To wish the EU would stop being so arsey with us!

[GreatAuntPrudish]

Juncker is an utter prick - leaking details of the dinner at No.10.
Then there's Barnier, Hollande and other EU officials warning us how ugly it's going to get.

Poland and France wanting to extract every last billion out of us!

They're playing into May's hands - giving her the opportunity to look like the Boudicca of the 21st century when she is actually an utterly useless PM.

I wish they'd show some consideration for the 48%

I'm a Remainer - still want to stay in EU - but it's starting to piss me off so there's little chance the leavers who were starting to wobble will want to stay now.

The Daily Mail are relishing it

The EU would happily mess my children's lives up as an 'I told you so' lesson. That makes me deeply uncomfortable.

And what do you think happens to your children if the EU goes tits up because of Brexit? Do you want them used as cannon fodder in a future war? Because Brexit has meant that either Britain enters an econimic period reminiscent of the 70s or Europe, including Britain, faces possibly entering a political period similar to the 30s and 40s. The EU will not allow the UK any quarter in Brexit and that's for the best of absolutely everyone.

But they aren't abandoning remainers either. For the 3 UK territories that voted to stay in the EU they are working to make a return as easy as possible for them. It's why they will quickly welcome an independent Scotland and make Ireland financially ready to reabsorb NI if it comes to it. And offer Gibraltar residents, who voted most overwhelmingly to remain, options should they prefer to ally with the EU than the UK.

And most of all. The harder the EU play ball, the only possible chance there is for Brexit to be abandoned all together. By ensuring the very, very worst deal for Britain, there is a possibility that the British PM will be compelled to say: This deal is absolutely nothing like that which Leavers voted for, we must have another referendum.

Well, if my husband left me because he thought he could get a better wife, then I would want his head on a stick and everything else. I'd make his life a misery cause I am a sadistic female dog just like the EU now. I'd make him an example to all those Mofos out there that think of pulling stunts like that.

I for one am looking forward to the carcrash that the Eurovision Song Contest is likely to be this year. Will we get any points at all? (Lowers tone of thread).

I wish they'd show some consideration for the 48%

It's not the EU who should have consideration for the 58%, it's the British government, who should have thought that the margin was so small that didn't warrant actually leaving.

Complain to the UK government and to Leave voters.

The UK is fucking up the EU.

TBF why should they be nice to us? Weve been pretty horrid about them in general. I mean isnt this just living up to what leave voters said they were like anyway... so why are they all so surprised?!

The EU leaders are in a state of panic because they know (but are still publicly denying) that Brexit means the end of the EU, not the UK.

Brexit is their fault for years if not listening. Ireland voting against the Nice treaty should have rung alarm bells. But instead they held another election, reminding those silly Irish citizens who is boss. David Cameron said we need A, B, C. He didn't get them (in spite of saying he did).

A hard Brexit will be a result of the EU's unreasonable negotiating stance, not the UK's. The EU thinks they make all the decisions and the UK has no choice but to follow them. They are wrong. And I think it will unfortunately result in hard Brexit a JD a lot of bad feeling amongst all European (including British) citizens and residents.

The EU can't be seen to give the UK worse terms than it has already agreed with countries such as South Korea, Canada and Japan, otherwise it does look a bit vindictive, and I'm pretty sure it's in some official EU document that it has to ensure good relationships with neighbours. The Swiss border is a good example.

Also, it will be interesting to see if the EU listens to a reform agenda if it's being pushed by Macron, rather than the UK...

pissed off that they're losing our £350 million a week!

Not quite. :)
If you want the same privileges you still have to pay millions and will have absolutely no word in how they are used. Well done Brexiters.

'they know (but are still publicly denying) that Brexit means the end of the EU, not the UK.'

Dream on.

'A hard Brexit will be a result of the EU's unreasonable negotiating stance, not the UK's.'

Absolute baloney, as well you know.

I'm pretty sure it's in some official EU document that it has to ensure good relationships with neighbours. The Swiss border is a good example.

Except that the UK wants to close their borders. Supposedly. So, how will that work out?

And also can I add a 'ha ha ha' at the 'not the end of the UK' comment. You sure about that? You quite confident Scotland and NI will still be part of the UK ten years from now?

Hmmmm?

If anything will see the end of the UK it's Brexit.

