UK's Hammond regrets calling EU 'the enemy' over Brexit

[rooster59]

UK's Hammond regrets calling EU 'the enemy' over Brexit

 

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond arrives at G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors family photo before a plenary session during the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington, U.S., October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister Philip Hammond apologised for describing the European Union as "the enemy" in the Brexit negotiations, an embarrassing stumble for a man who is under fire from within his own party over his approach to the talks.

 

In an interview with Sky News television on Friday, Hammond tried to quell the anger among some Conservatives who have accused him of taking too soft a line with Brussels. Pro-Brexit newspapers have this week called for him to be sacked.

 

"I understand that passions are high, I understand that people have very strong views about this, but we are all going to the same place, we all have the same agenda," he said in the interview on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington.

 

"The enemy, the opponents, are out there on the other side of the table. Those are the people that we have to negotiate with. We have to negotiate hard to get the very best deal for Britain," Hammond said.

 

Shortly afterwards, Hammond sought to limit the damage.

 

"In an interview today I was making the point that we are united at home. I regret I used a poor choice of words," he wrote on Twitter. "We will work with our friends and partners in the EU on a mutually beneficial Brexit deal."

 

Hammond infuriated pro-Brexit newspapers this week and was criticised by some Conservatives, including former finance minister Nigel Lawson, for not agreeing to spend money now on preparations for the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

 

Speaking to media in Washington on Friday, Hammond declined to say whether he would vote for Brexit if there were a second referendum.

Hammond who campaigned for Britain to remain part of the EU ahead of the June 2016 vote.

 

Echoing Prime Minister Theresa May's own reticence on the issue, Hammond declined to say how he would vote if another referendum were held now. "We've had the referendum," he told the BBC. "You know how I voted in it."

 

Earlier this week May declined to answer a similar question, stoking concerns among Brexit supporters that she is not fully committed to taking Britain out of the EU.

 

On Thursday May's spokeswoman said the prime minister had full confidence in her finance minister.

 

Hammond was forced into another U-turn earlier this year, when he dropped a plan to increase social security contributions by self-employed workers after uproar among Conservative lawmakers who said it broke a 2015 election promise.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-14

[BuaBS]

Shouldn't regret it , he was right.

[Caps]

12 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Shouldn't regret it , he was right.

I could not agree more 

[boomerangutang]

He must be learning lessons from Trump:  'If you can't do reasonable action, start name calling, blaming, and putting down your adversary.'

[taipeir]

He must be learning lessons from Trump:  'If you can't do reasonable action, start name calling, blaming, and putting down your adversary.'

These are the morons that are leading the UK.


Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[nausea]

Whether he's right or not is irrelevant, it was a stupid thing to say publicly, but his motive nicely illustrates the major problem with our negotiating stance: 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

"In an interview today I was making the point that we are united at home.

Yeah, sure we are Philip. Taking "the enemy" metaphor further - it's difficult enough fighting a war, but fighting a war on two fronts ... ?

[RichardColeman]

Seems he wants to get a bad deal so he can try for another vote ! Up yours Hammond, we're out. Blow it and you blow Tories chances of being unanimously elected for generations.

[Caps]

1 minute ago, nausea said:

Whether he's right or not is irrelevant, it was a stupid thing to say publicly, but his motive nicely illustrates the major problem with our negotiating stance: 

Yeah, sure we are Philip. Taking "the enemy" metaphor further - it's difficult enough fighting a war, but fighting a war on two fronts ... ?

What negotiating stance is that? (Rhetorical)

I thought it took more than one group/person to have a negotiation.  There is no negotiating going on. Only the UK trying to sort things out and the EU saying no its not good enough come back with something better.   If it was a negotiation the EU should be saying well we want this to happen and that to happen,  and this is the break down of the monies we think you owe us.  But nope they are still dictating.  

So Hammond was 100% in his statement but yes he should have kept it to himself

[hansnl]

45 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Shouldn't regret it , he was right.

Those EU bastards are the enemy of all the people.

And that includes Britain simply because they date to really away from them.

Hope the Netherlands will follow, although the new government are prime Europhiles......

[terryw]

For the first time I actually agree with Hammond. The Brexit negotiations have not been friendly, what Junker said yesterday is a typical example of the friendly EU.

