Brexit: EU-27 agree negotiating stance
European Union leaders have unanimously agreed the negotiating guidelines for Brexit talks with UK.
European Council President Donald Tusk, chairing the talks in Brussels, tweeted that the "firm and fair political mandate" for the talks was ready.
The 27 leaders took less 15 minutes to approve the draft guidelines for the negotiations, which were issued on 31 March by Mr Tusk.
Talks with the UK will begin after the general election on 8 June.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39755124
This was a Breaking News story when posted so more is likely to be added later. However, as it apparently took less than 15 minutes for them to agree - probably a record for the EU - then I can imagine what that stance might be - "Give nowt, take all" .
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The Brexit Negotiations
- boatbuilder
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The Brexit Negotiations
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S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
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You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
- boatbuilder
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
It's now little more than six months to when we are supposed to leave the EU and little progress seems to have been made towards a satisfactory negotiated Brexit deal.
The following article prompted me to think about what has gone on in the past two years since the referendum and my opinion on this is that it was all done back-to-front. Surely before holding any referendum on such an important issue it would have made sense for the government to negotiate the terms of a deal upon which we could potentially leave the EU and then put it to the country to decide. At least then we would have all known the 'whys and wherefores' of leaving the EU in advance of making a decision in a referendum. I don't believe the vast majority of the UK population were aware of the complexities of the issues involved in such an important matter, or the potential knock-on effects.
London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for second Brexit vote
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a second EU referendum, criticising the government's handling of Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Writing in the Observer, the Labour politician said that with the UK due to leave the EU in six months, it now faced either a "bad deal" or "no deal".
The debate had also become "more about Boris Johnson's political ambitions" than what was good for the UK, he said.
PM Theresa May has said a second vote would be a "betrayal of our democracy".
The former Tooting MP said that although he campaigned to remain in the EU, he had accepted "the will of the British people was to leave the EU".
He said he had never expected to back calls for a second referendum, but had become "increasingly alarmed as the chaotic approach to the negotiations had become mired in confusion and deadlock".
With time running out for the British government to negotiate a final deal with the EU before March 2019, Mr Khan said the UK was left with two "incredibly risky" possibilities.
"Both these scenarios are a million miles from what was promised during the referendum campaign, only further exposing the lies and mistruths sold to the public," he wrote in the paper.
"I don't believe Theresa May has the mandate to gamble so flagrantly with the British economy and people's livelihoods."
In July, Mr Khan told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he believed the British public should be consulted if Parliament voted against the government's final Brexit deal.
But on Sunday, the London mayor said he had now concluded people "must get a final say".
"This means a public vote on any Brexit deal obtained by the government, or a vote on a no-deal Brexit if one is not secured, alongside the option of staying in the EU," he said.
Earlier this month Mrs May said the government would not back another vote, writing in the Sunday Telegraph: "To ask the question all over again would be a gross betrayal of our democracy - and a betrayal of that trust."
However Mr Khan said the PM had "failed to negotiate a Brexit position with her own party - let alone agree a deal with the EU".
Making reference to Boris Johnson's resignation as foreign secretary over the government's Brexit strategy - dubbed the Chequers plan - the London mayor said the debate had become more about Mr Johnson's aspirations to become prime minister "than what's good for the country".
FULL ARTICLE
It would be interesting to know what others now think, two years on, particularly those who were in favour of Brexit in the first place.
The following article prompted me to think about what has gone on in the past two years since the referendum and my opinion on this is that it was all done back-to-front. Surely before holding any referendum on such an important issue it would have made sense for the government to negotiate the terms of a deal upon which we could potentially leave the EU and then put it to the country to decide. At least then we would have all known the 'whys and wherefores' of leaving the EU in advance of making a decision in a referendum. I don't believe the vast majority of the UK population were aware of the complexities of the issues involved in such an important matter, or the potential knock-on effects.
London mayor Sadiq Khan calls for second Brexit vote
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a second EU referendum, criticising the government's handling of Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Writing in the Observer, the Labour politician said that with the UK due to leave the EU in six months, it now faced either a "bad deal" or "no deal".
The debate had also become "more about Boris Johnson's political ambitions" than what was good for the UK, he said.
