What Brexit game is EU playing? British parliament leader Leadsom asks

By Elizabeth Piper and Kate Holton

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Conservative Party's leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom arrives at Downing Street in London, Britain, January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's parliament Andrea Leadsom said she was beginning to wonder what game the European Union was playing over Brexit as relations between London and Brussels deteriorated ahead of a vote by lawmakers next week.

 

Less than three weeks before Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, Prime Minister Theresa May has failed to secure the changes to the divorce agreement she needs to gain the support of lawmakers who rejected it in a record rebellion in January.

 

At the heart of the dispute is a disagreement over how to manage the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland.

 

On Friday, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier put forward a proposal to keep the border open and keep the province subject to EU rules, prompting London to reject it.

 

"There is still hope, but I have to say I'm deeply disappointed with what we're hearing coming out of the EU," Leadsom told Reuters. "I do have to ask myself what game are they playing here."

 

Asked who would be to blame if May loses the parliamentary vote again on Tuesday, Leadsom said: "I would point to the EU needing to work closely with us.

 

"We are hoping we will be able to win that vote but that does depend on the EU coming to the table and taking seriously the (UK's) proposals."

 

Guy Verhofstadt, Brexit coordinator for the European Parliament, backed Barnier.

 

"He has put forward constructive additions, now we wait for a credible response from the UK to ensure an orderly Brexit," he said on Saturday.

 

NO BREAKTHROUGH

 

Talks will continue in Brussels but without a major breakthrough, May looks set to lose her second attempt to get lawmaker's approval and smooth Britain's exit from the EU, its biggest shift in trade and foreign policy in more than 40 years.

 

The main sticking point is the so-called Northern Irish backstop, an insurance policy to prevent a return of border controls in Ireland that eurosceptics believe is an attempt to trap the country in the EU's customs union indefinitely.

 

Barnier's solution would potentially create a "border" in the Irish sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, a move that is particularly unpalatable to Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

 

As defenders of the union with Britain, the DUP opposes any change that would treat Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the United Kingdom. May relies on DUP votes to get her legislation passed after she lost her parliamentary majority.

 

Brandon Lewis, the chairman of May's ruling Conservative Party, said on Saturday the government could never accept a deal which threatened the integrity of the union.

 

Leadsom said were Britain to leave the EU without a withdrawal deal it would be harder to guarantee the smooth flow of goods and people across the Irish border that has been possible since 1998.

 

"In making it impossible for us to sign up to that (deal), it actually makes the problems with the Northern Irish border harder to solve, not easier to solve," she said.

 

May warned on Friday that were lawmakers to reject her deal on Tuesday, it would increase the chance that Brexit never happens, leaving voters feeling betrayed.

 

If her deal is rejected, lawmakers will be able to vote on Wednesday and Thursday on whether they want to leave the bloc without a deal or ask for a delay to Brexit beyond March 29 - all but wresting control of Brexit from the government.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-10

Looks like the EU is playing a losing game at this point in time. We’ll be out without a deal.


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the annexation of NI

Unbelievable! The EU are not playing a game. They were clear and consistent from the beginning. It is the UK who cannot make up its mind and keeps chasing unicorns.

The EU respected the referendum and the red lines of May. Just about he only possible outcome of this was the deal May and the EU agreed upon. But then the UK parliament rejects it. The UK should make decisions or leave without a deal.

Leadsom asks, what game are they playing?

 

On could also ask, what game is the UK playing?

 

so who will create this hard border?

5 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

On could also ask, what game is the UK playing?

They're both using the same board, but the UK is playing draughts while the EU is playing chess.

Does those hard line leavers never get a headache to bump their heads to a solid concrete wall ,who told them from beginning what could be negotiated ??…….All that trying "divide and rule" from that individual visits to different E.U.  country's has failed, and showed U.K. forever policy ...which is outdated imperialism …. times are changed , but seems not to go tru the British fogg  ….

Forgot Juncker words ?? : "it is the U.K. who is leaving E.U. , not the E.U. leaving the U.K "

From beginning the E.U. made clear his point , and did not told you fairy tales ...

12 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

so who will create this hard border?

Both sides will have to after reality sets in, but mainly after the other 180 odd countries in the WTO sue the @r3e off the UK for providing The EU discriminatory access into the UK outside of a trade deal. 

19 minutes ago, whatsupdoc said:

Unbelievable! The EU are not playing a game. They were clear and consistent from the beginning. It is the UK who cannot make up its mind and keeps chasing unicorns.

The EU respected the referendum and the red lines of May. Just about he only possible outcome of this was the deal May and the EU agreed upon. But then the UK parliament rejects it. The UK should make decisions or leave without a deal.

Indeed. If you are not inside the tent then you are outside it, and get treated accordingly. 

45 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Looks like the EU is playing a losing game at this point in time. We’ll be out without a deal.


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To me it looks more like the UK political class starting a campaign to blame the EU for a dirty exit. Maybe that's so obvious that I should bother saying it. But it angers me to see that no one dares to say: "we have chosen to leave, EU doesn't owe us anything, so let's go".

