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Brexit negotiations starting tomoorow

(233 Posts)
Rigby46 Sun 18-Jun-17 18:41:26

We appear to be going naked into the negotiating chamber (as someone once mocked). No deal as yet with the DUP and the Sunday papers full of the civil war that has broken out yet again ( did it ever stop?) in the Tory party. Hammond laid out his position today very clearly didn't he re the absolutely ridiculous mantra 'no deal is better than a bad deal'. How on earth is this going to play out? A chancellor and a PM diametrically opposed. How desperately we are being let down by our so-called leaders, how naked is their own sel-interest being exposed on the Eupropean and World stage. The Tory party in all its glory.

mcem Mon 19-Jun-17 13:15:45

As negotiations start, France and Germany have made it clear that Brexit is not a done deal and UK can withdraw, reverting to status quo.
Petition available on avaaz website.

devongirl Mon 19-Jun-17 13:43:18

mcem sorry to be a dumbo but I don't understand how, on the avaaz website, to sign the petition, could you provide a link please?

newnanny Mon 19-Jun-17 14:15:28

Both Conservative and Labour published manifestos agreed that Britain wants out of EU including the Single Market and Customs Union. Over 80% of population voted for one of these parties Stalmer (don't know how to spell his name) made this clear on TV today. I am sure we are all aware that EU will not allow us to control immigration and remain in Customs Union or leave Single Market and do trade with any other country unless through the EU.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 14:24:16

"If you're dreading work tomorrow, bear in mind David Davis will be spending the morning being told to piss off in six different languages."
190 replies . 5,252 retweets 9,922 likes

A tweet I saw yesterday.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 14:26:27

secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/no_deal_no_brexit_loc/?ckHcnjb

MaizieD Mon 19-Jun-17 14:28:41

newnanny, it's spin.

Labour must be more than aware that a very large number of people voted for them to get the tories out and they had no other credible choice. What were Remainers supposed to do? Spoil their ballot papers and let the tories in?

Welshwife Mon 19-Jun-17 14:33:35

There was no choice for Remainers - no party saying they would stop Brexit and remain.

Nandalot Mon 19-Jun-17 14:34:34

The figure of 80%!keeps being mentioned but if May fought the election with a view to strengthening her majority to deal with Brexit, that does not seem a stunning endorsement of Brexit. This poll on whether it was right to vote to leave the EU shows both sides neck and neck whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/in-highsight-do-you-think-britain-was-right-or-wrong-to-vote-to-leave-the-eu/ . Most polls at the moment are being conducted on the terms of the deal, should there be a referendum on the terms etc. rather than support or not for Brexit as in the original referendum so this was the only one I could find.

GracesGranMK2 Mon 19-Jun-17 14:44:53

newnanny - how arrogant to assume you, or any politician, knows why people voted how they did. I most certainly did not vote in the GE for staying in and I totally reject any assumption that I did.

allule Mon 19-Jun-17 14:45:11

Upsetting the Good Friday Agreement, and rekindling divisions in Ireland seems to me one of the most dangerous possible consequences of Brexit, but I can't remember this being discussed at all in the run up to the referendum.

SharonJ Mon 19-Jun-17 15:08:18

For many voters the recent General Election was not about Brexit so I do not believe any meaningful correlation can be drawn between the Election result and current views on Brexit.
In any case, the Labour manifesto states we will leave the EU ... and there are parts of the Labour manifesto (which the unions will be pressing for) which would be illegal under EU rules.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 15:18:40

It wasn't necessarily about leaving the EU, but more about how we should leave the EU.
May called the election to ask for her hand to be strengthened. It wasn't, so she should now rethink the Brexit strategy.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 15:19:14

Which parts, SharonJ?