[taipeir]

What negotiating stance is that? (Rhetorical)
I thought it took more than one group/person to have a negotiation.  There is no negotiating going on. Only the UK trying to sort things out and the EU saying no its not good enough come back with something better.   If it was a negotiation the EU should be saying well we want this to happen and that to happen,  and this is the break down of the monies we think you owe us.  But nope they are still dictating.  
So Hammond was 100% in his statement but yes he should have kept it to himself

Pay up or piss off basically.

The UK owes the EU a lot of money , the clock is ticking from the stupid article 50 activation , what do you expect them to do?

You also need to sort out the border in Northern Ireland and citizens rights.

That's not just for the EUs benefit but for UK and UK for citizens benefits too!


Do you think Johnson 'go whistle' talk is something that is taken seriously by 27 other countries ?



Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[taipeir]

For the first time I actually agree with Hammond. The Brexit negotiations have not been friendly, what Junker said yesterday is a typical example of the friendly EU.

Friendly?

 

What's friendly got to do with it pay the monies owed and sort other fundamental issues related to Brexit. Get negotiating.

 

Stop waffling and the soundbites for domestic consumption.

 

Clock is ticking. Tick tock.

 

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[Caps]

3 minutes ago, taipeir said:

Pay up or piss off basically.

The UK owes the EU a lot of money , the clock is ticking from the stupid article 50 activation , what do you expect them to do?

You also need to sort out the border in Northern Ireland and citizens rights.

That's not just for the EUs benefit but for UK and UK for citizens benefits too!


Do you think Johnson 'go whistle' talk is something that is taken seriously by 27 other countries ?



Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

and in the same breath the UK can not take the EU seriously until they actully start to negotiate.  I agree we should pay...but not until the figure is sensible and its laid out for us to see what we are paying for.  

If the EU can not do that then yes you can go whistle 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Caps

[LannaGuy]

39 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

He must be learning lessons from Trump:  'If you can't do reasonable action, start name calling, blaming, and putting down your adversary.'

 

troll, divert, deflection

 

nothing to do wit Trump

[taipeir]

and in the same breath the UK can not take the EU seriously until they actully start to negotiate.  I agree we should pay...but not until the figure is sensible and it laid uot for us to see what we are paying for.  

If the EU can not do that then yes you can go whistle 

You think the go whistle talk will go anywhere when your companies are going bankrupt, people losing jobs , NHS broken and UK deficits explode.

 

Many of the older overseas Brexit voters here already shot themselves in the foot with vastly decreased incomes as the pound collapsed.

 

Pension increases from a bankrupt govt? Never. Investments in stocks and assets in the UK. Ouch.

 

The EU will survive just fine without the UK

 

 

27 countries.

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

[Caps]

1 minute ago, taipeir said:

You think the go whistle talk will go anywhere when your companies are going bankrupt, people losing jobs , NHS broken and UK deficits explode.

The EU will survive just fine without the UK


27 countries.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

Well you have certainly given me a laugh this morning thank you 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Caps

[LannaGuy]

5 minutes ago, taipeir said:

Pay up or piss off basically.

The UK owes the EU a lot of money , the clock is ticking from the stupid article 50 activation , what do you expect them to do?

You also need to sort out the border in Northern Ireland and citizens rights.

That's not just for the EUs benefit but for UK and UK for citizens benefits too!


Do you think Johnson 'go whistle' talk is something that is taken seriously by 27 other countries ?



Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

 

No problem let's 'piss off!  what's this "the UK owes a lot of money"  links?  evidence?  back-up data that sort of thing?

[Caps]

2 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

No problem let's 'piss off!  what's this "the UK owes a lot of money"  links?  evidence?  back-up data that sort of thing?

Trolls can not do such things 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Caps

[taipeir]

 
No problem let's 'piss off!  what's this "the UK owes a lot of money"  links?  evidence?  back-up data that sort of thing?

60 billion give or take.

http://www.cer.eu/publications/archive/policy-brief/2017/€60-billion-brexit-bill-how-disentangle-britain-eu-budget

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[taipeir]

The problem for the UK is a hard brexit or a no deal Brexit the costs and disruption are multiples higher.

 

The UK can throw a hissy fit and be manipulated by ambitious public school politicians , that's their choice.

 

To be honest most in the EU don't give a fiddler's about Brexit , but hey thanks for all the investments and jobs coming our way as they relocate from the UK.....

