So he’s done it?

What are you trying to achieve? It might be better if you come up with your own analogies given you don't like the last 2

The EU, taken as a whole is the UK’s largest trading partner. In 2018, UK exports to the EU were £289 billion (46% of all UK exports). UK imports from the EU were £345 billion (54% of all UK imports).

The share of UK exports accounted for by the EU has generally fallen over time from 55% in 2006 to 43% in 2016, though this increased slightly to 44% in 2017 and 46% in 2018.

researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7851

If we leave the EU without a deal should we just forget about 46% of our exports and 54% or our imports?

Remember the the EU is the worlds' largest and most successful trading bloc in the world, currently comprising the UK and 27 other member countries.

In negotiations, size matters. A single "third country" as we would be outside of the EU, could never hope to get as good a deal as we presently have.

If we want to trade with the other EU countries at all, it would HAVE to be on their terms. We would have to comply with EU rules whilst having no say in them.

One of the most misleading mantras of the lying Leave campaign was "they need us more than we need them". Not true. They might sell more to us than we do to them, but not in percentage terms. UK trade only represents about 8% of their exports, as opposed to EU trade representing 46% of ours. Clearly a lot of leave voters never understood this and still don't.

Again not marvellous SirChenjin . Can you not think of one that doesn't involve death ?

Terrible grammar there but you get my drift

How about if hanging had gone to public vote a few years back when the majority were in favour of bringing it back and we'd got a majority?

Nowhere near as good (or realistic) as your usually brilliant analogies Elegran [disappointed emoji]

If a narrow majority voted to test a nuclear bomb on London, in the mistaken belief that the energy released by it could be harnessed and diverted to give free heat and power to the survivors, how many of those who had voted against it would meekly acquiesce in the decision and go meekly into the dark night?

Good posts montypops and Cherrytree59

MPs from all sides voted for a summer recess.

They obviously were not concerned enough (re Brexit) to give up their summer holidays.

They were well aware tthat Johnson could suspend Parliament and a general election could also be on the cards.

Since becoming PM, Johnson has been 'working', talking and planning and no doubt seeking legal advice, whilst others were sipping their pina colada.

After emptying their suitcase, do our MPs expect to just pick up where they left off?
Or in Corbyns case start to pick the splinters off his bum

If 'A week in politics is a long time'
Then six weeks is a bloody long time!

It could be said we are watching 2 games of chess, when it should be just one.

Had remainers in parliament not gone out of their way to try to block any form of Brexit, at any cost, we would not be in this position. Over a million more people voted leave than voted to remain. In a democracy the will of these persons should be followed. When I voted I didn't see anything on the ballot slip that said leave with a deal. I would like a deal, that allows us to trade with the rest of Europe, unfortunately, Brussels wants it on their terms and not ours and are not willing to negotiate further. Are we to be tied to Brussels for ever? Back in the 70s when we had the original vote to join, it was for a Common Market. This purely a trade agreement. We didn't vote to be governed by a foreign power and it will be nice not to be governed so, in the future. Time we got out of the mess that is the European Community and Boris is going about it, as best he can. UK will be a much better place, once we are our own masters/mistresses.

Lost all interest!

I suppose it's easier to cry 'doom mongers' then to face up to a possible reality and assess what that actually means for the country.

Head/sand is for some the only way to deal with such things - the magntitude of what could happen if the no deal proves as disastrous as the Yellowhammer report suggests is simply too great to take in.

Day6 "That takes the prize for the most doom-laden prediction varian."

I'm sure you've heard the saying 'just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you'.

Head, for the burying of sand in, anyone?

I'm saddened by all this political turmoil affecting the UK. Many of you likely have similar reactions over issues we face here in the US. That's because our world has been turned upside down and like you, I have trouble making sense of it. Democracy is under attack in many parts of the world and like some of us here, we can only share our frustration and powerlessness.

Praying for your country (and my own) and hoping against all hope that common sense prevails on both sides of the pond.

Extraordinary fuss! I am a remainer but the majority voted to leave. Therefore what is happening is democratic. When a Prime Minister of any party decides to stand down, their successor is decided by the party - nothing unusual about that- The proroguing of parliament has happened several times before. It is quite constitutionally correct- and as Parliament has been debating Brexit for 3 years and has achieved absolutely nothing- this represents a return to normality. The current fuss is being manufactured for partisan purposes- remember- I am a remainer - I have Swedish ancestry and many friends and relatives in Europe- I want us to stay but again I say - the Leavers had the majority in the referendum- and I am a democrat - from the Greek - demos kratos- government by the people. Boris - whether you like or loathe him - is carrying out the majority’s wishes.

