no interruptions to their trade with either the rest of the EU or Northern Ireland whatsoever, while at the same time trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is being interrupted and causing delays and product shortages.
That needs to be addressed with a fair give and take on BOTH sides, not just one, as it is in both their interests. IMO that will be central to the legal argument.
No it doesn't GBN.
The UK made a decision, so it's the UK's responsibility to manage that decision.
Ireland were just vibing along, the UK did something stupid, and now they're supposed to change how they live??
If your neighbour built an extension, something went wrong, and it pulled down your adjoining wall, you'd be pretty fucking adamant your neighbour should be the one to fix it, not you.