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The Irish Question revisited

(255 Posts)
varian Wed 09-Jun-21 19:39:28

Brexit minister accuses EU of 'legal purism' over NI Protocol

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57378954

Presumable "legal purism" means keeping to your word and not reneging on a legal agreement you recently negotiated and signed.

The fact is that it was always going to be impossible to abide by the Good Friday Agreement and not have a border on the island of Ireland, whilst the Republic of Ireland remained in the EU but the UK left the EU and the Single Market, without having a border somewhere and if that border is not on the island of Ireland it has to be in the Irish Sea.

Many of us foresaw problems in NI because of Brexit years ago. Why could the Vote Leave Tory Government and the DUP not see what was blindingly obvious to us?

www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1242729-The-Irish-question?pg=22

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 07:44:31

It is normal that the host and the senior guest - in this case the president of the USA give joint press conference, but yesterday that didn’t happen.

Oh how the Johnson side must wish Trump was still president!

Talullah Fri 11-Jun-21 07:45:05

It appears to have gone far better than one would have thought after reading comments on here and other media. Jim seemed to enjoy Boris's company and it was rather strange seeing such happiness at a summit. So much smiling. I had been told there would be handbags at dawn with Joe reprimanding Boris, so I waited to see this dressing down and it didn't come.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 07:46:46

Talullah

It appears to have gone far better than one would have thought after reading comments on here and other media. Jim seemed to enjoy Boris's company and it was rather strange seeing such happiness at a summit. So much smiling. I had been told there would be handbags at dawn with Joe reprimanding Boris, so I waited to see this dressing down and it didn't come.

??? it doesn’t happen in public, politicians always put a good face on things that is their job.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 07:47:16

Who is Jim?

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 07:57:24

What the Johnson press may be underestimating is that as a politician Biden is one of the most experienced.

He is able to see through the Johnson spin and fog and able to cut through to the chase.

Biden’s message is this-

A deal was agreed for good reason - now get on and implement it”

“Biden is determined that the democratic West shows a unified face to both Russia and China. He is determined that his democratic allies should not embark on this titanic struggle by falling out with one another. Any suspicion that Johnson is intent on playing to the gallery by falling out with the EU will infuriate Washington. It will also be a million miles from Johnson’s claim that Britain is the “buckle that joins everything together”

Talullah Fri 11-Jun-21 08:05:09

Whitewavemark2

Who is Jim?

Haha! Oh my word. I really am losing it. My memory. I just can't remember anyone's names. I meant Joe of course. I don't think he'd mind. I believe he often muddles names up as well.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 08:13:18

?? I guessed that. I was just teasing.

Talullah Fri 11-Jun-21 08:15:17

Whitewavemark2

?? I guessed that. I was just teasing.

smile

mokryna Fri 11-Jun-21 08:21:52

Biden is very interested in the Good Friday agreement because he has invested so much time working since the 1980s for peace Therefore he does want the conflict to restart because of a disagreement caused by the withdrawal from the EU .

This is the French version being explained to the French public on the 8 am news franceinfo. Is was said that the disagreement is because Northern Ireland is treated as a member of the EU, in order to keep the peace. If, Great Britain, like other countries outside the EU, wish to export meat to the EU it must be frozen.

Urmstongran Fri 11-Jun-21 09:01:16

Yet the G7 leaders will all be eating our UK produce this weekend! Dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ‘t’s’ doesn’t begin to cover this EU intransigence.

I’m looking forward to GB News starting this Sunday to give a forensic, honest analysis of events! Is it Fox News with a British accent? Andrew Neil says definitely not! Bring it on.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 09:17:18

Urmstongran

Yet the G7 leaders will all be eating our UK produce this weekend! Dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ‘t’s’ doesn’t begin to cover this EU intransigence.

I’m looking forward to GB News starting this Sunday to give a forensic, honest analysis of events! Is it Fox News with a British accent? Andrew Neil says definitely not! Bring it on.

Do you need Fox News to tell you what to think?