An excellent comment today 'Johnson and Cummings have made a huge strategic error - they have finally united Remainers' - yes, spot on. Nothing else matters now- we are all united <3

For those blithely imagining how easy things will be after a No-Deal Brexit a report to read. It's fairly long but scary reading. It states that we will not only lose EU Trade deals but deals with other countries like Canada negotiated through the EU. The length of time other trade deals have taken and the number of Civil Servants who will have to be moved from other dept to cope with things. Then there is the N. Ireland problem. But go on celebrating. It may well be the last you have for years
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/preparing-brexit-no-deal-final_0.pdf

The "doom-laden predictions" are coming from people who truly understand the complexities of the many inter-related sectors of our economy and the importance of "frictionless trade.

The government's own information, Operation Yellowhammer, which they tried to supress, deals with measures to mitigate the immediate chaos, but much worse would follow, which is why we may well have a general election before the worst happens.

"From cross-Channel transport disruption to public disorder – the predictions in the leaked document"

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/18/no-deal-brexit-key-points-of-operation-yellowhammer-report

varian, if they had any decency at all, they should resign or have the guts to walk the floor.

Gonegirl 'Ok. That sounds snobby. I am truly sorry for anyone who will lose out financially. Just can't get wound up about it myself.'

oh my, how incredibly ... can't find the word.

It is about a lot more than those who will lose financially - can't you see that. It is families being split up as in Apartheid, it is people who have lived here or in the EU, for many many years, working hard, contributing, and being told to leave all behind, it is about whole towns and whole industries (including agriculture) losing their job- no, not one, but all in the same family, it is about being with loved ones suffering from cancer and other life threatening diseases, not knowing if they will get the treatment they need - the list goes on and on. Incredible that people are so shallow and callous that they can't or won't see.

And now, it has all gone beyond Brexit - it is about our Sovereign Parliamentary Democracy being trashed- and us becoming the vassals of Trump, with all it entails for our security in 100s of ways, including our health - and all that to 'regain control'.

And all those Ministers, including Johnson, who even recently publicly stated that proroguing was totally undemocratic and that they would never ever sign up to it.

2 new resignations so far- and I hope more will come, and that some will walk the floor, as Churchill did. It will take a very very long time for the UK to recover from this dreadful, underhand coup. Anyone who is not 'wound up' about this need to take a very serious look at themselves at what they stand for.

Listen to Cabinet Ministers Amber Rudd and Matt Hancock telling us how unacceptable it would be to suspend parliament - only two months ago

news.sky.com/video/amber-rudd-and-matt-hancock-opposing-the-idea-of-parliament-suspension-11796811

Someone tell me what awful things are going to happen please. I feel I'm not worrying enough!

Oh Gonegirl thank you! I am in stitches.

We, the country, voted to leave. The government has messed about for so long not doing as they were instructed the PM is left with precious little option

No, it would only be the beginning of a much worse nightmare of wrangling over trade agreements and looking for culprits to blame for what this country has brought upon itself, which would go on for the rest of our lives and blight the lives of our children and grandchildren

That takes the prize for the most doom-laden prediction varian.

I have noticed this Remainer emotional lever - "the children, grandchildren who are now about to suffer for the rest of their lives"

What if Brexit was the best thing to ever happen to the UK and gave our children and grandchildren a better UK, a better Europe?

You haven't even considered this scenario, have you?

My children and grandchildren, like me, embrace the future, whatever it holds. I am of the opinion that being chained to the EU would have blighted my family's future and that of the UK.

We don't know anything for sure so making such doom-laden predictions is very short-sighted.

I feel we move forward, positively, and so do millions of others, when we are out of the EU. You don't, but please appreciate you really do not have a clue how future generations will fare. All of us want the best for them, that you cannot deny.

One door closes, another opens, in my book.

(I await the usual comments...)

It isn't really about a 'better' deal, though but more about protecting people in Ireland etc and that is what the EU are doing. How can people criticise them for protecting their own?