Reading the Government’s plans for the Northern Irish border, you have to think that they are running out of sticking plasters and long grass to kick things into in Downing Street.
The thing is, we need to know the permanent solution to all of this before we actually take the irrevocable step of leaving. The Government shouldn’t get away with thinking that it can just kick all the difficult stuff down the road and then blame someone else when it all goes horribly wrong. Playing Russian roulette with the Irish peace process is not something that any responsible government should do.
Tom Brake had this to say over May’s announcement:
Yesterday it seemed likely that May would propose an indefinite ‘backstop’ Brexit, today the Tories have announced that they plan on sticking with a fixed exit date.
The Brexiters’ promise of a smooth and seamless Brexit belongs to yesteryear. We are now ushering in the era of hokey-pokey Brexit, with May only narrowly dodging another wave of Cabinet musical chairs.
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4 Comments
Clearly this means that (for Theresa May at least) Brexit no longer means Brexit.
Is it time to call for an all Party Commission to ensure we get the best possible deal from Brexit? I agree we need a fresh referendum but if that’s not going to happen, then we need some joint thinking. What matters is that generations after us know we did the best we could to get the best deal and that party politics was kept out of it. What’s happening at present is disastrous for our country, our politics and for democracy.
Does anyone know if the EU actually wants a free trade deal with the UK? ie no tariffs. That is on equal terms – much the same as there would be an agreement with anyone else. If both sides make the same commitment, the details shouldn’t be too difficult to resolve.
If there’s no tariffs then there won’t be a problem on the Irish border. But if there is there could be. I don’t think it’s any more complicated than that.
Does anyone know if the EU actually wants a free trade deal with the UK?
From what I’ve managed to ascertain the answer is yes, however T.May’s Brexiteers can’t agree among themselves on which option to take, as each comes with caveats and a price; of which the biggest component is each and every one of the Conservative Brexiteers having to make concessions and so not getting the Brexit they (personally) wanted – hence why Boris is saying “Leave supporters may not get the deal they expected”…