Sovereignty and 'take back control'

Death of a global power. I am sure lemon didn't want that.

www.theweek.co.uk/brexit/88562/post-brexit-britain-death-of-a-global-power

I'll bet it is.

TV time, eh?
I bet she didn't go to watch Mastermind.

Any questions was interesting. Not a lot backing May. It will be interesting to listen to any answers tomorrow to see how many irate leavers ring in.

There was "no need to impose tariffs where there are none now"

Of course there is. That's one of the four freedoms. You can't have one without the other three.

ukandeu.ac.uk/statement-from-the-uk-in-a-changing-europe-in-response-to-theresa-mays-speech-in-florence/

Not very impressed. Very negative.

Did May actually say anything apart from platitudes? Transition is a sensible strategy but it leaves most questions unanswered.

Creative Brexit .... what does that mean?

What did she mean about EU citizens' rights? It's all so waffly. She hasn't impressed the Brexiteers with the delays (transition) or the Remainers with her lack of clarity about important issues (the Irish border and EU citizens' rights). And she annoyed everyone by going on an unnecessary trip to sunny Florence.

Let's just admit Brexit will be a disaster and stay in!

The way she started, I thought she was actually going to announce that she was keeping us in, mostlyharmless.

i thought she was actually going to announce that she was going to keep us in
So I'm assuming that you are a bit disappointed, yes? Still, look on the bright side it could have been worse.

Petra ???
It was a really good speech, and well delivered, May has gone up in my estimation.
Of course, some posters on here would say black was white,
If they are either Corbyn fans or antiBrexit or both ?
I would hardly expect a ringing endorsement for the speech.
It really feels that the first firm steps towards leaving the EU are underway now.

Robert Preston just said he feels the speech means we're heading towards a 'leave with no deal' situation which I find very worrying.

I always disregard anything that Robert Peston says, just as a matter of principle.

Out of interest, who do you believe?

lemon funny I feel the same about May

The bloke in the local Spa shop has an opinion, would anyone like to hear it ?

petra

No, I wasn't disappointed, just bemused. The longer it went on, the more I realised she had just gathered together every phrase she had heard over the past six months and just patched them together.

The questions at the end were interesting, because she implied that the reporters hadn't been listening to her properly.

Were you listening to the same speech, lemongrove?

"Was the speech a success? Only in a negative sense. The Prime Minister has avoided both an open Cabinet split and a breakdown in negotiations with the EU27. But the price is is that progress in those negotiations will be painfully slow. And ultimately, averting a chaotic “No Deal” Brexit – let alone reaching a “deep and comprehensive” agreement on our post-Brexit relationship – will require difficult and painful compromises, and it is as yet unclear whether Theresa May, let alone her colleagues, are prepared to make them. “ "

t.co/oBCKQxJloA

Verhofstadt's reaction to May's speech.

Our credit rating has just been downgraded again.....what the hell is this country coming to?

"Moody's believes that the UK government's decision to leave the EU Single Market and customs union as of 29 March 2019 will be negative for the country's medium-term economic growth prospects. Aside from the direct impact on the UK's credit profile, the loss of economic strength will further exacerbate pressures on fiscal consolidation

Moody's is no longer confident that the UK government will be able to secure a replacement free trade agreement with the EU which substantially mitigates the negative economic impact of Brexit. While the government seeks a "deep and comprehensive free trade agreement" with the EU, even such a best-case scenario would not award the same access to the EU Single Market that the UK currently enjoys. It would likely impose additional costs, raise the regulatory and administrative burden on UK businesses and put at risk the close-knit supply chains that link the UK and the EU. Also, free trade arrangements do not as a standard cover trade in services -- which account for close to 40% of the UK's exports to the EU and 80% of Gross Value Added in the economy -- given the prevalence of non-tariff trade restrictions and the need to align regulations and standards. In Moody's view, the differences of outlook between the UK and the EU suggest that the most likely outcome is now a rather more limited free trade agreement which may exclude services: the UK's desire to pursue its own regulatory policies and to avoid the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will make finding an agreement on services challenging. Moreover, any free trade agreement will likely take years to negotiate, prolonging the current uncertainty for businesses."

I fail to understand how anyone can think that it was a good idea to have voted for this act of national self-harm.

Well I've read and listened to lots of stuff overnight, and commentators are coming to the conclusion that May has finally understood that what the Brexiters want simply isn't deliverable.

She has certainly blinked first in the negotiations and has moved considerably from her original stance. There will be war in the Tory party - as if there isn't war already - so I suppose there are generals lining up their troops for further battles. Hard line Brexiters like Mogg are clearly very unhappy (which conversely makes me very happy) and are talking about red lines etc. However if Remainers hold their nerve the hard line loons do not have a majority so can easily be defeated.
The bill will be paid
We carry on as is for 5 years at least which means
We remain under ECJ jurisdiction
FOM remains
Single market remains
Customs union remains

May wants to be as close to our position at the moment as is possible after we leave.
So why leave?

The Brexwits will still insist it's a good thing as the hapless government continue to rearrange the deckchairs. So we are basically in the EU for 2 extra years ( at least) paying in and abiding by the rules but having no say, this current lot will no doubt have been voted out by then and be leaving the mess to someone else. Meanwhile the £ continues to fall, countries like Poland and Hungary increasingly supply the EU with things the Uk are currently supplying , financial institutions continue to relocate, everything gets more expensive, but hey it's the will of 37% of the electorate.

I agree with you about Robert Peston lemongrove

One of the biggest things was that apart from there being no borders in Ireland - May had nothing to say about that real and present danger.

I suspect that the problem is so intractable that so far they are clueless as to how to deal with it.

Btw if we are leaving the single market and customs union, there will/must be a border. So it is clear what a muddle they are in.