The Last Days of Mrs May?

On buying my newspaper this morning I noticed some VERY favourable headlines regarding the PM, who has more or less told the EU to respect Britain if they hope to get a deal. The worm has turned methinks and it's a long overdue stance.

She is fighting for our place at the table and if the EU continue to treat us with derision and as outcasts with a begging bowl, to remain completely intransigent, then we can and will walk away. Her menacing tone was quite fitting. Even die-hard remainers are wondering why we'd pay Brussels billions every year to remain if all we will get are demands, instructions, rules and crumbs from the EU table, IF we play nicely/concede. Our bargaining power is non-existent.

Given May's stance, I rather liked the Sun's headline today - "UP EURS!" Very fitting.

MawBroon, Quote [Or rather Maw, Tusk’s advisors did, and in fact, they may well have got it from someone else, Like Grandad?]End Quote

Yes I did. Repeated it because I thought it was a great line, especially in the rather fraught circumstances.

Or rather Maw, Tusk’s advisors did, and in fact, they may well have got it from someone else

Like Grandad?

Good post varian (12.33, was interrupted).
Also agree that the ‘treating with respect’ mantra is childish - not worthy of any PM.
What do the supporters of the eventual WTO option think will be the prospects of those on low incomes in the meantime? We do not see this being covered by Brexiteers but denial cuts no ice any longer.

It's a pity we can't go back to the original format that we joined all those years,ago, i.e.:- A trading block with free movement of people. We all signed up to that with such enthusiasm (and would again) without any idea of what the actual end game was, a Federal block run by Brussels!! We were lied to then, in those far off days when we naively believed our politicians were truthful, well over that sort of thing anyway! and curiously, pretty well kept in the dark from that day on, again trusting that our politicians were not sneaking in deals we might not be too keen on, round the back door. They were, we've rumbled it and we are saying No thank you!

Or rather Maw Tusk’s advisors did, and in fact, they may well have got it from someone else.

it may be a case of some on this forum wishing to have their cake and eat it, but perhaps finding there are no cherries on the top

I fear Donald Tusk cracked that gag before you Grandad
#oldonesarethebestones

They are doing all they can (EU) to make things as difficult as possible simply because they are scared of any other country trying to break free.Childish rhetoric and cartoons/tweets/ cherry picks etc from the EU side is just their games.All of which shows, for those who doubted it, that the EU aim is to become a vast State ruled by Brussels with Germany and France as top dogs and not as it’s original purpose just a trading bloc.
We can’t leave soon enough!

In the above posts the EU is accused of "bending the rules" as and when it suits them, and that is very true. It was true when the European Union allowed Britain to opt out of the Maximum Hours Regulations while all other member states signed up to the directive. Many have argued the opt-out has given Britain an unfair advantage in commercial competition within the EU.

As has also been pointed out the European Union had demonstrated flexibility in allowing Budget deficits to be greater than 3 per cent of GDP where member states have incurred financial difficulties and have requested such a facility. The foregoing demonstrates pragmatism within the EU Commission and Parliament to the credit of both bodies.

In allowing six member states to suspend the "free movement of Labour" then the crux of that situation is held in one word "SUSPEND". That allows for the freedom to be reinstated at any time should the EU commission or Parliament in consultation with the member state decide that it should be.

However, the above situation cannot be applied to the UK as we are leaving the European Union on a permanent basis, therefore, a suspension solution is impossible to apply. In that Britain wishes to withdraw from the EU while retaining the free movement of capital, goods and services but not the free movement of Labour. That is obviously unacceptable to the European Union on a permanent basis.

Many have asked why a free movement of labour suspension could not have been offered to Britain prior to the referendum? I believe that there is one answer to that, being David Cameron never stated the case for Britain being granted such a suspension.

Therefore the European Union is in the eyes of some dammed when they demonstrate flexibility in regard to member state treaty obligations and dammed when they do not as in the withdraw negotiations with Britain.

it may be a case of some on this forum wishing to have their cake and eat it, but perhaps finding there are no cherries on the top.

I think it is high time that those who want to Remain in the EU, which includes the majority of MPs, stop saying "we must respect the result of the referendum".

I don't respect it. It was fraudulent, won by lies, millions of those most affected were disenfranchised, and it has now been clearly demonstrated that any kind of "delivery" of that result will cause irrevocable damage to our country.

