Brexit - the end of the beginning - the negotiations begin

Just heard the Irish foreign minister and an EU official on Newsnight. Sounded a lot more reasonable than the stuff Juncker and co have been broadcasting. We just need to follow the EU process despite the stitch up but make it clear that anything we agree is not fully agreed until everything (including on trade) is agreed. That's their rule in any event.

His job at the moment is to electioneer, to make sure he gets back into parliament, isn't it? Why would he want to be helpful to May?

Theresa May's attitude is better, is it, being snide and sneery about the EU?

I presume you've heard what Kelvin McKenzie said today?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/03/kelvin-mackenzie-sun-corbyn-knifed-tories

I don't see him getting any new votes by effectively saying nothing at all. And no, I'm not saying TM is any better. But no worse as far as I can see.
I never listen to anything McKenzie says.

"The Sun’s suspended columnist and former editor, Kelvin MacKenzie, could be reported to the police for inciting hatred and violence towards Jeremy Corbyn, Labour sources have said, after he joked about the party leader being “knifed to death”.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, MacKenzie reportedly said: “I think the fake news headline that would give this country the most joy would be: ‘Jeremy Corbyn knifed to death by an asylum seeker’.”

The New York Times correspondent behind the interview, Katrin Bennhold, reveals in the article that MacKenzie sent her a text message urging her to tone down the quote."

I see that the Belgium finance minister thinks the eu is dead in its present form as it " spends more time debating the size of olive pots than securing its borders"
Says it all !!

May does not have to take us out of the Customs Union. Turkey is in the Customs Union. Jersey is not a member of the EU but it is in the Customs Union. Insisting on doing this is like climbing into a coffin and paying someone to nail you in and bury you.

www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-05-03/u-k-may-have-to-accept-eu-free-movement-for-years-report-says

Standard Chartered moving to Frankfurt.