EU warns Britain heading for a no-deal Brexit

By Robin Emmott, Gabriela Baczynska

 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker addresses the plenary of the European Parliament on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union during a debate on Brexit at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, September 18, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

 

STRASBOURG/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union warned on Wednesday that Britain was headed for a damaging no-deal Brexit, with London’s ideas for solving the contentious issue of the Irish border still unlikely to unlock a deal just six weeks before Britain is due to leave.

 

Addressing EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had told him on Monday that London still wanted a deal, but would leave with or without one on Oct. 31.

 

“There is very little time left ... The risk of a no-deal is very real,” said Juncker, his comments weighing on sterling.

 

Pro-Brexit lawmakers cheered and applauded in the Strasbourg chamber.

 

“It’s time for a clean-break Brexit,” said Brexit campaigner Matthew Patten. Other pro-Brexit EU deputies tried to shout down pro-EU British colleagues, shouting “you lost!” and “rubbish!”

 

A majority of EU lawmakers later voted for an extension to Britain’s scheduled departure date in a resolution that is not binding but which has political weight.

 

EU leaders will meet for a make-or-break summit in Brussels on Oct. 17-18, just a fortnight before Brexit is due to materialise more than three years after Britons voted to leave.

 

U.S. investment bank JPMorgan sounded negative on Wednesday about the prospects of Johnson striking a deal then after recent rounds of talks between the two sides showed significant gaps remain.

 

Britain is not likely to present a complete set of detailed, written proposals of how it would want the text of the existing - but stalled - Brexit deal changed before the end of the month, UK and EU sources said.

 

“If that is the case, the summit will end with nothing,” an EU diplomat dealing with Brexit in Brussels said. “If there is to be a deal, it must be prepared to a large extent in advance. It is too technical to leave to the leaders at the last minute.”

 

In a worst-case scenario, a no-deal Brexit could mean severe disruption to trade, supplies of medicines, fresh foods and possible public disorder, according to the British government’s contingency plans.

 

Such a sharp break in economic ties, ending four decades of EU membership, “might be the United Kingdom’s choice, but never the choice of the EU,” Juncker said, highlighting how the bloc wants to avoid blame if Britain crashes out.

 

Juncker said London must present realistic proposals to replace the Irish backstop arrangement in the Britain-EU divorce agreement, which former premier Theresa May agreed with EU leaders but which was rejected by the British parliament.

 

“I am not emotionally attached to the Irish backstop,” Juncker said. “I have asked the prime minister to make, in writing, alternatives,” he said, calling it a safety net to avoid a divided Ireland after Brexit.

 

The backstop would require Britain to obey some EU rules if no other way could be found to keep the land border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland invisible.

 

His pessimistic tone was echoed by Finland’s minister for European affairs, Tytti Tuppurainen, who told the parliament that a no-deal Brexit “is a quite likely outcome.” Finland holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

 

“STUPID” BREXIT, “DISREPUTABLE” PM

 

However, many EU lawmakers warned against a no-deal, both to avoid an economic shock and because they do not want to see Britain abandon its commitments to EU social and environmental standards and become a low-tax, low-regulation rival.

 

“We will not accept a Singapore on the North Sea,” said former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, a liberal EU lawmaker and a member of the parliament’s Brexit committee.

 

In an at times bad-tempered debate underscoring general weariness on the tortured issue of Britain’s pending departure, senior EU lawmakers took jabs at the noisy contingent of British eurosceptic deputies in the chamber.

 

Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right EPP group, called Brexit “stupid”. He and Verhofstadt took aim at British plans for greater sovereignty at a time when the parliament in Westminster has been suspended by Johnson. British pro-EU deputy Julie Ward called the prime minister “disreputable”.

 

“Brexiteers claimed Westminster would take back control, but now they shut it down,” Weber, a German lawmaker, said in Strasbourg, as the Supreme Court in London continued hearing arguments on whether Johnson acted unlawfully in suspending the parliament in the run-up to Brexit.

 

The European Parliament formally called on Wednesday for Britain to be granted another extension to allow more time for London to agree the terms of its withdrawal. The resolution passed with 544 in favour, 126 against and 38 abstentions.

