Tag Archives: Michel Barnier

Theresa May’s Brexit is collapsing around her – but she may have one small hope

Theresa May: Will Brexit bring her down?

Theresa May is in serious trouble over her plan for Brexit. In fact, there may be only one chance for her to put her plan into operation – but if she takes it, her humiliation will be complete.

Allow me to explain:

Tory Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab spent October 14 in talks with Michel Barnier, in a bid to resolve the “big issues” preventing agreement between the UK and EU27 on the terms of our separation at the end of March next year:

It did not go well:

Here‘s how The Independent covered the situation:

“A Brexit deal has not been struck despite “intense efforts” in Brussels on Sunday, Michel Barnier has said.

“Mr Barnier’s announcement immediately deflated speculation of a breakthrough in the difficult negotiations, following Mr Raab’s surprise trip to Brussels and the summoning of ambassadors to a meeting at EU headquarters.

“One of the most pressing issues is the Northern Irish backstop, a mechanism to avoid a hard border.

“The EU’s version of the backstop, which would see just Northern Ireland remain aligned with Brussels’ rules, has been called unacceptable by Ms May and is loathed by her DUP allies.

“Ms May’s counter-proposal is for a “temporary customs arrangement” for the whole of the UK, but Tory Brexiteers fear this could become an open-ended position which would prevent free trade deals with countries around the world.

“No further negotiations are planned before European leaders including Theresa May meet for a further summit in Brussels on Wednesday, according to a senior EU diplomat.”

Journalist and commentator Paul Mason paints an accurate word-picture of the situation, I think:

As the reports indicated, Mr Raab’s – and Theresa May’s – problems are not limited to disagreement with the Eurocrats:

The article refers to Mr Johnson’s latest column in the Daily Telegraph, in which he urged Mrs May to “stand up” to “bullies” in the EU. It also points out that Mr Johnson is the most likely to benefit from Mrs May’s humiliation, as he is considered the most likely to replace her as Tory leader (what a horrible thought).

On the other side…

This article refers to a tweet by Anna Soubry, who is currently an outspoken Conservative backbencher. She states:

This is – of course – a view that is diametrically opposed to that of Mr Johnson.

So we can see that the Tories are as bitterly-divided over the EU as they ever were, even though the referendum of 2016 was intended to end this conflict.

Clare Hepworth is right, but I would go further. She will never be able to reconcile the differing point of view.

So what’s her “one small hope”, that I mentioned in the headline?

Simple:

Named in the article are Gareth Snell, Ruth Smeeth, and Caroline Flint – to whom we may reasonably expect to add Kate Hoey, John Mann, Graham Stringer, and Frank Field – who resigned the Labour whip after a vote of ‘no confidence’ in him by constituency party members, prompted by this very issue.

But Aaron Bastani is correct – nobody who is serious about Labour regaining office can countenance this.

Labour’s pro-Brexit rebels (who also appear to be very much anti-Jeremy Corbyn) know that party members are keen to end the Parliamentary careers of MPs who do not support current policies, and may use the selection process in the run-up to a general election to choose new candidates.

Supporting Mrs May might seem a wise tactic – but another general election must take place sooner or later, and party members will not forgive what they will see as treachery.

Remember: The NHS is being sold off piecemeal, its patients’ health treated as commodities to be bought and sold; Universal Credit and the sickness and disability benefit system are leading to the deaths of many thousands of people; privatised utility companies are failing to deliver the services required at a reasonable price… The list of infamy goes on and on.

We need a change of government as soon as possible. Anybody in the Labour Party who helps prevent that will be signing a death warrant for their political career.

As for Mrs May – she’ll take all the help she can get, but the fact that she might have to get it from Labour rebels will be humiliating for her. Mortifying.

But she’s a Tory. She’ll accept any embarrassment if it keeps her in a position to inflict harm on you.

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‘Chequers’ Brexit plan won’t get past Barnier – so what’s the way forward?

Michel Barnier.

We need to think this through.

Mr Barnier said:

“The British have a choice. They could stay in the single market, like Norway, which is also not a member of the EU, but they would then have to accept all the regulations and make contributions to European solidarity.

“But if we let the British cherry pick which of our regulations to follow, that would have serious consequences: all sorts of other third countries could insist that we offer them the same deal.

