But that is what the Protocol was designed to address.
Quite honestly I think the major issue is the refusal of one particular party to budge on a “principle”. It says it does not want to be treated differently from mainland UK, even if it would actually benefit from special treatment (leaving aside that when it comes to abortion and other issues, it insists on being different). And that risks becoming the issue in the rejoining debate. To me, it would be better to be outside the EU but enjoying a good relationship, than being inside the EU but continuing the poisonous relationship.
1 Like
Ideally parties would formulate policies first, but it’s not always that simple.
No, indeed the 2016 referendum was not *designed* to heal divisions. It was designed to quash the ERG and failed miserably.
We can, but the likelihood is that, with Johnson gone, we’ll get an even more pliant supplicant who will have courted the ERG’s support by taking an even harder approach to Brexit (the altar on which the modern Tory party has sacrificed itself). Don’t kid yourself that Brexit will die with Johnson’s (now very time limited, I suspect) premiership.
You are all assuming that the EU would accept the UK back again; remember every country has to agree. What are the chances of another Non from France? After all, UK would directly challenge their assumed leadership of the EU.
And what conditions would be imposed; certainly the rebate negotiated by the sacred Margaret would never be forthcoming again.
Not me. I doubt they would be keen under any Tory administration and probably not even under Labour (who, historically, have not held on to power as well as the Tories).
I’m not even sure that there is a frictionless route to SM/CU - I doubt EFTA would welcome us with open arms and I suspect there won’t be much of an appetite within the EU for ad hoc membership outside of full EU membership.
In fact I already said I’m not sure we should ever go back as full members.
So it’s looking pretty grim for those of us who thought leaving the EU was complete madness.
1 Like
Exactly but rather predictably it did not.
It is not possible to be part of mainland UK whilst not having a border with Ireland whilst UK is not in customs Union. Having a border falls foul of Good Friday Agreement and that is a whole can of worms best avoided.
No matter how much goodwill and flexibility is suggested one of these has to budge - the ideal one is rejoin Customs Union - but it will take a while for this to even be accepted let alone actioned.
People are not necessarily assuming that at all.
But there would need to be a referendum initially in order to allow the UK to even start preparing to submit an application to rejoin. Without a clear mandate from the people of the UK (or what is left of it) the EU would see no point in engaging in even preliminary discussions.
Transcript of Starmer’s speech (I haven’t read it yet).
It is not that the protocol has been implemented and failed, it is that it has not actually been tried. The protocol required the UK to take numerous actions that it has simply not taken. Very few solutions work if they are not fully implemented.
Analysis of Starmer’s plan
I quite liked
True but the DUP (and ERG) hate it and outwith the SM/CU no “protocol” can square no border East/West between NI & GB with no border North/South within Ireland.
To be fair the NIP would actually work quite well for NI if it were implemented but it does so by basically keeping NI close to the EU and at arm’s length from the rest of the UK.
This is a five minute YT analysis by Max Robespierre…
“l’ll be frank and honest” and stupid and unrealistic as well. He’s joining johnson on the same branch of the tree in cloud cuckoo land. All the things they will achieve in airy- fairy soundbites. How?
If, as Robespierre suggests, he is lying then that is no way to get in to power and retain trust but there again that’s pretty run of the mill for politicians these days
I suspect this is the only way to get into power. Honesty will mean another term in opposition. I’m sure they have done their research.
Thiemo Fetzer, a professor of economics at the University of Warwick who was approved for €1.5m (£1.28m) of funding for research into media and geopolitics, confirmed he was one of the 18 who had reluctantly decided to move to the EU. “I take some comfort knowing that with the ERC being hosted at a great place in Europe I am also developing an exit strategy from the UK like many other academics from the EU I know. I really fear that the UK is going down a very dark path and there is a Germany in the 1930s feeling to all.”
1 Like
Yes - just saw that. There may be trouble ahead…
Trouble, or good news???
I was thinking of the song - trouble in the opening line, but while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance.