[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by jonbxx

As we discussed before, the GFA is not a peace agreement on the whole but a framework of mutual cooperation that allows recognition of some in Northern Ireland to be Irish as well as British.

<SNIP>

If there is no deal as you say there is a strong case for, and we keep an open border between the Uk and the Republic of Ireland, are you happy for an open trading borders with every member of the WTO under their rules?

The GFA has been ascribed varying attributes in this thread. The closest to reflecting reality is yours, I would say.

But then there is Brexit. The EU pretends to want to protect the GFA because, ultimately, of the risk of terrorism. It seems to me that the UK guvmin has bought that; either they know something about terrorism that the EU doesn’t, or it’s just gullible. Ireland is only interested in the economical aspect. NThe EU is interested in carving Ulster away from the UK.

In such circumstances, we should not fall for the trick that keeps us uncompetitive, shackled to the EU and with the Irish smugly waving to fingers and a shelali at us.

I am happy for an open border with Ireland as you describe because, agai, it would scare the shits out of the legalistic EU about good going into Ireland. A useful starting point that could change later.



---------- Post added at 17:15 ---------- Previous post was at 17:11 ----------

Originally Posted by jfman

I wouldn’t describe it as shit scared. I’d say it knows that it has the upper hand in negotiations and has the capability to include caveats that serve its own interests- as any rational capitalist entity would.

At no point have I endorsed any of your emotive language. Both the EU and the UK are trying to get the best deal they can. The reality is the EU hold the upper hand. It holds a pair of aces meanwhile we have the two of spades and an expired railcard. We brought that on ourselves by not effectively planning.

Of course they hold the upper hand as long as we are the appeasers. The moment we walk out of talks because of their unreasonableness, we are free to do as we want, including reducing VAT and other competitive measures of which the EU are shit scared.