In appeal to EU, May calls for goodwill to avoid disorderly Brexit

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In appeal to EU, May calls for goodwill to avoid disorderly Brexit

By Elizabeth Piper

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street in London, September 11, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will call on the European Union to show "goodwill and determination" to avoid a disorderly Brexit, urging them to get behind Britain's offer of a "fair arrangement", a senior source said on Tuesday.

 

On the eve of an informal EU summit in Austria, May showed no sign of backing away from her Brexit plan, shrugging off criticism at home and in Brussels over her proposals for future trade after Britain quits the bloc, the biggest foreign policy shift for the country in almost half a century.

 

The EU has called her Chequers plan, named after May's country residence where a deal was hashed out with ministers earlier this year, a good starting point but has baulked at her proposals for a future customs arrangement and Northern Ireland.

 

With just over six months before Britain leaves the EU, time is pressing and May is keen to secure some kind of deal before the end of the year and ease concerns over a disorderly exit, which could plunge the economy into a recession.

 

A senior Downing Street source said she would repeat her message at a meeting of EU leaders in Salzburg on Wednesday and Thursday that Britain was proposing "a fair arrangement that will work for the EU's economy as well as the UK's".

 

"To come to a successful conclusion, just as the UK has evolved its position, the EU will need to do the same," the source said. "With goodwill and determination on both sides we can avoid a disorderly exit and reach a deal that is in the best interests of both sides."

 

While both sides have been making positive noises about the Brexit talks, there has been no deal yet over one of the biggest obstacles - how to meet their aim of keeping an open border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

 

HELPING MAY

But EU officials are also minded not to paint May into a corner, aware that she faces increasing opposition to her plans in her Conservative Party and needs a victory of sorts to try to persuade a reluctant British parliament to back a deal.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, EU negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc was ready to improve its proposal for an "insurance policy" backstop arrangement on how to manage its Irish border. 

 

May rejected a previous plan, saying it would effectively slice Northern Ireland away from mainland Britain.

 

The Downing Street source said she would again underline to EU leaders that "neither side can demand the 'unacceptable' of the other, such as an external customs border between different parts of the United Kingdom".

 

Reiterating that Britain is committed to a "legally operative protocol on Northern Ireland", the source said May would again underline that such an agreement must respect her country's integrity, "which the Commission's proposal does not".

 

May would again try to reassure the EU that she is not trying to undermine its founding principles by opening a backdoor to its lucrative single market.

 

"Similarly, the UK understands that to the EU it would be unacceptable for us to seek the rights of EU membership without the obligations. That is not what we are doing," the source said she would say.

 

  "What we are proposing is a fair arrangement that will work for the EU’s economy as well as the UK’s, without undermining the single market."

 

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-19

[Samui Bodoh]

"...Prime Minister Theresa May will call on the European Union to show "goodwill and determination" to avoid a disorderly Brexit..."

 

Why should the EU show 'goodwill and determination' towards the UK?

 

The UK was a member of the club for forty years or so, having a voice in its affairs and a say in its future (although one has to question the efforts put into that voice and say...). Now, the UK decided to leave, causing huge disruption to the affairs of the EU.

 

I see no reason for the EU to show 'goodwill'; I think it is in the interests of the EU to make Brexit as painful as possible.

 

My attitude would be: the UK is leaving, let's screw them for everything we can. Why would the UK expect different?

 

 

[pegman]

WOW! Playing the "Goodwill" card. That should have them shaking in their shoes.

[OneMoreFarang]

I leave your club because I hate all those rules.

Sure, I want to keep all the benefits.

Now be nice to me - or else...

 

[gamini]

The sad fact is that Britain really needs a good deal with the EU because it has so much to lose by not having one. Whereas the EU does not really need one. It might suffer a few hiccups  after Britain leaves. But will probably be better without  the UK who have never been committed to further integration and insists on having a separate currency!

[pegman]

1 hour ago, gamini said:

The sad fact is that Britain really needs a good deal with the EU because it has so much to lose by not having one. Whereas the EU does not really need one. It might suffer a few hiccups  after Britain leaves. But will probably be better without  the UK who have never been committed to further integration and insists on having a separate currency!

