Britain gears up for negotiations of a "lifetime" after EU outlines Brexit stance

[rooster59]

Britain gears up for negotiations of a "lifetime" after EU outlines Brexit stance

 

Britain's Secretary of State for leaving the EU David Davis arrives at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain April 26, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's minister for leaving the European Union said on Saturday the country was gearing up for the most complex negotiations "in our lifetimes" after the European Union outlined its tough approach to Brexit talks.

 

Earlier in the day EU leaders endorsed stiff divorce terms for Britain on Saturday and warned Britons to have "no illusions" about swiftly securing a new relationship to keep their access to EU markets.

 

And while British Prime Minister Theresa May dined with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday in a bid to warm ties before talks start, David Davis, the minister responsible for Brexit, said negotiations would be hard.

 

"Both sides are clear - we want these negotiations to be conducted in the spirit of goodwill, sincere cooperation and with the aim of establishing a close partnership between the UK and the EU going forward," Davis said in a statement in response to the EU's Brexit guidelines.

 

"But there is no doubt that these negotiations are the most complex the UK has faced in our lifetimes. They will be tough and, at times even confrontational."

 

Davis added that there were people in Europe who opposed the aims of the talks, and "people at home trying to undermine them."

 

Britain is set for a national election on June 8 as Prime Minister May seeks to strengthen her hand domestically before beginning negotiations with the EU.

 

May started the formal process of leaving the EU at the end of March, starting a countdown of two years for the terms of departure to be agreed.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-30

[darksidedog]

I don't think anyone expects the talks to be warm and friendly. There will undoubtedly be serious disagreements on some areas, and I expect each side will be forced to come away with a package that is acceptable, but not what they had really wanted at the outset. Only time will tell if this was good for Britain.

[keeniau96]

Does that "lifetime" include the giveaways at Yalta? Hope for a better luck in negotiations at this one.

 

[Bannoi]

There can only be one outcome if the UK is leaving it's leaving end of.

 

Theresa May is delusional thinking she can just reject what the remaining 27 members want or she can just keep the bits she wants.

 

It's their club now they make the rules not her.

 

That's of course assuming she is still there after the general election. Personally I hope she's not.

 

[i claudius]

16 minutes ago, Bannoi said:

There can only be one outcome if the UK is leaving it's leaving end of.

 

Theresa May is delusional thinking she can just reject what the remaining 27 members want or she can just keep the bits she wants.

 

It's their club now they make the rules not her.

 

That's of course assuming she is still there after the general election. Personally I hope she's not.

 

We got off in a nice shiny lifeboat ,in the years to come others will leave clinging to the wreckage ,as For May of course she will win ,who is up against her Corbyn? you havin a laugh , Noddy could beat him .

[terryw]

The only reason for the negotiations being complex is because the Europeans like it that way.

 

A little Anglo-Saxon straight talking about the opportunties in the real world will soon upset them.

 

The European dream is dying. This is why their posturing looks ridiculous.

[Bannoi]

The fact is nobody knows for certain what the future holds same goes for the result of the election and no I don't think Corbyn will win outright but there could very well be a coalition if the Tory's don't get an outright majority.

 

Personally I see the Lib Dems gaining the most from this election.

 

I don't feel there should have been an election at all it was obviously because the Tory's were so far ahead in the polls and they thought they could make a killing, Corbyn was wrong to support it but then he has been wrong on a lot of other things as well he does seem to have a knack of putting his foot in it.

 

If Labour had a different leader and promised to halt the exit from the EU until the results of another referendum were known they could very well win there are at least 48% of the electorate that could very well vote for them.

[nauseus]

16 minutes ago, Bannoi said:

The fact is nobody knows for certain what the future holds same goes for the result of the election and no I don't think Corbyn will win outright but there could very well be a coalition if the Tory's don't get an outright majority.

 

Personally I see the Lib Dems gaining the most from this election.

 

I don't feel there should have been an election at all it was obviously because the Tory's were so far ahead in the polls and they thought they could make a killing, Corbyn was wrong to support it but then he has been wrong on a lot of other things as well he does seem to have a knack of putting his foot in it.