 

Britain’s departure has already been delayed twice since March and Johnson has vowed he would not seek another extension.

 

The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said a no-deal Brexit would not resolve any of the issues around the rights of EU citizens, the Irish border and British obligations under the bloc’s long-term budget.

 

“If the United Kingdom leaves without a deal, all these questions will not disappear. They are still there,” Barnier told the EU chamber. “Some three years after the Brexit referendum we should not be pretending to negotiate.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-18

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Why is the EU meeting with Boris and his gang... should not meet until the supreme court final ruling, maybe next week Boris & the gang will no longer be in power

11 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

Why is the EU meeting with Boris and his gang... should not meet until the supreme court final ruling, maybe next week Boris & the gang will no longer be in power

Maybe he's bored and needs some entertainment...

59 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

Why is the EU meeting with Boris and his gang... should not meet until the supreme court final ruling, maybe next week Boris & the gang will no longer be in power

You mean the EU will have annexed the UK?

Or will there be a General Election to flush this rotten remain anti-democratic parliament down the toilet?

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

Why is the EU meeting with Boris and his gang... should not meet until the supreme court final ruling, maybe next week Boris & the gang will no longer be in power

you,d have been better off asking the remain camp,when offered a general election they bottled it.

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

Why is the EU meeting with Boris and his gang... should not meet until the supreme court final ruling, maybe next week Boris & the gang will no longer be in power

Or maybe the EU are getting the Heeby Jeebies.

1 hour ago, HeyHeyHey said:

Boris the Great, savior of the UK has already figured it out

 

Bye bye EU, another Nazi attempt from Germany

 

 

sarcasm ?

 

Edited September 18, 20196 yr by oldhippy
.

55 minutes ago, CaptainNemo said:

You mean the EU will have annexed the UK?

Or will there be a General Election to flush this rotten remain anti-democratic parliament down the toilet?

 

 

 

 

 

What does "le meme chose" mean ?

9 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

What does "le meme chose" mean ?

The same 

2 minutes ago, david555 said:

The same 

No, it does not mean "the same": that would be "LA meme chose".

No wonder Brits run into trouble with ladyboys in Pattaya, they don't know the difference between masculin and feminin.

So they are scared that UK becomes a European version of Singapore that will attract all business HQs and become a trading Nirvana...? Ok. So this wasn't about how "bad this will be for UK" but "oh no, the EU is toast"...?

6 minutes ago, Forethat said:

So they are scared that UK becomes a European version of Singapore that will attract all business HQs and become a trading Nirvana...? Ok. So this wasn't about how "bad this will be for UK" but "oh no, the EU is toast"...?

No, this is about the standards of civilized nations, this is about not getting into a race to the bottom. (labour laws, product quality, tax avoidance for the rich, the environment,....).

3 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

No, this is about the standards of civilized nations, this is about not getting into a race to the bottom. (labour laws, product quality, tax avoidance for the rich, the environment,....).

Ah, just like Singapore?

42 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

No, it does not mean "the same": that would be "LA meme chose".

No wonder Brits run into trouble with ladyboys in Pattaya, they don't know the difference between masculin and feminin.

You go teach me my second language of my country ?

Ok I take the easy way …..you go for the feminin or masculin expression , I just about the meaning of the phrase 

Edited September 18, 20196 yr by david555

4 minutes ago, Forethat said:

Ah, just like Singapore?

Not quite, more like Panama, Liberia, Trinidad, Grenada etc

2 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Not quite, more like Panama, Liberia, Trinidad, Grenada etc

So he simply used the word "Singapore" but what he really meant was "Panama, Liberia, Grenada etc"

 

Quote

“We will not accept a Singapore on the North Sea,” said former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, a liberal EU lawmaker and a member of the parliament’s Brexit committee.

 

5 minutes ago, david555 said:

You go teach me my second language of my country ?

Ok I take the easy way …..you go for the feminin or masculin expression , I just about the meaning of the phrase 

UNE chose, therefore LA meme chose.

So you are Belgian too.....?

