ddt
Mafia Penguin
As xenophobic as is to be expected for someone working for an EU based multinational.
Fox & Friends? I note you're listing exactly those countries with a major Murdoch presence.
- Status
Significantly, Tony Blair seems to believe that once the xenophobes have been placated it will be possible to reverse the Brexit decision. He takes for granted that xenophobia is the only serious issue in play. I think he's right about that.
He's also assuming that the EU will fall into line with his proposals, which looks very unlikely.
Yanis Varoufakis became an important Brexit adviser, apparently.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4424340/economist-warns-theresa-may-abandon-brexit-negotiations/
Theresa May may be a candidate for British Comedy Award 2017, had it not been discontinued.
McHrozni
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4424340/economist-warns-theresa-may-abandon-brexit-negotiations/
Theresa May may be a candidate for British Comedy Award 2017, had it not been discontinued.
McHrozni
He's right insofar as the EU can afford to let the UK stew just as they let Greece stew. As the Brexit disaster looms ever closer and clearer the UK will become more and more desperate.
True, time is working against UK. However his 'solution' is to endorse the worst-case scenario and run with it. I suspect he's in employ of a well-known Russian leader.
McHrozni
He says: “Mrs May should respect Brexit by opting for a Norway-style EEA agreement, and file an application for a five year membership that will create a period of stability."
Is that the worst-case scenario?
You didn't read the article properly. He first said the worst nightmare for France and Germany were an advantageous deal with UK, then he said EU establishment will not play nice and then proposed an agreement which saves the UK and requires the EU establishment to play nice at the same time. The proposal is about halfway between sarcasm and gallows humor. It may be there to troll the gulliable Sun readership or it may serve to obfuscate the problems with Brexit.
His real proposal is to walk away from negotiations and go for a diamond-hard Brexit, the same as he advocated for Greece. He said so in the beginning.
McHrozni
Last edited:
quadraginta
Becoming Beth
For some reason "diamond-hard Brexit" inspires visions of having everyone deported who can't prove permanent residency back to 1066, and borders patrolled to prevent any transfer in either direction of goods, materials, or people at all.
There's already the start of a wall on the Scottish border to help keep the Scots out.
I read the article to the end. Did you?
He's been saying it for some time now, in contexts that have nothing to do with the Sun, and which might explain why some in Whitehall are (allegedly) reading his book.
He said words that could be interpreted that way at the beginning of this piece, yes, but only at the end did he flesh them out into an actual plan - one that he's mentioned before and which does not represent "a diamond-hard Brexit". He has also mentioned that any half-plausible plan that gets this mess off the plates of the likes of Merkel and Macron and kicked down the road for several years is likely to be welcomed by such people.
ddt
Mafia Penguin
No, but he seemingly forgets one thing. It gets Mr. Barnier off Ms. May's back, but she'll then have to deal with the Norwegians and the Icelanders to get into the EFTA. Cod wars round 3.
ETA: That tactic could backfire even worse. The EU could answer to that proposal: "that's in principle fine with us. We'll suspend the Brexit talks while you hash it out with the current EFTA members. After that, come back to us to finalize the Brexit talks because we still have a divorce bill to settle." Of course, all within the two years timeframe of article 50.
ETA2: and my apologies to all the Liechtensteiners for forgetting to mention their country as EFTA member.
Last edited:
ddt
Mafia Penguin
It depends from which side of the border you look, I guess.
ddt
Mafia Penguin
Tsk.
But if it were again to become a "hard border" of a united Europe in the 21st C., it would be the other way round. But I guess that's for another thread.
The EU Repeal Bill has passed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41235522
We have now given the government extensive powers to pick and choose what elements of EU law remain in place post-Brexit without any kind of parliamentary scrutiny.
I thought that one of the reasons why we wanted out of the EU was the (IMO imagined) democratic deficit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41235522
We have now given the government extensive powers to pick and choose what elements of EU law remain in place post-Brexit without any kind of parliamentary scrutiny.
I thought that one of the reasons why we wanted out of the EU was the (IMO imagined) democratic deficit.
Not unless you consider Northumbria part of Scotland. Then again with a name like NorthUmbria, maybe it is part of Italy
I thought that one of the reasons why we wanted out of the EU was the (IMO imagined) democratic deficit.
It could be the problem with the democratic deficit was that it was too small with the EU and UK needs a bigger one?
McHrozni
Given our un-elected head of state and un-elected second chamber and the very broad powers that ministers already have without having to refer back to parliament IMO the UK already had a pretty large democratic deficit. Maybe we're going for the European record - though Russia and Belarus have set the bar pretty high in that regard
Yes, I did. I don't know about the other times he said it. I took the article as pure sarcasm if not outright trolling from Varufakis.
In that case the actual "plan", if one could call it that way, is to kick the can down the road and hope someone more accomodating to UK gets elected in France and Germany and make a deal then - and say so out loud, so the current leaders of France and Germany know what you're trying to do.
This is a tad worse than what his "plan" for Greece was. It could indeed be just epic levels of incompetence. He was certain the likes of Merkel and Macron would not allow Greece to deafult and would concede better terms for a Greek bailout, if Greece rejected what was offered. We all know how that ended, don't we?
In other words:
http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/cf/cfe1e187cd5703d9d1513ae24937b4839e3a7f1c97972667f576b79a1b2874a6.jpg
McHrozni
Last edited:
Given our un-elected head of state and un-elected second chamber and the very broad powers that ministers already have without having to refer back to parliament IMO the UK already had a pretty large democratic deficit. Maybe we're going for the European record - though Russia and Belarus have set the bar pretty high in that regard
Wait until the Brexit RecessionTM sets in.
McHrozni
- Status