Bang On Mr President......

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49462613
Has the EUSSR ever been anything but an Anchor/Millstone?

[Jackdaw33]

Clearly an American term. As you suggest, the UK term is a millstone round the neck.

[Zacs-Master]

Oh well if The Donald has promised a very large trade deal I’ll buy more Boing shares.

[Bazile]

//We're going to do a very big trade deal, bigger than we've ever had with the UK," he said.//

We'll see won't we

[douglas9401]

Big, bigger, biggest. He has the best words.

Just not many of them.

[cassa333]

Pelosi has said she will block t if it interferes with the NI border issue.

However knowing Pelosi and the Dems they will try to block anyth8ngnand everything Trump try’s to do.

[Jackdaw33]

What the hell has the NI border issue got to do with Pelosi or anyone else in the US for that matter?

[KARL]

So long as the UK accedes to all USA "red lines" there will be a "great deal" and Republican T-shirts will show the UK as the latest addition to its territory, after Greenland. Should be a walk in the park compared with negotiating with those awful Europeans.

[ladybirder]

It will be a very very very big deal.

[douglas9401]

I did see on the bastion of truth and honesty, Facebook, that the Prez had opened negotiations with Poundland until someone who could hold a thought explained the difference between the budget retailer and Poland.

[Old_Geezer]

As an EEC they were a mixed blessing, as the EU they were unrequired.

As for a US deal, we both have to accept both sides' red lines, including respecting the other's standards when exporting to them, and realising that the NHS is not for privatisation. Nonsense about Greenland impresses no one.

[andy-hughes]

I rarely, if ever, find myself in agreement with anything that comes out of President Trump's mouth, but in terms of his expression of the handicap to worldwide trade that is our link to the EU, I think he is absolutely spot on.

[Gromit]

In the1960/70s the Tories were desperate for us to join.
We did, without any vote or referendum.

We are now leaving under a another Tory Administration, and how we fare in the near future will dependent on Mr. johnson and his fellow Brexiteers.

What happens next - Who knows ?

[10ClarionSt]

Something else grinding your gears then, TTT? Time to get your rag out again!

[Zacs-Master]

‘What the hell has the NI border issue got to do with Pelosi or anyone else in the US for that matter?’

Oh dear. Someone point JD in the direction of IRA funding. Please.

[jourdain2]

I was in California once at the run-up to St. Patrick's Day. I honestly couldn't believe the hype. It was obvious that the citizens had no idea about the I.R.A. and the mayhem that they had caused because they were happily chucking cash at collectors 'for Ireland'.

O.P. The European Economic Area (the E.E.C.) seemed like a good idea and was generally beneficial to start with - but then it changed and now it is a horrendous handicap to us. 'Anchor' is probably the U.S. equivalent of 'Millstone' and is very descriptive if you think of a ship full of goods straining to sail on the high tide and sail around the world.

Hmm! Waxed quite lyrical and poetic there - not bad for Sunday evening just before bed. :)

[jno]

I imagine Trump is beside himself with glee over the idea that the US can deal directly with a moderately-sized ex-EU state rather than one with the negotiating power of the entire EU behind it. Especially since they've had a few years to observe how totally inept UK negotiators are. Make way for the chlorinated chickens!

[jourdain2]

Chlorinated chickens aren't really a problem jno - we always used to rinse them in bleach ourselves until the EU stopped it. I don't recall anyone coming to any harm - there are other issues regarding hormones, however.

[New Judge]

//I imagine Trump is beside himself with glee over the idea that the US can deal directly with a moderately-sized ex-EU state rather than one with the negotiating power of the entire EU behind it.//

Or perhaps keen on the idea that the US might indulge in some negotiations that may possibly get somewhere. The EU "negotiated" for almost fifteen years with the USA in an attempt to secure a trade deal. All in vain. The principle reason for that was that the EU refused to negotiate in good faith, refused to agree to anything that ended its protectionism for its Single Market members and was hamstrung by having to satisfy the requirements of 28 disparate nations. No such problems will be present when the UK negotiates a deal aimed at satisfying simply its own requirements.

[KARL]

The notion that negotiating with the USA will not involve any obstacles for the magnanimous/realistic/commonsensical (generous even) UK because, unlike the EU, the USA will be generously rather than competitively/adversarily disposed toward UK interests and only half-heartedly guard their own interests is unconvincing.

[jim360]

The UK economy generally did a lot better inside the EU/EEC than it had previously, when outside it. How much of that is lucky correlation and how much is causal is a matter for politics, but it would seem odd to suggest that the general upwards trend in the UK economy that only started following the biggest change to the UK's trading relationship with its nearest neighbours in centuries was merely coincidental.

And as to the idea that the negotiations between the EU/US breaking down being down entirely or mainly to the EU's unreasonableness is speculative at best. Or indeed ignores the US's own interests in protectionism -- especially under the current regime, which has now started trade wars with more or less everybody.