newnanny Mon 19-Jun-17 15:54:00

Lim Dems clearly stated they would keep GB in Custom Union and Single Market. They were only party to do so and only got a few seats so clearly not a popular choice. GracesGranMK2 all parties clearly set out in manifesto what their view to Brexit was. Most people would surely have taken that into account before making their choice. If not what is point of any party setting out their views in manifesto. Polls with just a few thousand will not be representative or accurate of whole population so more or less useless. I suppose the only poll that really mattered was in June last year and that was to leave the EU. Last JUne I looked very carefully at both sides of argument and what both sides stated it would entail as I'm sure did most others who voted. Brexiteers made it clear to vote out would be to leave Single Market and Customs Union.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 15:55:49

labourlist.org/2017/06/may-should-put-brexit-talks-on-hold-and-bring-labour-on-board-for-advice/

The government this morning still had no idea what Brexit meant, and had not sent their opening position papers to the EU.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-talks-opening-position-papers-government-yet-to-send-submit-latest-news-a7792531.html

rosesarered Mon 19-Jun-17 17:06:24

Good post newnanny??

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 17:19:11

But, newnanny, you can't say that those who voted for Labour and Tory were voting for Brexit. I voted for one of them (guess which!) and I was certainly not voting for Brexit.
The manifestos were much more than Brexit, no matter what May wanted it to be about.

Welshwife Mon 19-Jun-17 17:21:21

The referendum only asked about leaving the EU - NOT the customs union or the Single market - they are not synonymous and we did not join them all together.

Many people voted tactically in the GE to give the Tory's as few seats as possible - in some seats it was pointless to vote anything but Labour to oust the Tory or not let them steal the seat by dividing the vote - not because of a view of Brexit. It might have been interesting if Corbyn had come out in favour of remaining - the great majority of MPs still think that is the best route and it is quite possible that the population will too when they see just what being out of the EU does to the UK.
The EU will be poorer too as the UK often brought sense to decisions - the continentals liked that about the UK too.

SharonJ Mon 19-Jun-17 17:22:04

durhamjen, Nationalisation is part of the Labour manifesto. It is against EU rules. The Labour manifesto was in favour of a hard Brexit and that clearly would have been in the minds of many who voted Labour during this election.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 17:37:25

The Labour party manifesto was not in favour of a hard Brexit. I voted for it. I think I would have noticed.

theconversation.com/fact-check-do-new-eu-rules-make-it-impossible-to-renationalise-railways-61180?sa=pg2&sq=nationalisation+and+EU+rules&sr=1

Nationalisation is not against EU rules, either.
Where did you get your information from?

SharonJ Mon 19-Jun-17 17:42:53

www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/08/renationalise-railways-what-no-one-will-tell-you-we-cant-while-were-eu

We are talking about perception here. I can tell you that many Labour voters were happy with the Labour manifesto because it favoured a hard Brexit.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 17:44:22

theconversation.com/left-wingers-for-brexit-need-to-wake-up-to-what-theyre-about-to-do-61259?sa=pg2&sq=nationalisation+and+EU+rules&sr=6

"If a left-wing British government tried to renationalise the railways, or any other utilities, the EU would be the least of its worries. The main obstacles would come from within the UK, most notably from the private sector and, indeed, the electorate. British voters are – whether the left likes it or not – far more economically conservative than most of continental Europe.

Any British left wingers thinking of voting to leave the EU over these issues should perhaps instead consider leaving Britain. "

From the article.

SharonJ Mon 19-Jun-17 17:45:39

And... from my Labour Leave update by email on 9th June 2017:

"The Labour manifesto, which caused such an upset last night, could not be fully implemented if we either stayed in the EU or opted for a 'soft Brexit'. EU rules would forbid the full renationalisation of either rail or utilities; they must be 'markets'.

EU rules on state aid would render any sort of active industrial policy impossible. Free movement of labour would hinder any efforts to either resolve the housing crisis or increase low end wages for working people."

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 17:47:16

That's good, Sharon, you use an article written by Kate Hoey to persuade me that you are right?

Somehow, I don't think she is unbiased. In fact that's an article she used to scare people into voting for Brexit. In 2015.

durhamjen Mon 19-Jun-17 17:48:16

Again, Sharon, that's Labourleave.
Biased!