Brexit (Old)

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Irrelevant what the average person in the UK understands about the former political alignment of Yugoslavia. But it is important for a foreign secretary to know or be briefed on such things when dealing with a successor nation.

But that relies on the knowledge of the civil servants doing the briefing. My knowledge came from a one-off encounter with the company looking to supply the missile systems back in the 1980s.

Originally Posted by nomadking

Then again how many others knew that Yugoslavia was non-aligned? I only know, because I was told some time ago that they had been looking to buy a UK made anti-air missile system, which would be pointed in Russia's direction.

He’s not ‘many others’ - he’s the most senior diplomat in the U.K. in a country trying to get them "on side" to get a good trade deal.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:10 ----------

Originally Posted by nomadking

But that relies on the knowledge of the civil servants doing the briefing. My knowledge came from a one-off encounter with the company looking to supply the missile systems back in the 1980s.

Then again, you’re not a career Foreign Office Civil Servant with decades of experience.

If a senior EU diplomat came over here and made a speech stating that we were a vassal of the EU, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be defending them...

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Hugh

He’s not ‘many others’ - he’s the most senior diplomat in the U.K. in a country trying to get them "on side" to get a good trade deal.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:10 ----------

Then again, you’re not a career Foreign Office Civil Servant with decades of experience.

If a senior EU diplomat came over here and made a speech stating that we were a vassal of the EU, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be defending them...

Then again, you'd expect a career Foreign Office Civil Servant with decades of experience to ensure the information given in a briefing to Foreign office minister to be correct.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Chris

I agree that’s the most likely outcome but I don’t discount a last-minute concession on the backstop in a legally-binding addendum to the withdrawal agreement. The EU has repeatedly said the agreement will not be reopened, and I don’t think they’re lying, because the main document doesn’t need to be re-written in order to resolve the problem. There simply needs to be legally binding clarification about the ways in which the backstop is terminated, if it is ever used.

History will not look kindly on the politicians that allow a no deal to happen.

It doesn’t matter who they point the finger at.

No deal should not be taken off the table, it is essential for the UK to have the nuclear option and it will be the ONLY reason that the EU may concede ground on the backstop.

Also If i was the UK negotiators I would also want a legally binding commitment to have a FTA in place after the Transition period.

If, May does get a legally binding concession on the backstop, then the UK Parliament has to vote in favour of May’s deal. Otherwise it will be them and not May that is taking us out without a deal.

I think May probably will have already agreed a concession on the backstop, but she and the EU will let it run down for another week or so.

This will then put enormous pressure on Parliament to vote through the deal, or risk no deal.

Apart from the backstop and the 41 billion, I have heard what else is bad about Mays deal. Has anyone else?

[nomadking]

So we're meant to blindly agree to whatever the EU tells us to? That's what an anything but a "no deal" situation means.

Originally Posted by pip08456

Then again, you'd expect a career Foreign Office Civil Servant with decades of experience to ensure the information given in a briefing to Foreign office minister to be correct.

You can’t stop rogue Ministers ad-libbing...

[pip08456]

A very interesting interview with the Canadian High Comissioner about Canada and post Brexit UK.

https://www.tvo.org/video/programs/t...brexit-britain

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Hugh

You can’t stop rogue Ministers ad-libbing...

I think that's what makes it worse. Slovenia knows that Hunt will have had a great set of briefing notes but has shown how he really values Slovenia by not reading them.
I would also caution against using the term vassal state as it's not in popular use particularly in non-English-speaking countries and seems used when talking about Ancient China and the Hittites as oppose to anything more recent.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Irrelevant what the average person in the UK understands about the former political alignment of Yugoslavia. But it is important for a foreign secretary to know or be briefed on such things when dealing with a successor nation.

At least he's just insulting a few foreigners now instead of messing up something important like the health service. So progress I guess

[1andrew1]

Looks like the tin can is being kicked down the road.

A vicious cabinet war erupted last night over a plot by senior ministers to delay Brexit, as Theresa May looked certain to shelve plans for a Commons vote on her deal this week.
Five cabinet colleagues rounded on Amber Rudd, calling for her to be sacked after she publicly threatened to defy the prime minister by voting to delay article 50. The work and pensions secretary was singled out by cabinet colleagues as the ringleader of a cross-party campaign to stop Brexit. She was accused of seeking to further her own leadership ambitions
The party was plunged into fresh bloodletting after May was warned she could be forced to quit within weeks should her Brexit deal go through.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/n...lits-z86q87txk

According to The Guardian

Theresa May is being warned by her team that she cannot sack ministers who vote this week to delay Brexit without causing a further rupture within her party.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ld-brexit-vote

[denphone]

Two parties at war within themselves just when this country need unity...

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Mr K

At least he's just insulting a few foreigners now instead of messing up something important like the health service. So progress I guess

lol. I guess he's only following in the footsteps of his predecessor and in his favour, no goat poems were involved.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Hugh

You can’t stop rogue Ministers ad-libbing...

And you know he did this because...

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by denphone

Two parties at war within themselves just when this country need unity...

Because for the first time in living history the people are demanding that mp's keep to their manifesto promises and not just do their own thing,it's certainly opened my eyes to the devious tricks and back tracking that goes on in the quest to rewrite the meaning of the term democracy.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

Because for the first time in living history the people are demanding that mp's keep to their manifesto promises and not just do their own thing,it's certainly opened my eyes to the devious tricks and back tracking that goes on in the quest to rewrite the meaning of the term democracy.

Politicians sadly have been breaking manifesto promises ever since l was eligible to vote so there ain't much change there papa as remember many politicians talk with forked tongue.