 

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[LannaGuy]

2 minutes ago, taipeir said:

60 billion give or take.

http://www.cer.eu/publications/archive/policy-brief/2017/€60-billion-brexit-bill-how-disentangle-britain-eu-budget

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You  quote the EU as the source of your wild exaggeration?  no independence there then?  that's like the Police investigating the Police.  You must do better - write 1000 lines

 

"I have been a silly billy and promise not to exaggerate based on bias data in the future"

[taipeir]

So wheres your 'evidence' then instead of the usual lazy spite and waffle.

 

You moan and say there's no numbers.

 

Then when I go to the effort to provide some numbers you don't bother to discuss numbers.

 

Typical rubbish.

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[GaryAdriaenssens]

So what? He's right. Don't apologize to these EU mob in Brussels.

[LannaGuy]

21 minutes ago, taipeir said:

So wheres your 'evidence' then instead of the usual lazy spite and waffle.

 

You moan and say there's no numbers.

 

Then when I go to the effort to provide some numbers you don't bother to discuss numbers.

 

Typical rubbish.

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Ah typical deflect when called out, successfully, for posting nonsense!  never mind it happens to us all at one stage or another

 

Have you finished your lines yet?  and as for the EU number I have a famous quote for you:

 

"Well they would say that wouldn't they"

 

Mandy Rice-Davies 1963

 

 

[Stargeezr]

People having to talk so carefully and be politically correct at all times is getting

ridiculous. I liked hearing Prince Philip and his most incorrect language. I feel sorry

for the people who are picked apart for not having 100 percent perfection ,100 percent of

the time. The world is getting stupid in its demands for perfection.  You cannot say sh*t

even if it is the only correct word. and certainly cannot say retarded, as that is a very

incorrect word, even mentally challenged as that offends so many these days.

  Thank God I am not a politician, as I would not last very long.

Geezer

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, hansnl said:

Those EU bastards are the enemy of all the people.

And that includes Britain simply because they date to really away from them.

Hope the Netherlands will follow, although the new government are prime Europhiles......

What's your beef? The Dutch are the quintessentially sensible people of the EU!

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, hansnl said:

Those EU bastards are the enemy of all the people.

And that includes Britain simply because they date to really away from them.

Hope the Netherlands will follow, although the new government are prime Europhiles......

What's your beef? The Dutch are the quintessentially sensible people of the EU!

[Grouse]

It's quite obvious that no sane politician actually thinks Brexit is a good idea. They are just trying to think of a way to explain it to the great unwashed without losing their seats. Amusing frankly ?

[robertson468]

2 hours ago, taipeir said:

You think the go whistle talk will go anywhere when your companies are going bankrupt, people losing jobs , NHS broken and UK deficits explode.

 

Many of the older overseas Brexit voters here already shot themselves in the foot with vastly decreased incomes as the pound collapsed.

 

Pension increases from a bankrupt govt? Never. Investments in stocks and assets in the UK. Ouch.

 

The EU will survive just fine without the UK

 

 

27 countries.

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

Instead of trying to annoy people with unqualified comments, it's time that you started qualifying them.  There are other trade agreements available out there and yes they may take some time to negotiate, but the EU is not the be all and end all of life, in fact not long ago they were on quite a shaky wicket with the possibility of French and Greece opposition Governments contemplating leaving.  Also Saint Angela Merkel is no longer on such a sound base, as we have seen with the latest German elections.

[stephenterry]

43 minutes ago, Grouse said:

It's quite obvious that no sane politician actually thinks Brexit is a good idea. They are just trying to think of a way to explain it to the great unwashed without losing their seats. Amusing frankly ?

Agreed. By May rashly signing Article 50 without having any evidence of what would subsequently occur, and without having any substantiations of the costs and pros and cons involved has led the government to the current impasse situation. When March 2019 is reached without any agreement the UK will be 'outed' into a world without any EU trade tariff concessions that it currently enjoys. And the EU can stonewall right up to the end date if it so chooses.

 

As several economic press opinions have stated (read the Guardian, [albeit a pro-EU newspaper] a 'no deal' is the worst possible outcome for the UK. Wait until there is a massive traffic jam at all the sea ports to observe the initial consequences, followed by increased imported costs, and inflation, that would threaten jobs and livelihoods.

 

It's like shooting yourself in the foot.