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| Article 50 Week: When Britain Officially Bid "Adieu" To Europe | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 27 2017, 02:51 PM (313 Views) | |
| Webster | Mar 27 2017, 02:51 PM Post #1 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) EU's chief Brexit negotiator warns of 'distinct possibility' UK will leave with no deal --This is the week that will see Theresa May triggering article 50, starting the purportedly irreversible process that will see Britain sliding down the slipway and leaving the EU after two years. Today May is in Scotland, giving a speech touching on this and holding what promises to be a very awkward meeting with Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has emerged her most threatening UK opponent over Brexit. Two other opposition forces, Labour and Ukip, are also setting out their conditions for Brexit. Across the channel the main obstacle to UK Brexit success may turn out to be Michel Barnier, the European commission’s lead negotiator on this issue. He has written an article for today’s Financial Times (paywall) politely raising threats and conditions and it is well worth reading. Here are the main points. --Barnier says there is a “distinct possibility” that the UK and the EU will fail to strike a deal. That would have “severe consequences”, he says. It goes without saying that a no-deal scenario, while a distinct possibility, would have severe consequences for our people and our economies. It would undoubtedly leave the UK worse off. Severe disruption to air transport and long queues at the Channel port of Dover are just some of the many examples of the negative consequences of failing to reach a deal. Others include the disruption of supply chains, including the suspension of the delivery of nuclear material to the UK. --He says the UK will have to reach an early agreement about paying money an exit fee to the EU as it leaves for the talks to succeed. He does not set out how much he expects the UK to pay, although it has been repeatedly reported that it will demand about €60bn (£50bn). He says: Beneficiaries of programmes financed by the European budget will need to know if they can continue relying on our support. There is no price to pay to leave the EU but we must settle our accounts. The 27 member states will honour their commitments and we expect the UK to do the same — because it is the mutually responsible way to act. Barnier cites this as one of three issues that need to be addressed early in the negotiations. The other two are guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals in the UK and Britons living in other EU states, and not undermining peace in Northern Ireland. He goes on: If we cannot resolve these three significant uncertainties at an early stage, we run the risk of failure. Putting things in the right order maximises the chances of reaching an agreement. --He reaffirms his desire to negotiate the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU before negotiating a future trade deal. The British government wants to negotiate both in parallel. But Barnier says: This means agreeing on the orderly withdrawal of the UK before negotiating any future trade deal. The sooner we agree on these principles, the more time we will have to discuss our future partnership. --He says the EU will be “fair yet firm” in the talks in defending the interests of its 27 members states. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 02:49 PM Post #91 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) In Brussels, Guardian bureau chief Daniel Boffey reports that the main talking point of the afternoon is Theresa May’s “attempt to use security as a bargaining chip”. Reinforcing a point made earlier by Dan Roberts, Boffey notes: If you look at the European parliament’s resolution, it explicitly rules out any trade-off in the future relationship that involves security – and that mirrors how the chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the European council feel. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:06 PM Post #92 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the Commons home affairs committee, has echoed Tim Farron in criticising Theresa May for suggesting that security cooperation with the EU will suffer if the UK does not get a Brexit deal. She said: The prime minister is right to say that ‘in security terms a failure to reach agreement would mean our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened’. But that means her willingness to walk away with no deal if she does not get the deal she wants would not only be wrong but dangerous. She should not be trying to use this as a bargaining chip in the negotiations. This is not a threat to the rest of Europe, it would be a serious act of self-harm. She should rule out now walking away with no security deal as our national security and public safety depend on it. