Harris Blows an Easy Interview, Trump Pounces: She is Just Joe Biden Redux

[snoop1130]

Irish border deal reported settled as May meets Juncker

By Gabriela Baczynska and Lily Cusack

 

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British negotiators were reported to have agreed outline rules with Ireland for their border after Brexit on Monday, sending the pound higher on hopes of a deal on EU free trade as Prime Minister Theresa May arrived for crunch talks in Brussels.

 

Britain's Daily Telegraph and Financial Times reported that London had agreed with Dublin, which has the backing of the European Union, to maintain regulatory "alignment" with the EU on both sides of the border to avoid a possible flare-up in the violence which troubled Northern Ireland for decades.

 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spoke to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar by phone. EU lawmaker Philippe Lamberts, who met Juncker earlier on Monday, said the draft text on Ireland would commit Britain to "full alignment" on rules.

 

Donald Tusk, the EU summit chair, tweeted ebulliently after speaking to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that there was progress on the Irish issue to unblock UK-EU trade talks: "Tell me why I like Mondays!" the former Polish premier wrote.

 

"Encouraged after my phone call with (Varadkar)," he added. "Getting closer to sufficient progress at December (EU summit)."

 

This is code for Britain complying with a set of conditions the EU wants met on divorce terms before leaders will agree to launch talks on a future trade deal at a summit next week.

 

May and Juncker made no comment to reporters when they met at the EU executive's Berlaymont headquarters for a lunch that diplomats and officials hope can seal a breakthrough that would open the way to negotiations on future trade relations.

 

Tusk, cancelled a trip to Jerusalem and Ramallah and hastily scheduled his own meeting with May for after lunch. Officials said he was preparing to call round EU leaders to get agreement on trade negotiations. National envoys handling Brexit were also summoned urgently to a meeting in Brussels later on Monday.

 

London has broadly agreed to many of the EU's divorce terms, including paying out something like 50 billion euros. But the issues of the rights of expatriate citizens and the UK-EU border on the island of Ireland defied a deal until the last minute.

 

Brussels officials and diplomats sound moderately confident. But they cautioned that much will depend on the outcome of May's talks as to whether the EU will agree on "sufficient progress".

 

Elmar Brok, another member of the European Parliament who met Juncker and his Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, shortly before they met May, said "just a few words" had separated the sides and that there was a "very good chance" of agreement.

 

In London, May's spokesman said: "Progress is being made. There's more still to agree upon."

 

Irish state broadcaster RTE said that a draft text would commit Britain to "continued regulatory alignment" with the EU to avoid divergence on the two sides of the Irish border.

 

Varadkar said he would speak in public shortly.

 

Dublin, backed by the rest of the EU, is seeking strong assurances that London will commit to keeping business regulations in Northern Ireland the same as in the EU, to avoid a "hard border" that could disrupt peace on the island.

 

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said early on Monday that the talks were in a "sensitive place", with the British and Irish governments discussing possible texts of an agreement.

 

Britain is seeking to keep its options open, having rejected a commitment to leave Northern Ireland in a customs union with the EU or to keep the whole United Kingdom in one.

 

May depends in parliament on a pro-British party in Northern Ireland that rejects any deal which would divide the province from the British mainland. Ireland and the EU say maintaining a customs union is the best way to avoid "regulatory divergence".

 

Juncker and Barnier met the European Parliament's Brexit team to brief them on progress. The legislature, which must approve any withdrawal treaty if a disruptive Brexit is to be avoided in March 2019, has demanded that EU courts have the final say in guaranteeing rights for 3 million EU citizens in Britain. Britain insists that it will no longer accept the supervision of the European Court of Justice.

 

(Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Estelle Shirbon and Kate Holton in London, Alastair Macdonald, Elizabeth Piper and Jan Strupczewski in Brussels and Conor Humphries in Dublin, writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Larry King, Peter Graff and Andrew Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-4

[Grouse]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ireland-border-deal-uk-latest-updates-brexit-eu-withdrawal-dup-dublin-republic-a8090766.html

 

looks like NI will stay in single market and customs union!

