Brexit negotiations starting tomoorow

EFTA isn't an option at the moment, because the existing EFTA countries don't want the UK.

The rumour is that the UK might be offered an EFTA-style or EEA option, but not until after the German election. I guess it depends whether Merkel or Schulz wins.

Either might be easier for the government or Labour to "sell" to the public, but the UK would still be in a worse position than it is now and wouldn't solve the Ireland and Gibraltar issues.

As a matter of interest dbDB77 why do you support "hard Brexit"? I really can't see any benefits - only disadvantages - and need persuading.

djm Thanks I recognise him now from the Süddeutsche Zeitung. I have sent it to all my friends here and somehow it has so calmed me to read it and see all my worries put down on paper, that I now feel with him watching I now can relax and see what happens to the country of my birth.

Knowing of course that fate meant well with me when I left the UK with my handsome German husband in 1968.

Daphne - I really don't know what people mean by the phrase "hard Brexit" - it just seems to be a sound bite - as is the phrase "soft Brexit".
I said in my post that I support leaving the single market - the reason being that leaving the EU entails leaving the single market - this was clearly spelled out during the referendum campaign. The referendum delivered a leave vote and I believe in the democratic process.

So why do you support leaving the single market?

Oh where do I start? Leaving the EU means leaving the single market - they are inextricably entwined - it's probably best if I give you this link to Gisela Stuart's speech on leaving the EU - she says it so much better than I could anyway:
www.voteleavetakecontrol.org/gisela_stuart_exposes_the_risks_of_staying_in_the_eu.html
Hope the link works.

OK! Have read Gisela Stewart's speech. Most of it is based on false premises.

1 The UK is not in the Eurozone, never has been and is never likely to be. We will be no more or less affected by changes in the Eurozone (or dollar), whether or not we are in the EU.

2 She lied about the £350m per week.

3 The TTIP agreement between the EU and the US has been abandoned. The NHS is likely to be more influenced by US healthcare and insurance outside the EU.

Frankly, most of that speech is waffle.

dbDB77 - I'm sorry you think my comment was aimed at you. Of course it wasn't!

Cameron, when talking of the hard right Brexiters in his party called the swivelled eyed loons. They are the ones I am talking about.

The EU is not just the single market.
You have still not said why you want to leave the single market.
Boris thinks we can leave the EU and stay in the single market.

Why do you want us to pay more to import and export goods?

fullfact.org/europe/whats-difference-between-single-market-and-free-trade-agreement/

How about the customs union dbDB?

Errmm, I don't think I have much faith in the UK's Foreign Secretary:

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/its-not-a-two-ronnies-sketch-boris-johnson-flounders-in-carcrash-radio-interview-a3570631.html

He gets more embarrassing by the day. He was being interviewed about the paucity of the QS and he started talking about car insurance!!

It was brilliant. My grandson hurt himself laughing at that interview today.

You gov - over 66% think all parties should be involved in the Brexit negotiations.

All our EU agencies are being picked over by countries hoping to acquire them

Mrs May is not on the official agenda for the EU meeting today - what is on the agenda is the procedure for reallocating the Medicines Agency and the Banking Authority when UK leaves the EU.

Two Japanese banks moving their European headquarters from London to Frankfurt.

I must say, I have never heard said we are to have a hard Brexit, where has that come from. A deal that would be workable has to be reached, which would indicate a soft approach. May has listened to people, she made a mess of calling the election, so has taken all the things off that many objected too. Isn't that the way forward, not to dig your heels in but listen to people. Most of you will say she had no alternative, but she had, however aggrieved people feel about it Conservative won, not Labour, they have to get the best deal they can. I listened to a farmer whose whole work force was Romanian, he looked after them well, the jobs were offered in the uk only one person turned up, for just one day and left. It would be wrong to deprive the workers their right to work, so that needs sorting.

Hard Brexit = leave the single market and customs union without trying to negotiate access.

Most of the hard right loons want exactly that

One of the soft fruit growing farmers has now realised he is likely to go out of business if the EU workers are not allowed free access - but he did vote Leave to get something back for the UK that they never lost - Sovereignty.

Luckylegs she did not win. She didn't loose but she didn't win either. She did, indeed, have the largest number of seats and therefore, as the incumbent PM, first dibs at forming a Parliament but that is not the same as winning. She then has to get the vote on the Queens Speech - that is why she is doing deals with the DUP. There has been some thought that this deal may not be legal though - we shall see.

She would need more than all the other parties combined to have 'won'. She may not be able even to hold her own party together on some things; that is why she has "taken all the things off that many objected too"; not because she listened but because she knew she would not get them through. Pragmatic rather the listening. If she could not get such "things" through Parliament, there may be a vote of confidence which she might loose.

The Labour Party would then get the chance to form a government and if they couldn't we would have another election.

Welshwife I heard that interview as well - I think Schadenfreude sums up my reaction.

I heard it too Welshwife and Rigby. I'm afraid I couldn't have said schadenfreude as my mouth was hanging open.