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Cliff Edge anyone?

(1001 Posts)
whitewave Fri 30-Jun-17 07:31:33

This term gets bandied about in relation to Brexit without any of the consequences attached to it.

I have just done some research/ reading and thought it was time we all had the opportunity to discuss what exactly a "cliff edge Brexit" means and whether it can be taken seriously as a "no deal is better than a bad deal" deal.

So talks have failed and our government decides to go it alone.

It is day one of Britains great adventure

We have no trade deals with the EU or the rest of the world.
The economy goes into recession
We now have in front of us several years of negotiating trade deals both with our potentially biggest customer -Europe and the rest of the World.
Countries like Argentina and others that bear a grudge will block any dealings with the WTO.
Getting exports to Europe will become an absolute nightmare, as even if we have successfully arranged our borders for a post Brexit scenario, Europe has only just begun to get their border controls in place for the flow of goods to and from the UK.
The SE becomes a huge lorry park as good stand waiting to be processed. There is a potential for shortages to occur- particularly in relation to food, as there is only one port in Europe that is set up to deal with this commodity, and that is not yet functioning.
Issues like "country of origin" causes complete chaos for business and everything becomes a bureaucratic nightmare.
Flights are delayed/cancelled until the UK can do its own deals with regard to flight rights.
And of course as we have read only recently, nuclear material will dry up, threatening cancer and other treatment.

References are available on request????

MaizieD Mon 31-Jul-17 15:49:39

They need to have a plan too, so that we know what we're voting for

But we're not voting for anything, Primrose; we've done that.

We voted to Leave.

(unless, of course, we have a second referendum or a general election fought on Brexit)

Primrose65 Mon 31-Jul-17 15:55:20

Well exactly Maizie
I don't want to repost all the stuff from other threads, but there's been plenty of speculation about that already on GN and in the press.
And I have no problems with Labour, Lib Dems or the Green Party having good ideas - what's their plan? I really don't know.

MaizieD Mon 31-Jul-17 16:00:37

I thought the Lib Dems plan to stay in the EU

No-one knows what Labour plans because they're as wobbly as the tories

The Greens? Who knows...

Welshwife Mon 31-Jul-17 16:02:02

SANITISED EGGS - what the heck is that?
When my father kept chickens he had nest boxes for the laying of the eggs - which the hens used with no problem - and as the eggs rolled away from the hen and the boxes were clean few eggs were ever dirty - my mother dated the eggs and did not wash them till just before she was going to use them as she had been told washing removed a protective layer.

We never got sick from the eggs either - and we had soft boiled with bread soldiers!

Welshwife Mon 31-Jul-17 16:02:38

Caroline Lucas is totally against Brexit.

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 16:09:10

Aren't we all told to shut up by roses, and let the government get on with it?

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 16:26:18

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/31/no-10-rejects-off-the-shelf-transitional-deal-for-brexit

Downing Street has contradicted Hammond on Brexit. Maybot must be worried by him.

MaizieD Mon 31-Jul-17 16:27:27

Read the link, Welshwife grin

American eggs are washed, dried and sanitised before sale...

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 16:31:14

I like that, Maizie. EU eggs are not washed, because when we buy them we just look at them and reject those which are dirty. Therefore egg producers look after the layers better in the EU so that they are not rejected.

It almost makes you feel sorry for those living in America.

whitewave Mon 31-Jul-17 16:35:21

Left hand yo hoo!! Where are you? This is right hand calling!!

Ginny42 Mon 31-Jul-17 16:43:40

I would insert the words 'complete and utter' in front of shambles. May is on holidays and the tensions in the Tories are reaching fever pitch making very alarming reading this morning

Consider the negotiations to date. The EU negotiating team have been professional and focused, whereas the UK's Brexit team, Davis, Johnson and Fox have been ill-prepared and delusional, backtracking every time they meet the EU team head on. That is simply not good enough at this stage.

The sooner some people understand that the EU simply CANNOT give the UK a better deal than it already has and withdraws Article 50 the better. In the EU we progressed from being the sick man of Europe to being a leading G7 nation. Membership has provided stability, growth and wealth for this country over the past 44 years - 5th wealthiest in the world whilst in the EU.