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:07 PM Post #93 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) Robertson says May will make independence 'inevitable' if she denies Scotland a referendum --In his response to Theresa May’s statement in the Commons, Angus Robertston, the SNP leader at Westminster, said that if she denied Scotland a referendum in its future, she would make independence inevitable. Here is an excerpt from his contribution. Last year the prime minister promised that she would secure a UK-wide approach, an agreement with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The prime minister could have taken the views of the devolved administrations seriously and reached an agreement before triggering article 50 as she promised - but she did not. The prime minister promised an agreement - today it is clear that there is no agreement. The prime minister has broken her word ... Yesterday the Scottish parliament voted by 69-59 that people in Scotland should have a choice about their future. Will the prime minister recognise the democratic right of the people to make their own choice after negotiations have concluded? The prime minister thinks that Brexit will bring unity to the United Kingdom. It will not. On this issue it is not a United Kingdom and the prime minster needs to respect the different nations of the UK. If the prime minister does not, if she remains intransigent and if she denies Scotland a choice on our future she will make Scottish independence inevitable. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:11 PM Post #94 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has reacted to the triggering of article 50, reports Philip Oltermann in Berlin: My wish is the Great Britain and the European remain close partners. Because for me the United Kingdom is and remains a part of Europe with which we have a lot in common, not least our common values. On the basis of these values, and with the help of fair rules we will strive for a balance of obligations and rights. Earlier, foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel issued a statement saying that negotiations “certainly won’t be easy” and ill-feeling may be understandable, but cannot be the basis for the future relationship: The phrase ‘Let’s stay friends!’ may sound hollow, but it is exactly the right one now. Great Britain will remain our neighbour, just like the EU will remain a neighbour to the British. We need each other. We should do everything to make sure that we maintain a good and friendly relationship with London in the future. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:12 PM Post #95 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) In a statement Paul Nuttall, the Ukip leader, said his party would act as “guard dogs of Brexit”. He said: While negotiations continue we will continue to be the ‘guard dogs of Brexit’, holding the government’s feet to the fire at home and our MEPs will be working to ensure our friends on the continent do not pull any fast ones. We will provide the political threat to ensure no backsliding takes place and ensure that Brexit does indeed mean Exit. With our six key tests we have set out a reasonable and clear position by which the government’s negotiations can be held to account. -Read more: http://www.ukip.org/today_the_government_will_finally_act_on_the_historic_decision_of_the_people_of_this_country_to_leave_the_eu |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:13 PM Post #96 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) In the Commons the Labour Catherine McKinnell asked Theresa May about her apparent pledge in her letter to withdraw security cooperation with the EU in the event of a trade deal which was not acceptable, asking if this meant the prime minister might walk away from an agreement. May denied this amounted to a threat. She told McKinnell: I go on to make very clear in the letter that not having arrangements, not having agreements, on these issues would not be in the interests of the UK and European Union, and we should work to ensure that we secure a deal. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:14 PM Post #97 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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--Crime & terrorism does not respect borders. Not a credible threat to link cooperation to a trade deal. #timetogetreal (Nick MacPherson, Fmr. Treasury Permanent Secretary - 29 March 2017) |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:15 PM Post #98 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) During the Commons session Theresa May denied pursuing a very hard Brexit. Labour MP Christian Matheson said the prime minister was “careering towards the hardest of Brexits, presumably a prisoner of the rightwing ideological Brexiteers on her own benches.” May responded: The honourable gentleman is wrong in the premise of his question when he says that the government is going for a hardest of hard Brexit. We are not. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:16 PM Post #99 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) The Green party says Brexit will not make Britain fairer. It has issued this response to the triggering of article 50, from the Green MEP Molly Scott Cato. Theresa May’s talk of a fairer society stands in stark contrast to her actions. Charging ahead with an extreme Brexit while dragging the rest of the UK with her is no way to ensure an equal Britain that has a productive relationship with its European neighbours. May’s blustery optimism about her ambitions for the UK after Brexit cannot mask the incredible challenges we face. She failed to even mention the environment or climate change, despite it being the largest shared threat we face. The statement repeatedly referenced the potential benefits for our children and grandchildren but the next generation has the most to lose as we hurtle towards an unknown future outside the EU. