Brexit: Now What? Part IV

[ceptimus]

The EU will reject any suggestion that doesn't involve keeping Britain in the Customs Union: their attitude may begin to change only when they realize that it jeopardizes the €40 billion bribe from the UK that they're relying on receiving.


In the end a fudge compromise will probably be reached that involves recognizing that because the UK and EU have more-or-less identical standards there is no need for a hard border and the authorities will just have to turn a blind eye to any Irish cross-border smuggling - as they already do.

 

[Zambo]

In the end a fudge compromise will probably be reached that involves recognizing that because the UK and EU have more-or-less identical standards there is no need for a hard border

You mean "standards" or tarrifs or taxes or prices? Fuel for example is an issue at many land borders (for example Singapore/Malaysia and Malaysia/Thailand. The smuggling is not related to standards.

 

[The Don]

The EU will reject any suggestion that doesn't involve keeping Britain in the Customs Union: their attitude may begin to change only when they realize that it jeopardizes the €40 billion bribe from the UK that they're relying on receiving.

You've said this before and the various falsehoods have been pointed out to you.

• It's not a bribe, it's a payment to settle the UK's obligations
• Failure to meet those obligations doesn't look good if the UK tries to negotiate future trade deals
• Although Britain is a net importer of EU goods and services, the impact on the British economy of a "no deal" is greater than the impact on the EU as a whole or on any one EU member - we need them more than they need us

...but carry on with the misleading rhetoric

In the end a fudge compromise will probably be reached that involves recognizing that because the UK and EU have more-or-less identical standards there is no need for a hard border and the authorities will just have to turn a blind eye to any Irish cross-border smuggling - as they already do.

You may think that, but I don't think those proud Brexiteers who want control over our borders would stand for it.

 

[Zambo]

You may think that, but I don't think those proud Brexiteers who want control over our borders would stand for it.

Of course there must be a border.

 

[The Don]

Of course there must be a border.

There's a border today

 

[Zambo]

There's a border today

Indeed there is and the border between my neighbours property and mine is a fence. But in the context of Brexit the border must be a customs and excise border with immigration control.

 

[jimbob]

why?

 

[Zambo]

why?

You mean WHY is there a fence between my neighbours house and mine:

Or

WHY a customs and excise +immigration border?

My example was fuel (petrol) at the Singspore/Malaysia and Malaysia/Thailand borders.

Do you mean you need more examples?

 

[Darat]

You've said this before and the various falsehoods have been pointed out to you.

• It's not a bribe, it's a payment to settle the UK's obligations
• Failure to meet those obligations doesn't look good if the UK tries to negotiate future trade deals
• Although Britain is a net importer of EU goods and services, the impact on the British economy of a "no deal" is greater than the impact on the EU as a whole or on any one EU member - we need them more than they need us

...but carry on with the misleading rhetoric



You may think that, but I don't think those proud Brexiteers who want control over our borders would stand for it.

Yeah like British and proud leave campaigner!

 

[The Don]

Indeed there is and the border between my neighbours property and mine is a fence. But in the context of Brexit the border must be a customs and excise border with immigration control.

I agree that's what most Brexiteers want but that's not what ceptimus said would be the compromise position.

The border you describe would unfortunately signal the end of the Good Friday Agreement.

 

[GlennB]

Looks to me like the proposed 10-mile-wide border is pretty soft at any given point, but sufficiently wide that, in total, it becomes 'kind of hard'. I think this plan is dazzlingly brilliant and nobody can possibly object to it.

 

[Zambo]

The border you describe would unfortunately signal the end of the Good Friday Agreement.

Why do you say "unfortunately" I guess because we all think that agreement was good at the time. Now I suggest a new agreeement which could be a united Ireland.

 

[uke2se]

Why do you say "unfortunately" I guess because we all think that agreement was good at the time. Now I suggest a new agreeement which could be a united Ireland.

I'm sure about half the population of Northern Ireland would happily accept such an agreement. The rest, unfortunately, would not, and they include the party that supports the conservative government. In fact, I think they would be so much against such a proposal that they are willing to take up arms against it.

 

[Strawberry]

Why do you say "unfortunately" I guess because we all think that agreement was good at the time. Now I suggest a new agreeement which could be a united Ireland.

That's really the only long term solution and everybody sane knows it. Getting the loyalist headbangers to accept it is another matter.

 

[wobs]

That's really the only long term solution and everybody sane knows it. Getting the loyalist headbangers to accept it is another matter.

The only sane long term option/solution is to dump Brexit altogether, but that looks rather unlikely.

 

[Craig B]

Looks to me like the proposed 10-mile-wide border is pretty soft at any given point, but sufficiently wide that, in total, it becomes 'kind of hard'. I think this plan is dazzlingly brilliant and nobody can possibly object to it.

in the event of resumed Troubles, the armed gangs will find their logistics problems alleviated by ceptimus' suggestion that

... there is no need for a hard border and the authorities will just have to turn a blind eye to any Irish cross-border smuggling - as they already do.

 

[catsmate]

I know it's The Sun but ...


DAVID Davis is devising a new Brexit plan to break a talks deadlock by giving Northern Ireland joint EU and UK status as well as a border buffer zone.
Under the radical blueprint, the province would operate a double hatted regime of European and British regulations at the same time, so it can trade freely with both.

The Brexit Secretary is also drawing up a 10 mile-wide buffer zone the length of Northern Ireland’s 310 mile border with Ireland.
Dubbed a ‘special economic zone’, it will be for local traders such as dairy farmers – who make up 90 per cent of the cross border traffic – and share the same trade rules as south of the border.

The two plans will together eradicate the need for any border check points, which is a major EU demand.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6423932/david-davis-northern-ireland-brexit-plans-dup/

That is a ridiculous plan.

 

[catsmate]

The EU will reject any suggestion that doesn't involve keeping Britain in the Customs Union:

Untrue.

..the €40 billion bribe from the UK that they're relying on receiving.

You mean Britain paying it's just debts.

In the end a fudge compromise will probably be reached that involves recognizing that because the UK and EU have more-or-less identical standards there is no need for a hard border and the authorities will just have to turn a blind eye to any Irish cross-border smuggling - as they already do.

Rubbish.

 

[gypsyjackson]

Remember when Theresa May said the government was to recruit an extra 5,000 staff so HMRC could cope with Brexit?


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hmrc-has-lost-2-000-staff-since-brexit-referendum-38w3mcjkd

HMRC has lost 2,000 staff since Brexit referendum

The government department responsible for Britain’s smooth departure from the customs union after Brexit is employing 2,000 fewer staff than on the day of the EU referendum.

The fall in HM Revenue & Customs’ staff headcount, revealed in the Commons by a Treasury minister last week, will intensify concerns on the Conservative back benches about Britain’s preparations to implement a new customs regime"

I'm one of them.

Well, kinda. I joined after Brexit and left this year.

 

[RolandRat]

That's really the only long term solution and everybody sane knows it. Getting the loyalist headbangers to accept it is another matter.

Does the Republic even want it?