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EU parliament mauls UK's Brexit progress, May urged to 'sack Boris'

By Francesco Guarascio

 

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo

 

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The European Parliament savaged the British government's handling of Brexit negotiations on Tuesday, voting against opening talks on future trade and condemning disarray in Prime Minister Theresa May's team.

 

The leader of the European Union legislature's biggest party, a German ally of conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, said cabinet in-fighting was putting a deal at risk and called on May to get rid of her own foreign secretary, Boris Johnson.

 

"Please sack Johnson," said Manfred Weber, a leading figure in the assembly, which must approve any deal struck by EU negotiator Michel Barnier before Britain leaves in March 2019.

 

Opening the debate in Strasbourg, Barnier and EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker repeated their view that a fourth round of negotiations last week did not produce enough agreement for the EU to yield to May's demands for immediate talks on a free trade deal and a transition to it after Brexit.

 

Juncker last week said it would take "miracles" for talks next week to unblock a move to a new phase by the end of this month, let alone in time for EU national leaders to approve such a shift when they meet for a summit on Oct. 19-20.

 

The test the EU has set is to make "sufficient progress" -- which it has not defined -- on agreeing rights for EU citizens in Britain after Brexit, border arrangements with Ireland and how much London will pay Brussels on its departure.

 

Echoing Barnier, Parliament called on EU leaders by 557 votes to 92 to delay making a decision on that progress "unless there is a major breakthrough in line with this resolution in all three areas during the fifth negotiation round".

 

May won some approval for pledging, in a Sept. 22 speech in Florence, to strengthen legal guarantees for expatriates and to pay into the EU budget during a two-year post-Brexit transition. But critics pointed to London's refusal to let the European Court of Justice be the ultimate arbiter on rights or to commit to paying substantial sums due beyond 2020.

 

"SACK JOHNSON"

 

Many were critical of conflicting signals from May, Johnson and others on where negotiating "red lines" lie for Britain.

 

"Who shall I call in London? Theresa May, Boris Johnson, or even David Davis?" Weber asked, describing May's Conservative government as "trapped by their own party quarrels".

 

"Please no more speeches," he urged her on a day when Johnson, a Brexit campaigner and potential May challenger, was to speak at the party conference. "Show leadership on content. And the best probably would be, please sack Johnson."

 

Guy Verhofstadt, the liberal leader and Parliament's Brexit point man, urged May to offer "clarity" in her conference speech on Wednesday. But critics of the EU's approach were also vocal.

 

Hans-Olaf Henkel, a German industrialist who sits with the British Conservatives, called on Verhofstadt to drop his "arrogance", on Barnier to stop seeming to want to "punish" Britain -- and on Johnson to stop "stirring things up".

 

Nigel Farage, who led the UK Independence Party to victory in last year's Brexit referendum but saw its vote slashed in the June election, described May's Florence speech as a "pitiful" attempt to "appease" a "bully" and said she should resign.

 

"She's a waste of space. She needs to go," Farage said. A new prime minister should call Europe's bluff, he said, and walk out of the EU without a deal if Barnier refused to settle.

 

(Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Larry King)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-04

[boomerangutang]

May and the Brits don't have much leverage in the dealings. Europe holds the cards.  It's like a card-carrying member of an investment club decides one day to leave the club, ....but then makes demands on other club members.  The other members are going to laugh at the audacity.   

 

Brits can drop their shorts, bend over, and take what's given. 

[Redvic]

4 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

May and the Brits don't have much leverage in the dealings. Europe holds the cards.  It's like a card-carrying member of an investment club decides one day to leave the club, ....but then makes demands on other club members.  The other members are going to laugh at the audacity.   

 

Brits can drop their shorts, bend over, and take what's given. 

You are talking Utter mince. You are way out of your brain capacity. 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Redvic
Mistake

[terryw]

They are scared of Boris because he will fight the EU and all that organisation represents. That is the simple reason why that want him sacked.

[Grouse]

I want him sacked not because he is a wit and raconteur but because he is a crap foreign secretary.

[Basil B]

Google has it right...

 

Just google "what is a Johnson" 

 

And I will not disagree with Google, if he becomes PM he will be a Trump MK2.

[aright]

16 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I want him sacked not because he is a wit and raconteur but because he is a crap foreign secretary.