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northern-ireland-border-single-market-customs-union-theresa-may-michel-barnier-david-davis-a8090561.html

 

Looks like common sense is breaking out! The DUP will be going mad ?

Edited December 4, 2017 by Grouse

[Phuket Man]

5 minutes ago, Grouse said:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ireland-border-deal-uk-latest-updates-brexit-eu-withdrawal-dup-dublin-republic-a8090766.html

 

looks like NI will stay in single market and customs union!

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northern-ireland-border-single-market-customs-union-theresa-may-michel-barnier-david-davis-a8090561.html

 

Looks like common sense is breaking out! The DUP will be going mad ?

Yes.

Bunch of dinosaurs.

[Jip99]

7 minutes ago, Grouse said:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ireland-border-deal-uk-latest-updates-brexit-eu-withdrawal-dup-dublin-republic-a8090766.html

 

looks like NI will stay in single market and customs union!

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northern-ireland-border-single-market-customs-union-theresa-may-michel-barnier-david-davis-a8090561.html

 

Looks like common sense is breaking out! The DUP will be going mad ?

 

 

Thank you for not trying to find a way to take the pi55.....?

 

 

It is indeed good news for everyone if common sense can be applied in getting agreement on these necessary items.

[Grouse]

Will the DUP have to go against Brexit now? Join Vince?

[Grouse]

There's more, there's more..

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-42224410

 

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Grouse

[smedly]

26 minutes ago, Grouse said:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ireland-border-deal-uk-latest-updates-brexit-eu-withdrawal-dup-dublin-republic-a8090766.html

 

looks like NI will stay in single market and customs union!

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northern-ireland-border-single-market-customs-union-theresa-may-michel-barnier-david-davis-a8090561.html

 

Looks like common sense is breaking out! The DUP will be going mad ?

you're making some wild assumptions as usual, what you will find is that once a trade and customs deal is arranged going forward between the UK and the EU it will also include Northern Ireland - so effectively nothing has changed

 

Keep the feet for dancing 

[Grouse]

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

you're making some wild assumptions as usual, what you will find is that once a trade and customs deal is arranged going forward between the UK and the EU it will also include Northern Ireland - so effectively nothing has changed

 

Keep the feet for dancing 

I agree, nothing will change!

[Grouse]

More wild claims from the BBC now

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42221742

 

This could be an excellent precedent for Gibraltar, Scotland, the NE and Yorkshire, London, the Oxbridge corridor?

[baboon]

48 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I agree, nothing will change!

I am genuinely interested in your views on how the talks progress from here. Do you see the UK moving from half in the EU to half out? Brexit in name only?

[Chomper Higgot]

British PM announces deal on how Ireland is going to be regulated on Monday and expects this to be accepted by the end of the week.

 

Even the most ardent Brexit support can surely understand the deep rooted sovereignty and nationalism concerns raised by a British PM making such a deal without long consultation with both communities NI and Dublin.

 

This crock will be broken within days. 

[ilostmypassword]

Does this mean that Northern Ireland will continue to be under the thumb of those faceless bureaucratic tyrants in Brussels?

What's a new way to spell "capitulate'?

B R E X I T

[Grouse]

35 minutes ago, baboon said:

I am genuinely interested in your views on how the talks progress from here. Do you see the UK moving from half in the EU to half out? Brexit in name only?

The most satisfactory way forward would for the whole of the UK to remain in the single market and customs union. Protecting the NI peace agreement, keeping Scotland & London happy and protecting jobs. Negotiate special control of migration.

[Grouse]

12 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Does this mean that Northern Ireland will continue to be under the thumb of those faceless bureaucratic tyrants in Brussels?

What's a new way to spell "capitulate'?

B R E X I T

They voted to remain. Can't you see the elegance of this? 

 

BTW, the Brussels beaurocrats seem entirely reasonable to me ?

[Jip99]

17 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Does this mean that Northern Ireland will continue to be under the thumb of those faceless bureaucratic tyrants in Brussels?

What's a new way to spell "capitulate'?