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:17 PM Post #100 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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![]() (The Guardian) Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader who probably did as much as anyone to bring about the leave vote, has been celebrating. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:17 PM Post #101 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) European parliament responds --Antonio Tajani, the president of the European parliament, and Guy Verhofstadt, its chief Brexit point-man, are speaking now in Brussels. The parliament is important because it effectively holds a veto over the Brexit deal and has already made plain its determination to influence the process. Tajani says the union has overcome many challenges but this is the first time a member state has decided to leave. We fully respect the UK’s democratic choice, he says, but this is not a good day for Europe. Tajani says the parliament’s first priority is to safeguard the interests of the EU’s citizens. An orderly exit is an absolute requirement and a pre-condition for any future EU-UK relationship. “This is not negotiable,” he says. The UK will have to respect its obligations as a member until the last day of its membership, he says: “Unilateral decisions will be contrary to the treaties, and therefore illegal.” The UK will not be asked to pay for anything it has not previously agreed to, he promises, but adds: “A no-deal scenario would be a catastrophe for all, but especially for the UK.” Being a member cannot be the same as being a member, he says, but a good partnership should be established with the UK after it has left. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:23 PM Post #102 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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--#BREAKING Merkel rejects May's call for parallel talks on EU-UK ties (AFP News Agency, 29 March 2017) |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:24 PM Post #103 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) Guy Verhofstadt, the EU parliament’s Brexit representative, says parliament will play a key role in the Brexit process. The basic principle is citizens first, he says, both in the UK and on the continent: “For us that is an absolute priority and the parliament thinks, in fact, it should be the first subject in the negotiations. They should not be bargaining chips.” The second point, he says, is that the parliament hopes for fair and constructive negotiations. Parliament will not accept that the UK starts trade negotiations “behind our back” with third countries, he says. It recognises there is a special threat to Ireland and Northern Ireland, Verhofstadt says: “The Brexit agreement has to fully respect all the aspects of the Good Friday agreement” and will not accept a hard border. The UK must meet its legal, financial and budgetary commitments, he says. Sectoral agreements cutting up the single market – destroying it – will not be allowed, Verhofstadt warns, adding that in the parliament’s view, an association agreement based on article 217 of the treaty should be the best solution. “We will never accept” a trade off between security and trade, he says. The parliament would accept a three-year transition period. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:25 PM Post #104 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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(The Guardian) UK accused of trying to 'blackmail' EU using security --Theresa May’s warning that a lack of a deal with the European Union will mean that the UK would be less able to cooperate with the bloc in matters of defence and security has set the two negotiating sides on course for a clash on day one of the two years of talks triggered by her letter. One senior EU source said that it appeared as if Britain was seeking to “blackmail” the EU into giving it a deal. A European parliament resolution, leaked to the Guardian, explicitly states that negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship “cannot involve any trade-off between internal and external security including defence cooperation, on the one hand, and the future economic relationship, on the other hand”. Those comments echoed a speech made by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, last week in which he said he was not willing to “haggle with the security of our fellow citizens in trade discussions”. |
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| Webster | Mar 29 2017, 03:30 PM Post #105 |
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Wasatch Storyteller & Resident Forum Curmudgeon
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![]() (The Guardian) Anti-Brexit campaigners have marched on the Stormont parliament in Northern Ireland to voice concerns about the future of free border movement, the Press Association reports. The demonstration included the erection of mock customs checkpoints to highlight fears about a hardening of the Irish border when the UK leaves the EU. The 300-strong protest came amid a political crisis at Stormont that has left the region without a devolved government as the Brexit process formally commenced. Protesters chanted “no borders, no barriers, no Brexit” as they made their way up the landmark main avenue to the steps of Parliament Buildings. While Sinn Féin and the SDLP joined the colourful picket, elsewhere unionists welcomed the triggering of article 50. The majority of voters in Northern Ireland backed remain – 56% to 44%. |
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