Sorry, but I totally disagree with Diana54. The referendum was a complete disaster. It has created bitterness right across the Country and we were not told the true facts. All this just to keep the RW Tory extremism at bay. Heads should roll but whoms?

We need to return to the status quo and be able to rebuild trust. I just cannot see May or Corbyn doing that unless the nation speaks. That is why I want a People’s vote.

Stop niggling!

That still doesn't make it a cartoon, nelly.

Have you seen it?

It was meant to have '....' round that word which didn't come out. Abject apologies MaisieD. Hope you'll forgive me!!

In the past there have been other special bailouts or refunds, they have been negotiated and allowed by agreement. The U.K. Does not seem to have any other countries supporting us, not one,

Bailouts and refunds (of which we were a huge beneficiary, remember the 'rebate'?) are an intra-EU matter. Of course they pull together over that.

WE are trying to be an ex-member state. Why would anyone expect the member states to support us in that aspiration?

The cartoon was just childish

What cartoon would that be, nelly? One that you clearly have not even seen....

Good article on Salzburg by Tom Connelly of RTE:

www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2018/0921/995292-salzburg-chronic-misreading/

In the game of Jenga, competitors build a tower of identical wooden bricks, creating a new layer each time by deftly removing one block from below and placing it delicately on top.

The higher the tower rises, the more unstable it becomes, and the more skill is required to extract each new brick without bringing the whole structure down.

This aptly describes Theresa May’s Brexit strategy. Salzburg may well prove to be the clumsily extricated brick.

conservative ( not a word that I like to use) estimates say Scotland will lose 80.000 jobs and £12.5 BILLION off the economy .Well done to those who want to go back to a world that never existed in the first place .Contary to the usual guff we're fed about our exports England is not the main trading partner and 52% of all Scottish exports are to the EU .Add that to the exodus of foreign nationals and watch the decline in the NHS etc .THIS country says get this mess sirted and if Mrs May is as incompetent as she appears to be then let someone else do the job .The court of Sessions is now sending the case for Scotland staying in the EU to the European Court of Justice .With a (forlorn) hope we can stop this farce before our economy is decimated .

Of course other countries don't support us, they value their financial well being far too much!
The cartoon was just childish and not really worth reacting to! Government by Twitter? Well, I suppose being trendy is all important, but doesn't seem very statesman like to me!

Sadly it seems Trump is not alone in government by Twitter.(add in Instagram)
Shame that a “Bon mot” and not even a particularly funny one should be Tusk’s apparent ambition. I thought things were a tad too serious for that.
Leave that sort of thing to the political cartoonists or Matt who never puts a foot wrong.

Tusk, misogyny it's easy to throw sexism into the ring, not justified in this case TM is every bit as tough as any man, probably a tough as Thatcher, not that I'm applauding her.

I thought the cherries quip was funny but I understand why the Brexiteers didn't, in my view it reinforces the EU determination not to allow any deal that other states don't get. In the past there have been other special bailouts or refunds, they have been negotiated and allowed by agreement. The U.K. Does not seem to have any other countries supporting us, not one, so it's hard to be optimistic about the EU changing tack

Excellent post MawBroon, I read it out to Mr. S., he thought it was excellent too and he voted remain.

There are other Ports apart from Calais MargaretX, who by all reports are preparing for a surge in business. In any case lorries piling up the other side of the channel can't be a particularly attractive prospect for Calais either!!
Interesting post MawBroon but not surprising! So much hypocrisy-quite takes your breath away!! While I'm sure the EU considers itself a community of equals, but as we all know, some are more equal than others!!! Rules can be bent and broken if it suits by the more powerful who do hold the purse strings, look at Greece, a salutary warning to all you countries desperate to join these band of crooks, be careful what you wish for!

So those who voted leave did so in the hope of reigniting the troubles in Northern Ireland ?

So, plunging the UK into economic catastrophe and reigniting The Troubles in NI are a worthwhile price to pay for leaving the EU?

To think that Remainers are accused of being unpatriotic.

You Leavers appal me

MawBroon
Thank you for pointing that out.
I would like to add that 3 of the worst rule breakers are 3 of the 6 founding members: France, Germany, Italy.

Absolutely Maw the EU is being so intransigent only because it fears any other members breaking away, not because of any precious rules!
I think there is an element of misogyny re Tusk and others they think they can get away with being like that with a woman PM. Regardless of gender though, to post a silly caption with a photo just after such a serious meeting is all part of the EU playing games.Thank God we are leaving.