'leavers' At last we have a date for A50. March 2017 it is then.

[surferjet]

Good to have a set date.

[Bearbehind]

Are you going to give us any indication why this is 'good' surfer or are you just sticking with you're flag waving nonsense.

What exactly is 'good' about this news?

[eurochick]

I'm a Remainer but feel that certainty is the thing we need most and this announcement is a step towards that. However, a hard Brexit without a deal brokered before Art 50 is triggered is insane.

[GettinTrimmer]

I am wondering if legal challenges will be out of the way by then, if not it will have to wait.

[jaws5]

And the blindfolded walk towards the precipice continues, while waving a flag and shouting "we've got our country back" even when the ground disappears beneath their feet...

[jaws5]

... and we lose worker's rights, environmental protection and a civilized view of the future in general. But hey, those foreigners will stop coming over 'ere, which is what's all about...

[RBeer]

'Must be eligible to work in the EU' Going to mean alot more now.

[ButteredToastAndStrawberryJam]

Good to hear.

[smallfox2002]

It does seem that although the most vociferous leavers on here kept claiming it wasn't about immigration, that it really was.

Surferjet, Surferjet, when will you learn that your continually blind flag waving and meaningless statements will just attract yet more derision.

[Corcory]

jaws5 - what are you talking about? We're not loosing any of these things. TM has stated we are keeping all the EU laws, rules and regs. and only going through them all afterwards over the following years.
I think it is good that TM has stated that we will have A50 by the end of March - one less thing to have uncertainty about. As for negotiating before triggering a50! I don't think we can do that - the EU said so.

[jaws5]

Yes, I heard what TM said, and workers rights will be protected while she is PM, apparently. Very reassuring!

[jaws5]

Plus why would they want to keep the evil EU's rules and regulations? I thought the point was to be free from them?

[Corcory]

jaws5 - why would they want rid of all the EU laws? Nobody ever said that. The point is that it would take far too long to go through each and every law and regulation in time for exit of the EU. We want to get it right and choice the right things to keep and the right things to change. We need time to do that.
As for workers rights. I don't think TM can promise anything beyond her watch. What else do you expect her to do. Every EU law we enshrine as ours would have to be debated by parliament if they wanted to change anything so at that point the opposition would be able to debate any unwelcome changes to any employment law. It would also have to go through the house of lords.

[prettybird]

But but but, it's the first stage in us becoming a sovereign and independent country again.....

That must be a good thing, yes? After all Theresa May has told us this.

Looking forward to the announcement that Scotland will be getting its independence

Not holding my breath

And she has the gall to call Scottish Nationalists divisive

[RortyCrankle]

Excellent news. I agree, it makes absolutely no sense to immediately throw out all EU laws. Far better to have time to consider which to keep and which to change.

[twofingerstoGideon]

Rule Britannia, etc!
How flipping marvellous for all of us.
Are none of you Tories remotely bothered by the fact that hard Brexit goes directly against the Conservative Manifesto promise to: "safeguard British interests in the single market”?

I will not hold my breath re March 2017, given the current Tory infighting: uk.businessinsider.com/conservative-conference-brexit-article-50-birmingham-2016-9

[Youarenotprepared]

Oh good a third date after December and January that had been previously promised... don't hold your breath.

[Youarenotprepared]

The floundering is fucking over so many people in the background by the way. The whole thing is the single biggest balls up since someone gave Donald trump the idea to run for president.

[Bearbehind]

I agree re the date. All it means is it definitely won't be before March 2017.

I'm having a good laugh at all the 'it's a great idea to enshrine all the EU laws in UK law to start with' comments.

Can you imagine what the reaction would have been if Leave had stated pre-referendum that this is how it will work?

No one would have believed that any of the rules will ever change, yet you're all lapping it up now.

It's actually very funny if it weren't so serious.

[surferjet]

Exactly - some EU laws are very good, but now we can choose which ones to keep.

[Me2017]

I am a remainer but I think people like a bit of certainty. It sounds like they will also legislate so that current laws remain too as we need some kind of transition. It is giong to be very complicated.

I doubt we have the resources to abolish all laws and only bring back in those that we like. There isn't time or resources for that. We will however need a new kind of value added tax - some kind of sales tax presumably still at 20% and all kinds of other things like that. (current VAT law comes from EU law).

[prettybird]

...and what happens if Scotland (and NI) refuse to make the required changed to devolved laws?

Does Westminster just overrule the devolution settlements on the basis that these are not "normal" times?

This will do wonders for a) the Independence movement in Scotland and b) the reunification of Ireland

What a mess.

[PattyPenguin]

I presume that the parliament / assemblies Scotland, NI and Wales will be able to pass laws retaining EU laws or aspects of them in areas where they have competence.

In the non-devolved areas UK law may change in ways they don't like - which will almost certainly lead to 1) calls for increased devolution or 2) calls for outright independence.

[SapphireStrange]

I'd be very interested in hearing which EU laws people hope we keep and which we throw out.

[Bearbehind]

sapphire I don't think many of them will change.

The ones that get quoted are usually actually very sensible.

Remember the mini bus drivers hours mentioned on a thread a while back?

The jist was EU driving regulations prevented my mate earning a living when the reality is they protect people from being killed on the roads by tired drivers.

There will be no appetite to change rules like those.

There might be a few concessions on the shape of fruit and veg just so Leavers can claim victory but that'll be about it.

[PattyPenguin]

I suspect we'll be getting rid of all that "green nonsense", as many Tories view it. Paris Agreement? They'll keep saying they're committed to it, whilst doing the complete opposite (see above).

Oh, and things businesses find annoying, like holiday pay being based on wages including commission, overtime and bonuses? Forget that. May has hired Matthew Taylor to look into workers' rights, but his report, if favourable to workers, will be ignored.