GrannyGravy13 Fri 11-Jun-21 09:18:52

How rude Whitewavemark2

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 09:19:38

GrannyGravy13

How rude Whitewavemark2

That is what ug is implying.

theworriedwell Fri 11-Jun-21 09:23:13

Urmstongran

Yet the G7 leaders will all be eating our UK produce this weekend! Dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ‘t’s’ doesn’t begin to cover this EU intransigence.

I’m looking forward to GB News starting this Sunday to give a forensic, honest analysis of events! Is it Fox News with a British accent? Andrew Neil says definitely not! Bring it on.

Well they will be here in the UK so of course they will eat our produce.

I love some of the language, intransigence, purism. What it means is we signed and deal and the cheeky foreigners thought we actually intended to honour it. How very dare they.

Urmstongran Fri 11-Jun-21 09:27:44

On the other hand, an answer could be to give Biden a going away present of 5 lbs of English sausages from Sainsbury's. Then to route him home via Belfast.

Customs will search his luggage and confiscate his contraband sausages. He will hopefully be very annoyed and understand the situation immediately. It will be a Damascene conversion.

nadateturbe Fri 11-Jun-21 09:30:49

Good idea Urmstongran

MaizieD Fri 11-Jun-21 09:31:24

Yet the G7 leaders will all be eating our UK produce this weekend! Dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ‘t’s’ doesn’t begin to cover this EU intransigence.

That is completely irrelevant, Ug. People eat all sorts of things in other countries which they would not care to have imported to their own.

Third countries have to observe third country rules when exporting to the EU unless they have agreed to observe EU standards. UK is a third country and refuses to commit to complying . Rules is rules as far as the EU is concerned. You voted to be free of EU rules, you have to live with the consequences.

MaizieD Fri 11-Jun-21 09:34:48

Urmstongran

On the other hand, an answer could be to give Biden a going away present of 5 lbs of English sausages from Sainsbury's. Then to route him home via Belfast.

Customs will search his luggage and confiscate his contraband sausages. He will hopefully be very annoyed and understand the situation immediately. It will be a Damascene conversion.

I don't think that Biden would be so stupid as to accept them or that his security detail would accept a re-routing.

theworriedwell Fri 11-Jun-21 09:37:33

In my experience he would get better sausages in Northern Ireland. In fact all the ingredients for an Ulster Fry would be better sourced there. Not sure why English sausages are an issue.

I quite fancy a visit to Belfast now and a proper Ulster Fry.

Alegrias1 Fri 11-Jun-21 09:39:11

British. British sausages.

There's a clue for you.

Urmstongran Fri 11-Jun-21 09:56:46

You voted to be free of EU rules, you have to live with the consequences

Still too many rules for me. The EU want to keep us locked into their orbit. Brexit was surely all about the opportunity for divergence. Otherwise, why bother if it’s Brexit-lite? C’mon Lord Frost sort it out.

Alegrias1 Fri 11-Jun-21 10:02:20

Hooray! Free for all!

When do we sent in the gunboats and make them buy our opium?

growstuff Fri 11-Jun-21 10:02:36

By wanting the EU to treat the UK as an exception, Brexit-lite is precisely what you seem to want.

growstuff Fri 11-Jun-21 10:12:30

Julia Hartley-Brewer has just said on Talk Radio, "Many worried that Northern Ireland had effectively been thrown under a bus to deliver Brexit for the rest of the UK. I, as a Brexiteer, hold my hands up to that, as a price worth paying."

So there we have it! She knew and I suspect many others did too that there is no solution for NI, but she didn't care.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 11-Jun-21 10:16:22

growstuff

Julia Hartley-Brewer has just said on Talk Radio, "Many worried that Northern Ireland had effectively been thrown under a bus to deliver Brexit for the rest of the UK. I, as a Brexiteer, hold my hands up to that, as a price worth paying."

So there we have it! She knew and I suspect many others did too that there is no solution for NI, but she didn't care.

That’s as may be but they have still the USA to contend with if they want a trade deal.