Dear boy, you need to explain yourself when you make statements like this. Argument by statement is  ok if you are in a dark room speaking to yourself.

Come on, "Let there be light"

[dunroaming]

6 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

Brits can drop their shorts, bend over, and take what's given. 

 

Many in the UK government would welcome that scenario and quite a few already pay good money in the back streets of Soho for it. 

 

1 hour ago, Grouse said:

I want him sacked not because he is a wit and raconteur but because he is a crap foreign secretary.

 

I want him sacked because he is a crap and crass politician, but more importantly because he is only interested in his own rise to fame and not for a second for what is best for the country.

[alant]

Another anti brexit piece I feel with bully boys EU telling May how to run her government.

No one from the EU has told Spain how to put down the trouble in Catalonia although it certainly seems to be supporting the actions of the Spanish security forces. It says no we mustn't interfere with a sovereign state jet it os fine and dandy to look to interfere with the UK government.

[ilostmypassword]

3 hours ago, Redvic said:

You are talking Utter mince. You are way out of your brain capacity. 

Thank you for your reasoned analysis. Now, if instead of that you had just made an unsupported assertion and a personal insult, then you comments would more aptly apply to yourself.

[ilostmypassword]

58 minutes ago, alant said:

Another anti brexit piece I feel with bully boys EU telling May how to run her government.

No one from the EU has told Spain how to put down the trouble in Catalonia although it certainly seems to be supporting the actions of the Spanish security forces. It says no we mustn't interfere with a sovereign state jet it os fine and dandy to look to interfere with the UK government.

I didn't know that the EU was negotiating with Spain for the terms of its withdrawal from the EU, too.

[vogie]

17 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Thank you for your reasoned analysis. Now, if instead of that you had just made an unsupported assertion and a personal insult, then you comments would more aptly apply to yourself.

You may want to bend over and take what is given, but let me assure you, most of us don't.

[Belzybob]

Its time that they just walk away and re-focus on the Commonwealth.  The Euromaniacs won't ever allow a reasonable separation.

[ilostmypassword]

25 minutes ago, vogie said:

You may want to bend over and take what is given, but let me assure you, most of us don't.

I can only reply to you with the cogent analysis you apparently approve of:

"You are talking Utter mince. You are way out of your brain capacity. "

[Grouse]

4 hours ago, aright said:

Dear boy, you need to explain yourself when you make statements like this. Argument by statement is  ok if you are in a dark room speaking to yourself.

Come on, "Let there be light"

 

The man does not have the gravitas nor the diplomatic skills for the position. As a laughing stock he is only slightly behind Delta Tango! Sniping from outside of the cabinet room is not the done thing frankly. Sadly, the toffs are letting the Trots through the tradesmen's entrance as it were. Put the man down.

[Grouse]

4 hours ago, Basil B said:

Google has it right...

 

Just google "what is a Johnson" 

 

And I will not disagree with Google, if he becomes PM he will be a Trump MK2.

 

I dont call mine Johnson, do I Tinky Winky?

[boomerangutang]

3 hours ago, dunroaming said:

I want him sacked because he is a crap and crass politician, but more importantly because he is only interested in his own rise to fame and not for a second for what is best for the country.

 

Add self-enrichment to the equation, and you have a precise definition of Trump Sr.   Are they brothers separated at birth?  They have similar hair.

[dunroaming]

2 hours ago, Belzybob said:

Its time that they just walk away and re-focus on the Commonwealth.  The Euromaniacs won't ever allow a reasonable separation.

 

Well it will be reasonable for them and they hold the cards.  Britain won't walk away because if it did it would be meltdown.

 

2 hours ago, vogie said:

You may want to bend over and take what is given, but let me assure you, most of us don't.

 

Unfortunate that, but the EU is the one with the stick!

Edited October 4, 2017 by dunroaming

[Basil B]

And another reason to sack him, even drum him out of the party...

 

Quote

Boris Johnson has said Libyan city Sirte could be the new Dubai, adding, "all they have to do is clear the dead bodies away".

The foreign secretary's comments at a Conservative conference fringe meeting have sparked anger, with Labour calling them "crass, callous and cruel".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41490174

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Basil B

[aright]

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

 

The man does not have the gravitas nor the diplomatic skills for the position. As a laughing stock he is only slightly behind Delta Tango! Sniping from outside of the cabinet room is not the done thing frankly. Sadly, the toffs are letting the Trots through the tradesmen's entrance as it were. Put the man down.