They're dead and they know it. The golden egg, E.U. Financial Services, will soon be gone. What to do? It's brutal when you need to work out a solution to an impossible problem. Especially when it is something that you were opposed to to begin with. Best thing to do may be just to leave the mess for Boris and his fellow travelers to solve. Thereafter there could evolve the political pressure to do a redo.

Edited September 19, 2018 by pegman

[Chomper Higgot]

Goidwill, that’s the bit where British Ministers ridiculed members of the EU and the rightwing British press ran months of articles attacking individuals amongst the EU team and other EU governments.

 

When does the begging start?

[baboon]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Why should the EU show 'goodwill and determination' towards the UK?

Because it is the right thing to do? Deliberately ruining a country as an act of revenge is more akin to the workings of a crime syndicate than a grand humanitarian project. What have millions upon millions of British people done to deserve being impoverished - it isn't May and Johnson who will be suffering.

 

Now I am certainly not suggesting the EU cave in to each and every demand from the UK, but they could at least cut us a little slack here and there, if only on behalf of the 49% of the country who voted remain.

[welovesundaysatspace]

Goodwill? Why would someone with such great bargaining power need goodwill? Wasn’t that what other claimed here, that the U.K. has bargaining power in this? 

 

1 hour ago, baboon said:

Because it is the right thing to do?

Right? What is right? 

 

1 hour ago, baboon said:

Deliberately ruining a country as an act of revenge

No one is taking revenge. 

 

1 hour ago, baboon said:

they could at least cut us a little slack here and there, if only on behalf of the 49% of the country who voted remain.

The problem is that your government doesn’t want it. 

[Krataiboy]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Goidwill, that’s the bit where British Ministers ridiculed members of the EU and the rightwing British press ran months of articles attacking individuals amongst the EU team and other EU governments.

 

When does the begging start?

Rightwing British Press?

 

We must read different newspapers.

[khunken]

'May rejected a previous plan, saying it would effectively slice Northern Ireland away from mainland Britain.'

 

No no no

May suggested that NI (which voted to remain) be regarded as part of the EU - a very sensible suggestion - but was shot down by her neanderthal 'friends' in the DUP, which kept her in power. The UK hasn't made any sensible border suggestions since.

[stag4]

Why should the EU show 'goodwill and determination' towards the UK?

Well, maybe because the UK buys eight billion pounds worth of goods from them every year.

Oh and the small matter of the 40 Billion pounds at risk if no free trade agreement.

[welovesundaysatspace]

11 minutes ago, stag4 said:

 

Oh and the small matter of the 40 Billion pounds at risk if no free trade agreement.

That’s existing liabilities the U.K. has from its membership. It doesn’t have anything to do with the future relationship after the membership.

[stag4]

Oh, was that the figure that the EU plucked out of thin air?

[welovesundaysatspace]

5 minutes ago, stag4 said:

Oh, was that the figure that the EU plucked out of thin air?

No. The U.K. and the EU came up with this figure after running the numbers. 

[Slip]

3 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Rightwing British Press?

 

We must read different newspapers.

Which of the myriad of left wing Brit newspapers is your choice then?

[stag4]

7 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

No. The U.K. and the EU came up with this figure after running the numbers. 

Anyway Dominic Raab has made it clear that no free trade deal, no 40 billion

[overherebc]

Gag Corbyn and Blair. That would be a good start.

[welovesundaysatspace]

5 minutes ago, stag4 said:

Anyway Dominic Raab has made it clear that no free trade deal, no 40 billion

Oh, so after the easiest deal in history, then begging for goodwill, now it is blackmail and breaching payment obligations? Come on, let’s get real. The U.K. will have enough problems after crashing out of the EU. A legal battle with the EU and all the consequences is the last thing the UK would need. 

[manarak]

1 minute ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Oh, so after the easiest deal in history, then begging for goodwill, now it is blackmail and breaching payment obligations?

Add misrepresentation and false promises and we have an accurate description of usual Brit behavior in business dealings.
Of course there are exceptions.

[Esso49]

7 hours ago, pegman said:

They're dead and they know it. The golden egg, E.U. Financial Services, will soon be gone. What to do? It's brutal when you need to work out a solution to an impossible problem. Especially when it is something that you were opposed to to begin with. Best thing to do may be just to leave the mess for Boris and his fellow travelers to solve. Thereafter there could evolve the political pressure to do a redo.

