The Irish question

whitewave

I don't know is my answer but I don't make wild guesses either. I simply ask how there can be a seperation , cherry picking by a country that does not comply with the rules of the Four Freedoms / Pillars if a country either is or is not a member of the EU/EEA/EFTA .

The current thread running re the EEA cannot be dismissed and I thought you could enlighten me as you have raised the EEA as a prospect again on this thread.

The Irish question is obviously a huge stumbling block. So are the 3 million EU-nationals living in the UK. I await with trepidation what the Government will finally propose for us. I know that TM has SAID that we are all safe and welcome to stay. I would like to know on what conditions. Verbal reassurances are meaningless.
The Referendum was a gamble David Cameron was convinced he would win. I'm sure Leave voters are on the whole good and caring people but they were conned into believing that all the ills of the UK stem from the EU. It has been suggested on GN that not even Leavers believed that extra money would be pumped into NHS. I thinkt many did believe it. Voting to leave was an emotional reaction. Wind people up, give them false promises, present them with a Yes or No vote and many will behave like children.

One wise man wrote...”Why go on further with confusing voice...
The rule is, never give a child a choice.”

This is on Twitter
@tconnellyRTE
BREAKING: UK will concede that there will be no "regulatory divergence" on the island of Ireland on the single market and customs union, acc to a draft text seen by @rtenews

So where does that leave the border question and what are the implications for the rest of the UK?

And how will Arlene react?

A major wobbly I would think mamie

I await the Scottish claim to “no regulatory divergence”

Will of the people and all that

So does that mean a sea border? Isn’t that what Ireland wanted?

I am beginning to think that lack of preparation by our shower of a government is really beginning to be obvious now.

They have accepted both the bill, and the citizens rights - ECJ - which is the EUs stand, and now the RoI insistence on a sea border at the minimum.

Have they actually contributed anything intelligent? Actually probably not give Davis’s renowned laziness.

Maybe they had all this planned and all the ifs buts and maybes were just to lead us to this place? Not likely I know given the incompetence of the government.

The Irish question is quickly morphing into a real crises! As most expected.

May is suggesting as far as I can understand that regulatory alignment for NI breaks the Good Friday Agreement, so is she talking about regulatory realignment for the whole of the U.K.? Can anyone enlight3n me

Kuenssberg tweeted

Possible Norway deal

Meeting behind closed doors with Tory MPs at 4pm. Like to be a fly on the wall.

DUP are cross aren’t they?

The question is if Maybot can take parliament with her over Norway, does she need either the loons or the DUP? My guess is not.

It was always going to happen wasn’t it? Tail wagging the dog.

I would hope that other parties would support a "Norway" deal, even if it is less acceptable than remaining in the EU. The better option would be a referendum when terms are known with the choice between negotiated deal and staying in. But a "Norway" solution is certainly better than jumping off the cliff.

Can't May ignore Arlene Foster and her crew? NI voted Remain. Does the DUP really represent them?

Couldn't May tough it out without the DUP?

Norway deal (or similar customs union deal) or EEA route makes sense.

How does Norway deal work - like with Switzerland, it is based on free movement of people.

Don’t forget she has the loons to deal with as well. I reckon Johnson and Gove are amongst them, as remember the warning red line letter they wrote excluding Davis?

mostlyharmless remember the full title of the Conservatives is the Conservative and Unionist Party. There are significant numbers in the party who would agree with Arlene Foster and May is subject to their will.

So May has to placate every crackpot interest group in her party? Impossible.
And that ignores all the Remain voters interest groups. London, Scotland etc etc.
Might as well give up now.

And just stay in!

It has been suggested that she has a referendum along the border. It will still annoy Arlene Foster, but at least she will know the will of the people.

Mostly, I think May's first problem would be that the DUP could bring her government down. I also think that although the Conservatives have liked to believe they are 'Parliament' they have had to accept they are not - they are only the government and a minority one at that.

If you think that a Norway style deal is probably the best we could get then Arlene Foster is your hero for the current five minutes as what they need will push us in that direction imo.

A Norway type deal or EEA or a customs union deal of some sort would be better than a hard Brexit.
But just staying in would be the best deal.