“That would be the end of the single market and the European project. I am often accused of being dogmatic in the UK, but the truth is I’m only protecting our fundamental interests.”

So, what’s the way forward? Protectionism?

EU manufacturers are being told to boycott our goods because they will pay higher tariffs from the end of March next year. The UK will not be able to rely on those markets.

It follows that UK businesses will also have to eschew the use of EU-originated goods – for the same reason.

We’ll have a choice between trading elsewhere – and we all know how well that’s going! – or working hard to become self-sufficient.

That’s protectionism. It is what globalists like the Conservatives have argued against for decades. How ironic that they are leading us back to it.

And it still has a huge disadvantage. It takes time.

There is no easy way out of this. No smart way. All the options are bad and we have only a choice between evils.

That’s Tory Brexit for you. A decision made on false information, on a choice that was offered purely to heal rifts within the Conservative Party – an aim that it failed to achieve.

And the selfish Tory who started this imbecility – David Cameron – didn’t even stick around to see through the consequences of his foolishness. He ran like a scalded pig.

The lesson is clear: Tory selfishness leads to Tory stupidity, which leads to suffering for the people of the UK.

At the next general election we need to make sure they aren’t allowed the opportunity to make matters worse – because, given that chance, they will.

Michel Barnier has warned he is “strongly opposed” to the prime minister’s Chequers proposal on future trade with the EU after Brexit, warning the “illegal” offer would “end” the European project.

In what were some of his harshest words yet for the British government’s plans, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said allowing Britain to “cherry pick” regulations would have “serious consequences”, adding it would be “much easier” if the UK stayed in the single market.

Mr Barnier’s comments came in an interview with newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in which he told European carmakers they would need to shun British manufacturers in order to enjoy low tariffs on their global exports.

Source: Brexit: Michel Barnier ‘strongly opposes’ May’s Chequers proposals, warning offer would be end of EU | The Independent

Request for new Brexit impact analyses shows the UK and EU are dancing in the dark

Embrace? Theresa May is trying to draw Jean-Claude Junker into her death-grip but he is determinedly holding her back.

This will be the final brand in the bonfire of David Davis’s 58 (or however many there were supposed to be) Brexit analyses, then.

MPs have signalled they either don’t believe the information in those documents – or they are out of date.

It also shows that the Conservative government has been trying to negotiate a Brexit deal without any idea of the possible effects – of any outcome. Perhaps Mr Davis should have spent a little more than four hours this year in talks with his counterpart, Michel Barnier?

The situation is akin to Theresa May trying to dance with Jean-Claude Junker in a completely dark room; for all she knows, he is as far away from her as it is possible to be – and that is probably the way he wants it.

The story simply reinforces the view This Writer put forward on June 2: Members of the Tory government don’t care what impact Brexit will have on the people of the UK.

Their only concern is how they personally can profit from it.

The Treasury and Bank of England have been asked to draw up analysis of the impact of any Brexit deal struck with the UK.

The Commons Treasury select committee said it had also requested research from the Financial Conduct Authority on the potential impact of the withdrawal agreement and future framework.

Treasury committee chairwoman Nicky Morgan said MPs should be “properly informed” before the promised parliamentary vote on the deal.

Source: MPs request Bank and Treasury Brexit analysis

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Theresa May’s Florence #Brexit speech has had exactly the effect we expected: None.

David Davis (L) and Michel Barnier [Image: Reuters/Yves Herman].

I agree with tradedealwatch on Twitter: Theresa May’s fluff-piece hasn’t swayed EU’s Barnier. No progress on Irish border, divorce bill, citizens’ rights.

The Brexit secretary, David Davis, and the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, have clashed over the UK’s exit bill and Britain’s request for a transition period after Theresa May’s speech in Florence last week failed to unlock the stalemate in negotiations.

On the first day of the fourth round of talks, Barnier said the prime minister’s €20bn (£17.6bn) offer did not mean the UK would be given a transition period or that negotiations could move on to the detail of a future trading relationship.

“It remains more necessary than ever to create the trust that we need to set up and build upon our future relationship,” he said, adding that it was up to Britain to provide clarity with time running out before it leaves.

Barnier’s opening remarks are likely to disappoint No 10 and infuriate senior Brexit supporters in the government who believe May’s Florence speech was a generous offer to the EU.

Source: Davis and Barnier at odds over Brexit bill and transition period | Politics | The Guardian


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