PM Theresa May has said a second vote would be a "betrayal of our democracy".
The former Tooting MP said that although he campaigned to remain in the EU, he had accepted "the will of the British people was to leave the EU".
He said he had never expected to back calls for a second referendum, but had become "increasingly alarmed as the chaotic approach to the negotiations had become mired in confusion and deadlock".
With time running out for the British government to negotiate a final deal with the EU before March 2019, Mr Khan said the UK was left with two "incredibly risky" possibilities.
"Both these scenarios are a million miles from what was promised during the referendum campaign, only further exposing the lies and mistruths sold to the public," he wrote in the paper.
"I don't believe Theresa May has the mandate to gamble so flagrantly with the British economy and people's livelihoods."
In July, Mr Khan told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he believed the British public should be consulted if Parliament voted against the government's final Brexit deal.
But on Sunday, the London mayor said he had now concluded people "must get a final say".
"This means a public vote on any Brexit deal obtained by the government, or a vote on a no-deal Brexit if one is not secured, alongside the option of staying in the EU," he said.
Earlier this month Mrs May said the government would not back another vote, writing in the Sunday Telegraph: "To ask the question all over again would be a gross betrayal of our democracy - and a betrayal of that trust."
However Mr Khan said the PM had "failed to negotiate a Brexit position with her own party - let alone agree a deal with the EU".
Making reference to Boris Johnson's resignation as foreign secretary over the government's Brexit strategy - dubbed the Chequers plan - the London mayor said the debate had become more about Mr Johnson's aspirations to become prime minister "than what's good for the country".
FULL ARTICLE
It would be interesting to know what others now think, two years on, particularly those who were in favour of Brexit in the first place.
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S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
- Dave
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
I wanted to stay in so I suppose I'm biased towards a second vote. However, although I can see Theresa May's point about a betrayal of democracy, how many people realised there could be more than one outcome to the negotiations? How can you vote when you don't know what you're voting for? Add the fact that quite a bit of misinformation was handed out and the whole thing was farcical. I think a second vote, when we know what we're voting for, is common sense.
If it were not for Thomas Edison, we would all be watching television in the dark.
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
Exactly, Dave. I also voted to stay in and I think the leaving outcome is likely to be a lot worse than I could have imagined, even when I voted to remain. The job I was doing in the early days of being a member of the EEC involved a lot of understanding of the tariffs that existed in the initial years of being a member and it was extremely complex as they were slowly removed over a number of years - and that was just one small part of joining 'Europe'. Now we have been operating on a level playing field for decades, I can see similar complexities arising on leaving, only in reverse.
See my Suffolk Pictures at https://suffolk-world.com
S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
- Mel
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
I think we should leave, if it is with a no deal then so be it. If the country had voted to remain, would we be now talking about another vote to leave...I don't think so. The only reason the Germans and the French want us to stay in or make it so difficult for us to leave is that they know once we have gone others will follow. The EU is a busted flush. That is all I am going to say on the matter.
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
Mel – I totally agree with you! Years ago, I voted to join the Common Market – this time I voted to leave – as I view the actions of the EU and our MEPs (raking in the money – and laughing all the way to the bank!) with disdain. The result was to leave. Immediately, there were cries from the ‘losers’ for another vote. Why – in God’s name – why? The vote of the people of this country was to leave QED – yet this matter is being dragged on and on ad infinitum. So at the next general election, I presume the losers will demand another election to get the result they want.
I will never again vote in any election - be they general or local. Thank goodness I won’t be around much longer.
I will never again vote in any election - be they general or local. Thank goodness I won’t be around much longer.
‘Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet’ - Professor Stephen Hawking
- boatbuilder
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
See my Suffolk Pictures at https://suffolk-world.com
S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
S t r e t c h e d - O y s t e r
You forget what you want to remember and remember what you would prefer to forget
- morty1753
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Re: The Brexit Negotiations
What a surprise.boatbuilder wrote:Theresa May calls off MPs vote on her Brexit deal
She says she is going back to re-negotiate. I cannot see the EU negotiators agreeing to that, and if they do I suspect they will not offer her a more beneficial deal.
I before E except after C - That's weird