 

3 minutes ago, Forethat said:

So he simply used the word "Singapore" but what he really meant was "Panama, Liberia, Grenada etc"

 

 

Maybe he went easy on the Brits?

Anyway, you are deflecting, this is about LOW STANDARDS.

1 hour ago, oldhippy said:

No, it does not mean "the same": that would be "LA meme chose".

No wonder Brits run into trouble with ladyboys in Pattaya, they don't know the difference between masculin and feminin.

hey its not that easy to tell for the rest of us either

‘Britain is not likely to present a complete set of detailed, written proposals of how it would want the text of the existing - but stalled - Brexit deal changed before the end of the month, UK and EU sources said.’

 

More than 3 years and the UK is still without a plan...........

52 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I think you very well understand what that remark of Verhofstadt was about.

Yes, I certainly did. If he's cited correctly he says nothing about LOW STANDARDS. Go get your reading glasses, says I.

 

Quote

However, many EU lawmakers warned against a no-deal, both to avoid an economic shock and because they do not want to see Britain abandon its commitments to EU social and environmental standards and become a low-tax, low-regulation rival.

 

 

At the supreme court today ….

Marvellous end line from a lawyer : " The mother of parliaments is shut down by the father of lies...." 

Edited September 18, 20196 yr by david555

12 minutes ago, Forethat said:

Yes, I certainly did. If he's cited correctly he says nothing about LOW STANDARDS. Go get your reading glasses, says I.

 

 

Here you can choose who you like to hear …..even Your hero Farage is on E.U. parliament speaking (look in the list ) on  it ,in the download list 

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/debate-details.html?date=20190918&detailBy=date

09:01 - 12:00 The UK’s withdrawal from the EU (debate) and choose who you like to hear & see  (dowload link)
 

1 minute ago, david555 said:

Here you can choose who you like to hear …..even Your hero Farage is on E.U. parliament speaking (look in the list ) on  it ,in the download list 

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/debate-details.html?date=20190918&detailBy=date

09:01 - 12:00 The UK’s withdrawal from the EU (debate) and choose who you like to hear & see  (dowload link)
 

I don't care what Farage says. The question here was what Verhofstadt said. He's never said anything about LOW STANDARDS.

 

IMHO EUs standards are the low standards. And the UK are about to abandon them.

 

The article mentions Environmental standards and low taxes. 

 

Not LOW STANDARDS.

 

Some people...

22 minutes ago, Forethat said:

Yes, I certainly did. If he's cited correctly he says nothing about LOW STANDARDS. Go get your reading glasses, says I.

 

 

Did you read your own quote?

"low tax, low regulation"

Do you understand what that means?

 

Just now, Forethat said:

I don't care what Farage says. The question here was what Verhofstadt said. He's never said anything about LOW STANDARDS.

 

IMHO EUs standards are the low standards. And the UK are about to abandon them.

 

The article mentions Environmental standards and low taxes. 

 

Not LOW STANDARDS.

 

Some people...

O.K.   Verhofstads full 6 minutes are also to download & all speakers including Juncker and Barniers (must choose in your mediaplayer the language track you can understand ...English is there too ........, but beware you aint gone like it ….. as a U.K. official you should be interested …..

 

Just now, david555 said:

O.K.   Verhofstads full 6 minutes are also to download & all speakers including Juncker and Barniers (must choose in your mediaplayer the language track you can understand ...English is there too ........, but beware you aint gone like it ….. as a U.K. official you should be interested …..

 

I am not a UK official. I am an external SME.

2 minutes ago, Forethat said:

I am not a UK official. I am an external SME.

Did you previously not say you were often posting from a government website ?

 

3 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Did you read your own quote?

"low tax, low regulation"

Do you understand what that means?

 

Eehh.. last time I checked 'low tax' and 'low regulation' meant.....'low tax' and 'low regulation'.

 

But you disagree with that?

1 minute ago, Forethat said:

Eehh.. last time I checked 'low tax' and 'low regulation' meant.....'low tax' and 'low regulation'.

 

But you disagree with that?

Yes I disagree. Now tell us: did you claim you posted from government sites ?