Thread: Brexit (Old)
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Old 26-10-2018, 13:16   #2276
OLD BOY
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Re: Brexit
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1andrew1 View Post
Which party is better at negotiations? The EU or the UK.

Well, since the Brexit vote, the EU has signed trade deals with Japan, Canada and, last week, Singapore.

And the UK? Still can't agree on an exit with the EU!
One or two reminders are required here.

First, you cannot compare the length of time it takes to get a trade deal with the EU with the time it should take us to forge trade deals with other countries. It has taken years of negotiations for the EU to finalise the deals you mention, partially because all the countries of the EU try to put their oars in. Canada threatened to walk away from the negotiations in frustration after about 7 years of this, so I would not say at all that the EU is good at getting trade deals. Note that after 10 years there is still no deal between the EU and the US.

Secondly, our trade deal negotiations with the EU should be much more straight forward because everything is already harmonised with them, having been a member of the EU ourselves all this time.

Thirdly, discussions between the UK and other countries have been taking place during the current withdrawal negotiatons, and it should be possible to put in place suitable trade arrangements, at least as an interim measure, before agreeing any detailed changes with those countries when we leave the EU. I'm sure we will have documents to be signed immediately at the end of March 2019.

Despite all the noises off, it is really only the NI border that needs sorting out now as far as the withdrawal agreement is concerned, an issue that has been deliberately hyped up to make it look like a major accomplishment to have achieved agreement between the EU and the UK. Be prepared to see a breakthrough at the eleventh hour. That's how the EU operates.

---------- Post added at 13:16 ---------- Previous post was at 13:09 ----------

Quote:
Originally Posted by jonbxx View Post

The European Parliament has a veto on the final Brexit deal and has said it would kill any agreement that does not prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.


Hang on, I thought the EU was undemocratic! Pesky democratically elected representatives being able to block the European Commission...
That quote in bold above is absolutely laughable. I assume this guy has not yet worked out that if they vote down a proposed deal with the EU, there will be a hard border anyway, assuming that the EU is actually serious about putting one in!

The UK has come up with several possible solutions. If the EU doesn't come off its high horse soon, it will be left with precisely the situation it says it is seeking to avoid.
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