B R E X I T

 

 

Once again you have shown that you understand ZIP about negotiation.

 

 

No matter, keeping sucking on your bitterness.

[ilostmypassword]

Just now, Jip99 said:

 

 

Once again you have shown that you understand ZIP about negotiation.

 

 

No matter, keeping sucking on your bitterness.

I know what you mean. Clearly it's the EU that has been offering most of the concessions. Because, as Brexiters keep saying, the EU is the party operating from a position of weakness.

[Jip99]

10 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I know what you mean. Clearly it's the EU that has been offering most of the concessions. Because, as Brexiters keep saying, the EU is the party operating from a position of weakness.

 

 

I didn’t say that..... you are putting words in people’s mouths again.

[ilostmypassword]

3 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

I didn’t say that..... you are putting words in people’s mouths again.

Well, on the basis of what I said, you claimed that "Once again you have shown that you understand ZIP about negotiation."

Clearly, I've got it all wrong.

Brexit Cost Rises as Britain Retreats on Divorce Demands

"The proposition that Britain could have its cake and eat it during Brexit, as the foreign secretary Boris Johnson once said, was always dismissed as a fiction by opponents. On Wednesday, it was quietly interred by the government as it capitulated on the amount it will have to pay for a divorce settlement.

And this was not Britain’s first capitulation over Brexit, nor — almost certainly — will it be the last, analysts said."

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/world/europe/brexit-divorce-demands.html

Clearly, these people understand zip about negotiations.

[lou62]

I certainly don't think the hard line Brexiteer's or the DUP will vote for this. The UK Government has sold the DUP out, IMHO.

[ilostmypassword]

11 minutes ago, lou62 said:

I certainly don't think the hard line Brexiteer's or the DUP will vote for this. The UK Government has sold the DUP out, IMHO.

You forgot to append "Hooray!"

[lou62]

^ Do you think I'm wrong?

[Bluespunk]

DUP have torpedoed the deal. 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42217735

 

The tories management of brexit since the vote from start to finish has been a debacle. 

 

Inept, incompetent and a laughing stock. 

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Bluespunk

[ilostmypassword]

24 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You forgot to append "Hooray!"

 

21 minutes ago, lou62 said:

^ Do you think I'm wrong?

If your comment is directed at my comment, I'm puzzled since I in no way questioned its factuality.

[smedly]

3 hours ago, Grouse said:

The most satisfactory way forward would for the whole of the UK to remain in the single market and customs union. Protecting the NI peace agreement, keeping Scotland & London happy and protecting jobs. Negotiate special control of migration.

You very clearly have no clue what leaving the EU means or else you are just trolling and baiting with this nonsense

[smedly]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

DUP have torpedoed the deal. 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42217735

 

The tories management of brexit since the vote from start to finish has been a debacle. 

 

Inept, incompetent and a laughing stock. 

 

and what exactly would you have done differently ?

 

The UK government has taken this as far as they possibly can, don't forget the UK is leaving the EU in March 2019 no matter what happens, it would have been much better for all concerned "including The Republic of Ireland" if it had been on better terms, but it seems that is not going to be possible, I hope the Republic of Ireland will be happy trading with the UK under WTO rules because that is what is coming if they don't get their heads out of their asses.

[Chomper Higgot]

39 minutes ago, smedly said:

and what exactly would you have done differently ?

 

The UK government has taken this as far as they possibly can, don't forget the UK is leaving the EU in March 2019 no matter what happens, it would have been much better for all concerned "including The Republic of Ireland" if it had been on better terms, but it seems that is not going to be possible, I hope the Republic of Ireland will be happy trading with the UK under WTO rules because that is what is coming if they don't get their heads out of their asses.

Today's events are clear evidence that the British Government has no idea what leaving the EU entails. 

 

The DUP, have used their position to represent the interests of the people they represent, every government in the EU will represent the interests of the people they represent. 

 

It was always going to be this way.

 

 

Brace yourself for what Spain have to say about Gibraltar.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

What was predicted on the 19th of November has come to pass:

 

On 19/11/2017 at 3:45 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

Brexit is, for the time being, stalled. 