 

If Labour had a different leader and promised to halt the exit from the EU until the results of another referendum were known they could very well win there are at least 48% of the electorate that could very well vote for them.

I don't think that you have considered what most of the traditional Labour voters have been saying about the EU!

[Grouse]

It's the negotiation of a life line.

 

I just see our erstwhile EU friends see TM waving and saying ooh, look Gabriel, it's that lady from table number 28!

[chrissables]

20 minutes ago, Bannoi said:

The fact is nobody knows for certain what the future holds same goes for the result of the election and no I don't think Corbyn will win outright but there could very well be a coalition if the Tory's don't get an outright majority.

 

Personally I see the Lib Dems gaining the most from this election.

 

I don't feel there should have been an election at all it was obviously because the Tory's were so far ahead in the polls and they thought they could make a killing, Corbyn was wrong to support it but then he has been wrong on a lot of other things as well he does seem to have a knack of putting his foot in it.

 

If Labour had a different leader and promised to halt the exit from the EU until the results of another referendum were known they could very well win there are at least 48% of the electorate that could very well vote for them.

We had a referendum, we know what to vote was, had it gone the remain way, would they have another one? Of course not.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Grouse said:

It's the negotiation of a life line.

 

I just see our erstwhile EU friends see TM waving and saying ooh, look Gabriel, it's that lady from table number 28!

The EU is smarting over a "big Boy" departing...

[petermik]

7 hours ago, transam said:

The EU is smarting over a "big Boy" departing...

not "a big boy".....the big boy

 

onwards and upwards fark the EU

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, chrissables said:

We had a referendum, we know what to vote was, had it gone the remain way, would they have another one? Of course not.

Nigel Farage disagrees with you:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nigel-farage-wants-second-referendum-7985017

[transam]

2 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Nigel Farage disagrees with you:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nigel-farage-wants-second-referendum-7985017

Does anyone really take any notice of the guy...?

[Khun Han]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

Does anyone really take any notice of the guy...?

 

No, but it's useful for remain supporters to keep quoting him in support of their anti-democratic agenda.

[chilli42]

The only card the UK holds is access to their market.  This is a known number, the value of EU imports to the UK.  Up against this is the value of UK exports to the EU, another known number.  Hmm?  What will make the process less straight forward is that the EU can't appear to be giving UK the benefits of EU membership without being an EU member - how much of a penalty do they need to impose to maintain their political/membership integrity.  Additionally, there will be business interests on both sides, to which governments will be beholding, that will have a say behind closed doors.

 

At Yalta, from an earlier poster, the UK held no cards at all.  America and Russia were clearly the global powers and the UK was finished.  UK does hold a better hand this time but not enough to have a hope of getting all the wish for.

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, Bannoi said:

There can only be one outcome if the UK is leaving it's leaving end of.

 

Theresa May is delusional thinking she can just reject what the remaining 27 members want or she can just keep the bits she wants.

 

It's their club now they make the rules not her.

 

That's of course assuming she is still there after the general election. Personally I hope she's not.

 

I'm sure all Brexiteers agree with your first para.

 

Re your second para, I'm sure she's never said that she expects to keep just the bits she wants.

 

Re your last para: personally I hope she is.

 

[chilli42]

1 hour ago, Bannoi said:

The fact is nobody knows for certain what the future holds same goes for the result of the election and no I don't think Corbyn will win outright but there could very well be a coalition if the Tory's don't get an outright majority.

 

Personally I see the Lib Dems gaining the most from this election.

 

I don't feel there should have been an election at all it was obviously because the Tory's were so far ahead in the polls and they thought they could make a killing, Corbyn was wrong to support it but then he has been wrong on a lot of other things as well he does seem to have a knack of putting his foot in it.

 

If Labour had a different leader and promised to halt the exit from the EU until the results of another referendum were known they could very well win there are at least 48% of the electorate that could very well vote for them.

Interesting election strategy.  May even have had even odds of success. You would need a leader as bold and mad as Trump to hoist the party's hopes on it though.  Plus a party willing to risk all to win.  Neither of those conditions exist.  Most politicians just want to hold on to what they have.

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Does anyone really take any notice of the guy...?

Who, Password?

