The Irish backstop

Break ranks and do what? 'Sensibly' endanger their best-in-class deal with 26 other nations to appease a basketcase of a government in a country with an economy that's probably about to go into recession for at least a couple of years (if we're lucky)? Absolute madness.

 

Donks. You are assuming the EU actually give one about the people of Ireland (as a whole). This is just a stick to beat us with. In any event what would they actually propose to do to police the border? Slab Murphy funded the IRA for many years with a VAT fuel scam aided by the border running through his kitchen.! using differing fuel VAT rates - despite the EU bleating about keeping everyone on a level playing field, it doesnt exist anyway. A politician said recently :"I'd be intrigued how the EU propose to police this border when the British army couldn't"

 

Also interesting to note that the approval rating for the EU in the Mediterranean countries (Italy, Greece, Spain) has gone up since the whole Brexit shambles began. And these are countries who seemed to have massive issues with the European overlords.

 

A no-deal Brexit would be very bad news for everyone, and absolutely catastrophic to certain individuals, communities and companies. But the Irish backstop appears to be the only thing preventing a deal being approved by parliament (as imperfect as that deal may be).

So why won’t the EU water down the backstop when the only alternative appears to be no-deal?

 

Why should they? It was agreed with the UK government, it was May's deal.

 

But they are also on the brink of recession, arguably more so than we are and the UK is the World's fifth largest consumer market. That's before it starts to dawn on the net contributors they'll have to stump more up or the net benficiaries they may have their aid cut back

 

Because they hope that we have another referendum resulting in the whole thing being scrapped?

 

And the EU is the largest trading block in the world - even with the UK gone. On a side note I am looking forward to the DUP idiots explaining to their constituents where all the lovely EU money to NI has gone. Or is the UK Government (English Taxpayers) going to stump up that money along with the £10 billion bribe they have already given the DUP.

 

Please do Pompey as I have no idea what you are on about. Sorry for being a wee bit thick.

 

Any recession will be exacerbated by the slowdown in China, general high debt levels and the increasing uber protectionist stance of the worlds super powers and their trade wars. You could include the Eu to a moderate degree, but world forces are having a larger impact on the older established order.

Our very minimal per capita net contribution will be redistributed and there have been several EU trade deals signed with Japan, Canada and Vietnam. That's all good business opportunities for countries that are more nimble and dynamic than our bloated hugely underproductive country.

Don't forget, the EU will also get a boost from the GDP redistribution from UK to EU. Of course, some global companies may move out of Europe altogether rather than just relocate from UK to an EU base.

Was a big week last week seeing several big companies announce they were relocating.

 

Just going to say, we aren't at war with the EU. They aren't the enemy. They haven't really done anything wrong.

We have created this ourselves by being incredibly sanctimonious as a nation and have created a phony war with 26 countries because of free movement of people, which each and every one of us has enjoyed for decades.

Its beyond ******* bonkers.

 

We’ve lost funding to our poorest areas inc ex mining areas ,
We’re falling out with countries we’ve had great relationships with .
We’ve made travel harder and dearer for our children .
We predicted to go into recession and possible job losses but told it will only be temporary .
We tearing up a peace agreement that’s kept its mandate in most part but is now about to shatter and take us back thirty years and prop up medieval set of backward self centred politicians serving a minority of NI landlords
We begging for trade deals that will kill our NHS and pollute our food standards .
Were opening our parliament to conservative rule that had just given us Austerity causing crime and homelessness to spiral out of control with no Intervention .
whats not to like ffs

 

Blue passports though !!

Probably unicorns as well. Pink fluffy ones I am certain.

 

Totally agree with this. Had the delight of being in Lithuania (Vilnius) last weekend. Beautiful place and had significant infrastructure in place with new business office space and additional airport development going on. Wonderful people, easy to converse with, super helpful and highly pro peace and pro European.

It will be such a wake up call when many realise these little places we've patronised for decades outperform us and have our existing HQ's move to be there.

 

<sarcasm>

 

THE BACKSTOP WAS THE UK'S IDEA.

THE BACKSTOP WAS THE UK'S IDEA.

THE BACKSTOP WAS THE UK'S IDEA.

It was put in place at the suggestion of the UK government because to square the circle with the GFA and our commitment under international treaty to have no border in NI. The EU gave concessions and helped to promote it to get it through our Parliament, then May voted for an amendment that cannot be agreed by the EU.

Any trust or credibility that our government had on the international stage is shot, probably for decades.

 

Still some good politicians out there, and this might help explain things

 

There are some theoretical benefits to Brexit, but I very much doubt many of us will see an improvement in our personal circumstances over the next 5 years - probably longer.

I think things have gone too far to turn back, so it feels like a damage limitation exercise at best.

 

Sorry Rosco. I really need to lighten up mate.

 

We could always lend them Bairstow or Joss Butler I suppose