 

Britain's negotiating team (I use the term 'team' in it's loosest sense) are facing the exact problem 'Project Fear' said they would face. 

 

1. The Brexiteers have no plan (absolutely no plan)

2. The Brexiteers have hopes for a deal that they have been told is not available.

3. The Brexiteers have to face up to paying the divorce bill.

4. The Brexiteers have to face up to the demands from the EU for citizen rights.

5. The Brexiteers have to come up with an answer for Northern Ireland ***

 

*** This latter point is a bit of a problem because the Tories are reliant upon the DUP, the DUP will not agree a deal that is acceptable to Dublin and Dublin will not agree a deal acceptable to the DUP.

 

Meanwhile the banks and financial services industry are demanding passporting rights to EU markets, industry is demanding clarity from the government, and there is little doubt that the UK government will collapse in its attempt the balance a Brexit deal between the competing demands in the Tory party.

 

 

 

[Khun Han]

As always, the remainer argument for staying in the EU is not about any positives about the EU as an organisation. It's akin to a smoker arguing against giving up smoking: the short-term effects will be too difficult.

[smedly]

4 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Today's events are clear evidence that the British Government has no idea what leaving the EU entails. 

 

The DUP, have used their position to represent the interests of the people they represent, every government in the EU will represent the interests of the people they represent. 

 

It was always going to be this way.

 

 

Brace yourself for what Spain have to say about Gibraltar.

 

Let me correct you

 

The DUP is not a government - they are a UK political party

 

N. Ireland is as much part of the UK as England Scotland and Wales

 

Nobody knows the exact detail of this proposal on the "EU Created issue" of the Irish border with the UK so commenting on it at this point is quite frankly pointless. Also nobody knows what sort of customs or trade arrangement/agreement will be reached after the UK leaves the EU, it is quite possible that it will be much the same as it is now but under a different legal framework and name that allows the UK and EU (including the Republic of Ireland) to trade in much the same way as they do now - that is the outcome that everyone wants but there are divisive people in Brussels trying to halt any progress.   

 

The UK is leaving the EU and that means they are leaving  "the so called" Customs Union and the Single Market, there is no choice, what is negotiated after the UK leaves should provide a solution to all of this nonsense.

 

People are now trying to blame the DUP for this failure in progress but as UK citizens they are standing up for their fundamental and constitutional rights, I actually blame the Irish government who is ultimately being told what to say and do directly from Brussels, it is they who have insisted on opening this can of worms and are refusing to allow progress.

 

It really is time for the UK to call time on these so called negotiations and walk away leaving the door open if the EU want to talk trade and customs at some future date.

 

enough is enough 

[Bluespunk]

7 hours ago, smedly said:

and what exactly would you have done differently ?

 

The UK government has taken this as far as they possibly can, don't forget the UK is leaving the EU in March 2019 no matter what happens, it would have been much better for all concerned "including The Republic of Ireland" if it had been on better terms, but it seems that is not going to be possible, I hope the Republic of Ireland will be happy trading with the UK under WTO rules because that is what is coming if they don't get their heads out of their asses.

The Irish give as early as August 2016 began to push the uk govt to start looking at the issues surrounding the counties of Northern Ireland. 

 

They were open to the situation that while a comprehensive deal might not be possible before brexit, due to the huge number of points that needed to be dealt with because of the complexities of the Good Friday Agreement (an agreement signed under the understanding that both signatories would be operating under EU law), but we’re prepared to accept a broad principle deal.   

 

The approximately 150+ plus issues to be ironed out under the Good Friday Agreement could be settled over time, if a broad principle deal was in place. 

 

The tories said they would get on it. 

 

They didn't. 

 

They just continued in their inept, rudderless, ‘last minute dot com’ manner and did nothing. 

 

The disastrous election has left them hostage to a party that is incapable of rational thought where Ireland (and any  hint of unified bodies with it) is concerned. 

 

Utter debacle. 

Edited December 5, 2017 by Bluespunk