[i claudius]

The fact is nobody knows for certain what the future holds same goes for the result of the election and no I don't think Corbyn will win outright but there could very well be a coalition if the Tory's don't get an outright majority.
 
Personally I see the Lib Dems gaining the most from this election.
 
I don't feel there should have been an election at all it was obviously because the Tory's were so far ahead in the polls and they thought they could make a killing, Corbyn was wrong to support it but then he has been wrong on a lot of other things as well he does seem to have a knack of putting his foot in it.
 
If Labour had a different leader and promised to halt the exit from the EU until the results of another referendum were known they could very well win there are at least 48% of the electorate that could very well vote for them.

.
And is that a squadren of pink pigs flying by?

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[dunroaming]

3 hours ago, transam said:

The EU is smarting over a "big Boy" departing...

Maybe.  But we are the one's asking for a trade deal and retaining a good relationship and they are the one's who will decide just exactly what we can have.

 

Let's suppose for a moment that we weren't in the EU at all and never had been.  Then we sit down with them and negotiate trade deals.  Well it would certainly take longer than two years but I am sure we would be treated far better than we are going to be now.  We are leaving the EU and the negotiations are going to be tough and there will be blood on the carpet.  Taking a cavalier approach and telling them to just get lost isn't going to happen because Britain cannot afford to take that stance.  

[Grouse]

I shouldn't share this with you girls, but as none of you have spotted it: May's strongest card is threatening an offshore very low corporation tax manufacturing centre.

 

Terrible for average UK family but great for business so who cares? Ask Trump ?

[nauseus]

3 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I shouldn't share this with you girls, but as none of you have spotted it: May's strongest card is threatening an offshore very low corporation tax manufacturing centre.

 

Terrible for average UK family but great for business so who cares? Ask Trump ?

What is great for big business is the EU itself!

[Grouse]

4 minutes ago, nauseus said:

What is great for big business is the EU itself!

You'll need to explain how TM can use that fact as a negotiating card? It's way too subtle for me ?

[nauseus]

3 minutes ago, Grouse said:

You'll need to explain how TM can use that fact as a negotiating card? It's way too subtle for me ?

No, I won't. I am referring to big (international/global) corporate business. This is not a negotiating issue. 

[Khon Kaen Dave]

In an imaginary contest, and all things being equal, who would have fought the hardest for us? Thatcher or May?

[Retiredandhappyhere]

4 hours ago, dunroaming said:

Maybe.  But we are the one's asking for a trade deal and retaining a good relationship and they are the one's who will decide just exactly what we can have.

 

Let's suppose for a moment that we weren't in the EU at all and never had been.  Then we sit down with them and negotiate trade deals.  Well it would certainly take longer than two years but I am sure we would be treated far better than we are going to be now.  We are leaving the EU and the negotiations are going to be tough and there will be blood on the carpet.  Taking a cavalier approach and telling them to just get lost isn't going to happen because Britain cannot afford to take that stance.  

And perhaps the EU cannot afford to lose the alleged debt of 60 billion euros they claim the UK owe them?  Nor can the EU afford to lose the UK as an export market.  Each side will profit from a fair deal although neither will get exactly what it wants but then they realistically will not expect to, despite all the pre-negotiation posturing, which is totally normal.

 

In short, neither side can afford to take a cavalier approach, although in the end, with or without a deal, the UK is leaving, which might even be their trump card, as the EU cannot stop them. 

[evadgib]

9 hours ago, Bannoi said:

I don't feel there should have been an election at all it was obviously because the Tory's were so far ahead in the polls and they thought they could make a killing, Corbyn was wrong to support it but then he has been wrong on a lot of other things as well he does seem to have a knack of putting his foot in it.

It was necessary in order to neuter the SNP; deflate the Hesletinies/remoaners and allow NI to have another crack at forming a govt without resorting to direct rule.

[evadgib]

22 minutes ago, Khon Kaen Dave said:

In an imaginary contest, and all things being equal, who would have fought the hardest for us? Thatcher or May?

May isn't in Maggies league yet but they're both light years in front of all bar Churchill in the last century.

[Grouse]

9 minutes ago, evadgib said:

May isn't in Maggies league yet but they're both light years in front of all bar Churchill in the last century.

Don't forget Churchill v Atlee in 1945!!