Why aren't the Brexit team being totally honest and saying the UK is suffering now and will continue to suffer and we haven't a clue how to conduct these negotiations?

If the Tories could find the guts to say, 'Look we've examined the facts and come to the conclusion that Brexit is going to inflict untold damage on the people of this country, to jobs, wealth, the NHS, food quality(chorinated chickens???), workers rights, to say nothing of letting down young people, etc, and we recommend that we re-think the whole idea.

I could admire them for that.

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 16:59:42

The only ones who seem to have gained out of the EU shambles are Cameron and Osborne.

rosesarered Mon 31-Jul-17 17:05:22

I haven't told anyone to shut up durham .....simply pointed out that the negotiations are in the very early stages, which is why we don't have anything as yet.

Tegan2 Mon 31-Jul-17 17:13:02

But we've had a year and we've only got a couple more to sort this out; it isn't something that can go on indefinitely. That's why, if brexit is going to be the success that so many think it will be there should have been some sign of this by now. Thus far all I can see is utter disaster. Even the people involved in the discussions can't seem to agree with what their aims are sad.

whitewave Mon 31-Jul-17 17:16:57

I wonder how long this state of affairs can go on?

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 17:45:03

"It would be consistent with a certain kind of Britishness for the nation to ruin itself through sheer embarrassment. Having gone to the trouble of voting to leave the EU, a change of heart would just be too awkward: like complaining about a haircut while still in the chair. So we watch the mirror in mounting anxiety, fretting that this was never what we had asked for, forcing a smile nonetheless, knowing we’ll still pay at the end.

There is a swelling body of evidence that Brexit is shaking confidence in the country’s international credibility, and cannot be completed in the allotted time without economic vandalism. There is also the referendum result, before which evidence is made to cower. The decision has been taken. Article 50 is activated. We can’t get cold feet now. We’ve booked the caterers."

They are recognisable on GN.

whitewave Mon 31-Jul-17 17:50:02

Oh dj. That is so true, and would be funny except that we are going down together which is bloody annoying!!

GillT57 Mon 31-Jul-17 17:50:44

This may be irrelevant, but to me it matters; this morning I was dotting about and half watching the BBC broadcasts from Passchendale. I was struck by sight, as we all are, of the rows and rows of graves, and the young Belgian men respectfully tending the graves, recreating miniature English gardens around the them, talking about the flowers. Our history as part of Europe goes back a long way, beyond the silly posturing of many of the members of the European Parliament, what happens to these graves maintained by War Graves commission and also by the kindness and goodwill of local people?

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 18:02:45

Very relevant, GillT.
I watched the Passchendaele programme last night.
One of my relatives is one of the unknown dead whose name is on the Menin Gate.
Reading about other battles makes you realise how strong we were as a group, and wonder why the need to break away.

whitewave Mon 31-Jul-17 18:16:28

Love Fallon saying you shouldn't read everything you read in the papers when talking about the differences between Fox and Hammond etc.

grin we don't need to!!! We just listen to the words coming out of their mouths.

GillT57 Mon 31-Jul-17 18:23:04

Maybe Fallon is right ww, after all Gove writes for The Times and his wife writes for The Daily Mail grin and of course there is Boris in The Spectator......and Osborne in the Evening Standard... I will stick with Ian Hislop and Private Eye I think!

whitewave Mon 31-Jul-17 18:30:33

grin gill

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 18:40:33

Hislop wrote the Wipers Times play exerpts from which were shown on the Passchendaele programme last night, GillT.
It's going on tour soon.

durhamjen Mon 31-Jul-17 18:53:18

www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-eu-negotiator-europe-euratom-airline-safety-negotiations-theresa-may-worse-anyone-guessed-a7858586.html

Ginny42 Mon 31-Jul-17 18:57:09

The thought that never again would countless numbers of our youth face each other across battle lines in Europe was a huge consideration for me in the Referendum. If we could sit round a table and discuss our differences, there would never be another war on European soil. Now we're involved in the battle of disassociation from our European neighbours and it's very sad.

I'm not sure why the disgraced Fox is representing us anywhere in the world. He should remain sacked for what he did. With Fox, Gove and Johnson in the cabinet it seems lying and cheating are par for the course.

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