In fairness, the photo caught him with his eyes closed but that said, perhaps food shortages in the UK may be beneficial given both EU personnel in the picture look slim and business like and our two UK personnel look like they are carrying a 'bit of timber'!! An interesting snippet in a BBC article about the failure to get a deal.... failing to agree would be a real political accident - something they don't want, and that didn't have to happen. One diplomat told me: "It's dystopian - the UK wants to have the absolute freedom to do things it will probably never do - apart from some tinkering. The EU wants to protect itself from things that will probably never come." Putting aside the original Brexit vote which has been done to death, Politics (on both sides) over practical and logical solutions has led to this impasse. It is largely irrelevant discussing which side will comes out of this worse, the simple inescapable fact is, a 'no deal' hurts both the EU and the UK and once the decision to leave was finalised, subsequent testosterone fuelled posturing in the negotiation stage, as the diplomat highlights has been the cause.
Yes it’s mind boggling that a Tory government is hanging an argument on a right to subsidise industry, which they’d not want to do. Likewise Labour would have preferred a deal that would almost certainly prevent them from subsidising industry but they’d really want to. it comes back to the simple fact that the EU are in the stronger position, which we all knew before this started (except some jingoistic brexiteers).
People who have spent their entire life never being told "No" and doing anything they want without consequences are suddenly being told "No" and finding out words and actions have consequences. Most of us learn these vital life lessons before we start school.
I reckon a penalty shootout to decide whether we follow their rules or they accept ours. Cauley Woodrow to take all of ours!! I may criticise him for being wasteful of late in chances created in open play but the lad sure knows how to take a penalty!
Alright then, apart from the odd facial expression that was caught ( and which Ed Milliband got slaughtered for in the press), they still look a complete mess....suppose it sums up the whole Brexit metaphor.
It's all such a disaster isn't it. What I find most mental is that the brexit voters are all still reving about this, despite it being a completely different result to what was promised! "We'll get a free trade agreement" during the referendum became "We've got an oven- ready trade deal" during the election which has now become......... No Deal! A disaster! This isn't what people voted for. They were lied to, but they seem unable to go back on that now. It's going to be a huge hit to our economy - both short term and long term - and for what? BREXIT IS STUPID
Again I just find myself at a loss. Nearly five years and it comes to this. On top of the mountainous corona debt that somehow needs repaying. On top of the end of Trumpism. This will hit the poorest the hardest and the rich will profit the most. Shameful beyond words.
The noises from the EU this morning are sounding less conciliatory and (understandably) more defensive of the EU's position and principles. A six month temporary arrangement to keep planes and trucks moving provided the UK abides by the level playing field regulations. So guess what? They are not going to cave after all! We have placed ourselves in an idiotic position to try to take on a union with about eight times the population and economy as our own. After 1st January we will begin the slow process of negotiating piecemeal deals with our biggest and most valuable trading partner, but without our having much influence. And that's before we factor in the longer-term possibility of Scottish independence and Irish re-unification. The problem of who we align ourselves most closely to (EU or US) still exists - just as it did when identified by MacMillan. This really has been the most brain-dead enterprise in my lifetime.
Just been on Politics Live on BBC 2. During the run up to the election Johnson pledged that " there is zero chance of no deal if a Tory Government was elected." Yet another well considered mistruth.
But that is not the terms of a deal. That is the EU proposal of what to do if there is no deal to prevent the kind of chaos that the UK seems hell bent on happening. The EU are the grown ups in the room ffs.
I’m no expert, but my take on the money side of things is, monies have to be paid in order to have access to the market. If you’re not in the “club “, you don’t pay the fee. However, if you’re not in the club, you have to pay tariffs. The upshot being, when we were members, the fee was paid by government ie: tax payers- and the people with most money generally pay more tax, now we’re out, the tariffs will be passed on by raising the price of goods to the consumer, regardless of the ability to pay. My point being, the money will still be paid,,,just by different people in a different way.
And I’d just like to add that if the government comes back in the future and says because, as a country we don’t pay the EU anymore they’re going to cut taxes, guess who that benefits most.
They are as bad as each other ( see my earlier post on a different thread regarding the succinct summary from a diplomat quoted on eth BBC... along the lines of the UK holding out for something that they will never do (subsidise UK industry), The EU holding out for control to stop something that won't happen , and the Labour Party wanting to accept a deal that prevents something they want to do (i.e. provide subsidies to British industry. Political posturing got in the way of logic, pragmatism and practicality!!
On Sky News just now. Looks like Boris has chucked his Brexit ready meal in the bin. Just said the EU offer isn't suitable for the UK's needs and therefore no deal looks highly likely with us leaving the EU on the 31 st December on a similar deal to that operated by Australia.
All with a smug grin across his disingenuous chops. Lies aside, I'm not sure how any human being can deliver news with so much harm with such smugness and smarm.
That's the cut off they've given. I think what we're seeing are the politicians intensifying messaging to each other to effectively say.... are you sure you want to do this? The only ones I could see caving are the UK. The EU aren't going to undermine their single market for a xenophobic liar and chancer. They may give a bit on fish (which is frankly irrelevant in the scheme of things), but given what Johnson did in looking to change the withdrawal bill unilaterally (even if his intent was purely to apply pressure on EU), he's lost trust and burnt any bridges he may have had.