Your'e right of course and that is what Cameron did when the vote went to the Brexiteers.  Hand in your notice and leave the mess behind. Problem with Teresa May is she has ensured that there is an even bigger pile of doo doo to leave behind when she leaves.

[Krataiboy]

15 minutes ago, Slip said:

Which of the myriad of left wing Brit newspapers is your choice then?

None of them. In my callow youth I was a fan of the liberal Grauniad (and even contributed occasional pieces) until it somehow got lassoed by the loony left.

 

Now I see it is proferring the begging bowl at the neo-Marxists, fourth wave feminists, single black lesbian mums and transgender activists and assorted other "oppressed" minority groups who seem to comprise most of its spiralling readership.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

14 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Prime Minister Theresa May will call on the European Union to show "goodwill and determination" to avoid a disorderly Brexit..."

 

Why should the EU show 'goodwill and determination' towards the UK?

 

The UK was a member of the club for forty years or so, having a voice in its affairs and a say in its future (although one has to question the efforts put into that voice and say...). Now, the UK decided to leave, causing huge disruption to the affairs of the EU.

 

I see no reason for the EU to show 'goodwill'; I think it is in the interests of the EU to make Brexit as painful as possible.

 

My attitude would be: the UK is leaving, let's screw them for everything we can. Why would the UK expect different?

 

 

With that attitude, the UK could tell the EU to forget about any divorce payment as well.

[Guest]

I suppose Brexit is in stage 3 at the moment.

 

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

16 minutes ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

With that attitude, the UK could tell the EU to forget about any divorce payment as well.

Oh, so after the easiest deal in history, then begging for goodwill, now it is blackmail and breaching payment obligations? Come on, let’s get real. The U.K. will have enough problems after crashing out of the EU. A legal battle with the EU and all the consequences is the last thing the UK would need. 

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Just now, welovesundaysatspace said:

Oh, so after the easiest deal in history, then begging for goodwill, now it is blackmail and breaching payment obligations? Come on, let’s get real. The U.K. will have enough problems after crashing out of the EU. A legal battle with the EU and all the consequences is the last thing the UK would need. 

I understood that Article 50 on withdrawing from the EU, made no mention of any divorce settlement.  When you leave any other kind of club, you not only cease to pay the annual fee but neither do you have any obligation for future expenses, including pensions of staff employed during your membership.

 

You were the one suggesting that the EU should screw the UK for everything they can.  Well, two can play at that game.

[tomacht8]

19 minutes ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

I understood that Article 50 on withdrawing from the EU, made no mention of any divorce settlement.  When you leave any other kind of club, you not only cease to pay the annual fee but neither do you have any obligation for future expenses, including pensions of staff employed during your membership.

 

You were the one suggesting that the EU should screw the UK for everything they can.  Well, two can play at that game.

Sure.

The UK could flood the channel tunnel. Just wonder why the uk team agreed to the 2 negotiation steps 2 years ago:
1. separation calculation
2. future trade agreement
Now the UK wants to break contracts?

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

When you leave any other kind of club, you not only cease to pay the annual fee but neither do you have any obligation for future expenses, including pensions of staff employed during your membership.

That depends on the membership terms. Go to Virgin tomorrow and sign up for 1-year membership, then cancel after one month and explain then that “When you leave any other kind of club (...)”

 

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

You were the one suggesting that the EU should screw the UK for everything they can. 

No, I didn’t. The U.K. decided to screw up itself. 

 

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

When you leave any other kind of club, you not only cease to pay the annual fee but neither do you have any obligation for future expenses, including pensions of staff employed during your membership.

That depends on the membership terms. Go to Virgin tomorrow and sign up for 1-year membership, then cancel after one month and explain then that “When you leave any other kind of club (...)”

 

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

You were the one suggesting that the EU should screw the UK for everything they can. 

No, I didn’t. The U.K. decided to screw up itself. 

 

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

When you leave any other kind of club, you not only cease to pay the annual fee but neither do you have any obligation for future expenses, including pensions of staff employed during your membership.

That depends on the membership terms. Go to Virgin tomorrow and sign up for 1-year membership, then cancel after one month and explain then that “When you leave any other kind of club (...)”

 

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

You were the one suggesting that the EU should screw the UK for everything they can. 

No, I didn’t. The U.K. decided to screw up itself.