[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by jonbxx

I am a little confused by this... Let me see if I have this straight;

• We leave in March 2019
• The EU offered a transition until the end of 2020 which is when the new budget cycle starts
• Theresa May states that she expects a trade deal to be in place by December 2021
• Barnier suggests to EU 27 a year extension to the transition, taking us to December 2021 (see FT link posted up there ^^^)

Didn't we just get what we wanted there?

I can see why an open ended transition is toxic politically but I think there is a need to show that any proposed solution to the Northern Ireland/Republic problem has a firm timeline.

I would agree that "we" got what we wanted in terms of a time safety net.

BUT …. TM has been forced to go back on her December 2017 backstop declaration that the UK would indefinitely remain in the CU in the absence of a future relationship deal with the EU.

There is no reason for optimism that the EU would assist in reaching a long term deal with the UK on any timeline, especially if we are tied into their CU.

You've turned the border argument on its head by saying there is a need to show that any proposed solution to the Northern Ireland/Republic problem has a firm timeline. The problem here is if the EU doesn't agree a solution within that so called "firm timeline", we would be tied to the CU.