IMO of the last 6 FS's William Hague was the most likeable and diplomatic but what did he accomplish?.....Where Boris is concerned fair enough, if you don't like convivial optimism, but do me a favour and get  back in touch. Lies and Sniping are not a handicap in Politics they are normal currency.  

Jacob Rees -Mogg is still my number 1 for PM. I loved his response to shouters down at the conference, " We can talk about Brexit if you are able to put my despicability aside for a minute"

I can't see you voting for Corbyn so have found you the best candidate in the Labour party for your consideration. She is streets ahead of Boris!!!!!.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3783925/Let-s-air-Shadow-Foreign-Secretary-Emily-Thornberry-accuses-Sky-News-presenter-sexism-asked-French-foreign-minister.html

[dunroaming]

42 minutes ago, aright said:

IMO of the last 6 FS's William Hague was the most likeable and diplomatic but what did he accomplish?.....Where Boris is concerned fair enough, if you don't like convivial optimism, but do me a favour and get  back in touch. Lies and Sniping are not a handicap in Politics they are normal currency.  

Jacob Rees -Mogg is still my number 1 for PM. I loved his response to shouters down at the conference, " We can talk about Brexit if you are able to put my despicability aside for a minute"

I can't see you voting for Corbyn so have found you the best candidate in the Labour party for your consideration. She is streets ahead of Boris!!!!!.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3783925/Let-s-air-Shadow-Foreign-Secretary-Emily-Thornberry-accuses-Sky-News-presenter-sexism-asked-French-foreign-minister.html

 

You really quoting the Daily Mail?  JRM for PM.  I do like your sense of humour and most of the time I like his naivety too.  It's entertaining and good for HIGNFY.  In the real world I think that JRM would be a better PM than BJ but then again Julian Clary would be a better PM than BJ.

[aright]

52 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

 

You really quoting the Daily Mail?  JRM for PM.  I do like your sense of humour and most of the time I like his naivety too.  It's entertaining and good for HIGNFY.  In the real world I think that JRM would be a better PM than BJ but then again Julian Clary would be a better PM than BJ.

So tell us your "real" preferred PM. I'm sure its more interesting than who you don't want

Edited October 4, 2017 by aright

[alant]

17 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

I didn't know that the EU was negotiating with Spain for the terms of its withdrawal from the EU, too.

You are right, they are not doing so, well not in public just how the recent referendum leaves Spain's position in the EU is an interesting question though. 

Telling May how and who to have in her government is also not a part of negotiating a withdrawal from the EU it is interfering with the government of a sovereign state by suggesting an action. Something they (the EU) seem to failed to do when the Spanish security forces attempted to inflict injury on a number of Catalans.

Hope this clarifies.

[Grouse]

21 hours ago, aright said:

So tell us your "real" preferred PM. I'm sure its more interesting than who you don't want

Vince. Convince me otherwise.

[aright]

44 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Vince. Convince me otherwise.

Not a bad choice I would have picked you to go for Michael Fallon...don't ask me why.

You have chosen a man who is the only asset that the Lib Dem Party has and that is his problem, he is in a party that is unelectable.

The Lib Dem Party is a party at every election which only picks up protest votes.

They employ tactical voting, a ploy used by an unelectable Party to get the party most like themselves into power This tactic shows no ring of self confidence at all.

The Lib Dems haven't got the media on their side. When you only have 7% of the vote the media think the great unwashed don't give a stuff. At the last election their vote share went down.

He lost a safe Lib Dem seat in Twickenham  to the Conservatives in 2015 which begs the question can he hang in there when the going gets tough.

I heard his Conference speech in Bournemouth and would hardly call it policy rich. He claimed the Lib Dems are the only real, undiluted, pro-European party in the country. Perfectly true of course but it only attracted 7% of the vote. This is a sign they don't recognise/understand voter cadence.

IMO they need to take a socially left and an economically right position to make them electable. They need to sell themselves as being the strongest party on the economy, unfortunately Vince hasn't got enough years in him to carry that through and right now I don't see anyone who can carry that mantle after him.

I certainly would not be upset if Vince became PM and he is infinitely better than Tim Farron.

A capable man but as I said he is in the wrong Party.

Great Ballroom Dancer though.