I've always assumed the EU would make it as difficult as possible for Britain to leave, so as to discourage other countries having the same thoughts.  Why the British didn't set all their negotiations in that context beats me

34 minutes ago, samran said:

Both sides will have to after reality sets in, but mainly after the other 180 odd countries in the WTO sue the @r3e off the UK for providing The EU discriminatory access into the UK outside of a trade deal. 

is that not against The Good Friday Agreement?

2 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

I've always assumed the EU would make it as difficult as possible for Britain to leave, so as to discourage other countries having the same thoughts.  Why the British didn't set all their negotiations in that context beats me

P.E.S ….????

56 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

They're both using the same board, but the UK is playing draughts while the EU is playing chess.

Chess is to complicated for some of our politicians...

 

We are in check...

 

Next move Checkmate, game over, with Brexiteers whinging on we still have 2 pawns on the the board we can still win...

6 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

is that not against The Good Friday Agreement?

Yes …, but May's multiple red lines …., "tough lady "…."bloody difficult lady ..so she introduced herself to E.U.   you know ????…, look where it brought the U.K.

If Andrea Leadsom would be so kind to tell us what are the UK proposals re the border backstop.

1 hour ago, Loiner said:

Looks like the EU is playing a losing game at this point in time. We’ll be out without a deal.

You wish.

27 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

is that not against The Good Friday Agreement?

Who knows, but probably!

 

But the hard brexiters are craving their WTO 'rules' and their blue passports, so I don't think they particularly care.

2 minutes ago, samran said:

Who knows, but probably!

 

But the hard brexiters are craving their WTO 'rules' and their blue passports, so I don't think they particularly care.

just can't see how the 2 govs can stop smuggling

Breturn perhaps if there is a second referendum, or leave without a deal, let the chaos happen and reapply but then without the pound, maybe that was the establishments plan all along who knows, certainly not the pleb on the street.

1 hour ago, Loiner said:

Looks like the EU is playing a losing game at this point in time. We’ll be out without a deal.


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Doubt it, but hope you're right.

21 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

just can't see how the 2 govs can stop smuggling

They won't be able to.

 

And if you leave it open, then you risk the rest of the world saying - legitimately - that if you aren't providing customs and other checks via that border on the island or ireland, then you must give us (the rest of the world) the same access via all your other ports.

 

Basically a choice of which is the lesser of two evils due to contracting international obligations.

1 hour ago, Loiner said:

Looks like the EU is playing a losing game at this point in time. We’ll be out without a deal.


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The EU and the European Commission do not operate like the former USSR and its Politburo : every change in the proposed Brexit treaty (negotiated during 2 years) has to be approved by the other 27 EU member states. This is not a divorce between two partners but a divorce between 1 and 27 partners

1 hour ago, whatsupdoc said:

Unbelievable! The EU are not playing a game. They were clear and consistent from the beginning. It is the UK who cannot make up its mind and keeps chasing unicorns.

The EU respected the referendum and the red lines of May. Just about he only possible outcome of this was the deal May and the EU agreed upon. But then the UK parliament rejects it. The UK should make decisions or leave without a deal.

As the "negotiations" have been pretty much secret it's hard to say that "the only possible outcome of this was the deal May and the EU agreed upon". You sound like May.

If Parliament rejects Mays deal ( as seems likely ) then it looks like the only solution is another referendum or a  semi-permanent postponement of Brexit.

This is exactly what the EU and a majority in the HOC wants.

4 minutes ago, persimmon said:

If Parliament rejects Mays deal ( as seems likely ) then it looks like the only solution is another referendum or a  semi-permanent postponement of Brexit.

This is exactly what the EU and a majority in the HOC wants.

Well , I am not the EU , but I think that a lot of people in the EU are just tired of the british attitude and their ' special deals ' .

British  voted to leave , so just get out .

Even without a deal , it will still be better than this nonsense going on much longer ...

1 hour ago, ThaiBunny said:

I've always assumed the EU would make it as difficult as possible for Britain to leave, so as to discourage other countries having the same thoughts.  Why the British didn't set all their negotiations in that context beats me

Others should learn by this and leave unilaterally immediately after their electorate vote out & keep their hand firmly on the money tap until negotiations are concluded.

Verhoffstadt & Co are nest-feathering bullies and need to be tackled from a position of dominance and strength rather that rolling over & offering 39bn up front as our idiots did.

2 hours ago, Loiner said:

Looks like the EU is playing a losing game at this point in time. We’ll be out without a deal.

 

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

Doubt it, but hope you're right.

Yes. Doubt it. No-deal Brexit 9/2.

38 minutes ago, fvw53 said:

The EU and the European Commission do not operate like the former USSR and its Politburo : every change in the proposed Brexit treaty (negotiated during 2 years) has to be approved by the other 27 EU member states.

I‘m wondering if the oh so democratic union on the other side of the channel gives its member states the same veto right. How can the UK people actually vote Olly Robbins out of office?