Britain And The Eu Agree ‘Divorce’ Bill

[sp1814]

Good news?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/28/exclusive-britain-eu-agree-brexit-divorce-bill/

At least we’re definitely moving forward.

Sorry it’s the Telegraph (paywall). It’s their exclusive at the moment.

[youngmafbog]

Personally I dont care about the logic, if it stops us paying the EUSSR charlatans then it's all good by me.

[Old_Geezer]

There's always a border on the map, Khandro, but the issue is how actively are folk checked when crossing it. The EU have "soft" borders to non-EU countries elsewhere, there is no reason, save spite or cynically using it as a bargaining chip, that they wouldn't suggest the same in Ireland. The UK are content to try it with minimal surveillance at least until that proves an error, but agreeing to it doesn't suit the aims of the EU.

[Old_Geezer]

Rees Mogg makes a decent point, and it's to be expected that there will be difference of opinion in any team. I'd not see it as a reason for him to be uninvolved. But I'd like an independent court to judge what is the right thing to do; what takes priority.

[jno]

OG, surely it's the DUP who want the hard border? And May has unfortunately placed herself under their thumb.

[Old_Geezer]

Never looked it up before, but it seems not. The DUP claim to want a frictionless border, which is they have any care for the local economy, makes sense.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39976319

[Old_Geezer]

DARN !!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39976319

[Old_Geezer]

Looks like my browser has started leaving off the http://
:-(

[Togo]

I have already suggested that we leave the NI/Eire border exactly as it is. We just monitor the ports and airports between NI and the rest of the UK as we will with Eire when we are finally out of the pyramid scheme. Now with a little forward thinking we could even adopt the French way of doing things. Special channels for British passport holders and British registered vehicles where they are processed quickly and efficiently. Other passport holders and foreign plated vehicles are subject to strip searches, and forensic vehicle searches, and delayed for hours. Sorted.

[redvanman]

I said just pull out it is the only way

[jno]

OG, they have a frictionless border right now, because both countries belong to the EU. But they are adamant NI must leave the EU. You can't have a frictionless border between two countries without some sort of union. If Britain wants to set up its own customs and immigrations regime - which seems to be the point of Brexit - and it differs from the EU's, then full-scale border checks will be needed, to stop scoundrelly refugees and smugglers. Barnier did suggest this could be averted by allowing NI to have some sort of special economic-area deal with Ireland, but the DUP don't want deals with Ireland; Brexit must mean Brexit.

[Togo]

Of course it will all depend on what conditions the EU impose on Eire. They may insist that the Republic cannot have a soft border in which case they will be compelled to fund and man whatever controls the EU see fit.........on their own side of the border. :))

[redvanman]

Would Greece and Italy pay a divorce bill don't think so they want how money to keep them afloat

[jno]

the EU wants a soft border. It's Britain that wants to leave, and Britain that wants to keep out immigrants who might go via the EU to Ireland, then sneak across the border. The Irish also want a soft border, and as EU members they have the power to block any deal that doesn't provide one.

[Togo]

Repeat.
//I have already suggested that we leave the NI/Eire border exactly as it is. We just monitor the ports and airports between NI and the rest of the UK as we will with Eire when we are finally out of the pyramid scheme. Now with a little forward thinking we could even adopt the French way of doing things. Special channels for British passport holders and British registered vehicles where they are processed quickly and efficiently. Other passport holders and foreign plated vehicles are subject to strip searches, and forensic vehicle searches, and delayed for hours. Sorted.//

[jno]

I saw that. You're suggesting internal border checks within the UK, which doesn't sound very United to me. They don't have them between Germany and France, they don't have them between Colorado and Kansas. I can't help feeling the DUP won't think that's a great idea either, though as far as I can see nobody's yet plucked up the courage to suggest it to them.

[Togo]

Checks in NI on outgoing(to the UK anyway)travelers. Or checks on UK mainland for incoming travelers from NI. Simple. The only "hard" border would then be an internal one within the UK and nothing to do with the meddlesome EU. The real problem is of course Mr Michel Bernard Barrier and his chums.

[Togo]

Remember though this internal "border" would be no hardship if a British passport and licenced vehicle is being used. Other "travelers are subject to the same controls as travelers from anywhere in the EU or rest of the World.

[mikey4444]

On a side issue, I watched Ch4 news last night, and a senior Ford Executive made a very good point of explaining that a hard brexit would not be a good thing for Ford UK, with the work force at Dagenham being directly threatened.

[jno]

his name's Barnier (or was that a little joke?), but he's never been the problem; he's proposed a solution, a sort of free-trade area, which May on her own probably would like. As I said, the problem may be the DUP, not the EU. Unions by definition don't have internal borders and I'm not sure they'd approve of one.

[ichkeria]

Most unfortunate timing, the announcement of the royal nuptials.
Burying all that bad news :-)