The majority UK electorate has stuck two fingers up at the EU, the Leave campaign was so dirty it was offensive, the Tories are openly slagging off the EU and slapping themselves on the back for being superior to everyone. The impression of the UK worldwide is of racist, narrow minded, anti immigration, colonialist twats who think they're a cut above everyone else. I don't blame the EU at all. I'm absolutely gutted.

On Wednesday May 3rd 2017 the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stood outside 10 Downing Street and spouted crackpot conspiracy theories.

For the previous two weeks she repeated the phrases "strong and stable leadership" and "a good deal for Britain" in response to virtually every question she was asked (even "do you know what a mugwump is?"), so how on earth did it come to this?

How did the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom come to make a speech that was more like an unhinged Daily Mail editorial than the carefully considered approach you'd expect from a strong and stable leader who is facing the most complex and risky set of negotiations in the history of their nation?

How did our "strong and stable leader" lose the plot so badly that she decided to poison the well of EU negotiations before the talks have even properly started by spouting conspiracy theory gibberish about how there is an EU plot to harm the UK by making the negotiations fail?

Anyone with a memory that functions well enough to recall the events of January will recall the way that Theresa May delighted the extreme-right propagandists at the Daily Mail, S*n and Express, but horrified the rest of Europe by announcing that the centrepiece of her long-awaited Brexit negotiating strategy as the threat to damage the EU by launching a mutually ruinous "no deal" Brexit and then turning the UK into a corporate tax haven.

Ever since this point Theresa May has been slow-marching the UK towards this catastrophic "no deal" flounce scenario:

When she ordered her party to remove the opposition amendment to the Article 50 bill aimed at obliging her government to at least begin considering how to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, she sent Europe a very clear message that the lives of their citizens are just bargaining chips in the reckless game of brinkmanship she's playing.

When she decided to imply that the UK would turn a blind eye to security threats against EU states if they didn't give the UK the kind of deal she wanted, this attempted blackmail was another big step towards a "no deal" catastrophe.

The disastrous dinner where Theresa May appeared delusional and completely unfamiliar with enormity of the task she's facing was another step towards the chasm.

And now her decision to spout bonkers conspiracy theories about how the EU are plotting against her is yet another giant lurch towards the social and economic disaster that a Tory "no deal" strop would deliver.

This bonkers conspiracy-laden drivel was clearly the kind of reaction to a German newspaper report that their business dinner had gone wrong you'd expect from an dangerously unstable narcissist, not a strong and stable leader.

Instead of taking it on the chin and concentrating on the task at hand, Theresa May obviously spent the next few days after the leaked report brewing in silent rage, until she snapped and decided to "put the record straight" with a furious conspiracy laden tirade.

Surely we all know that spouting off when you're hot-headed with rage very rarely results in positive outcomes?

Surely we all know that when you're facing complex diplomatic negotiations you need to employ your poker face, not to spew a load of furious gibberish and demonstrate beyond doubt that you're completely rattled?

Blabbering out a load of anti-EU conspiracy theories is clearly neither the behaviour of a "strong and stable leader" nor the behaviour of someone who is determined to get "a good deal for Britain".

In fact Theresa May's behaviour has once again proven to be the polar opposite of her promises.

The worrying thing is that millions of people don't even seem capable of noticing how weak, unstable and directionless Theresa May's leadership is, even as she lurches from one ill-considered snap decision to the next, spreading instability and further poisoning relations with the EU with every step she takes.

People may have thought I was exaggerating in March (before Theresa May's self-serving snap election decision was even announced) when I warned that her ill-considered tabloid style rhetoric was driving us towards the social and economic catastrophe of a "no deal" cliff edge, but how could anyone deny it now?

How are so many people failing to see what's going on?

How are people failing to understand that the Prime Minister of the UK spewing bonkers Daily Mail style anti-EU conspiracies is just about the worst way imaginable to secure "a good deal for Britain"?

Why are so many political sleepwalkers willing to follow along behind a clearly weak and unstable leader as she slow-marches the nation towards the economic abyss of a "no deal" Brexit under the truly Orwellian banner of "strong and stable leadership"?

anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/

Mulledwine
The Ireland border thing is a red herring as far as I can tell. There are already soft borders with non-EU states (the Vatican is an obvious one). It cannot beyond the wit of the two sides to come up with a solution.
Well I suggest you look a little further into this then. There is a really good thread on the implications of Brexit on Ireland under the EU Ref section here. The NI situation is hugely complex and to dismiss it as a red herring shows the complete lack of understanding around the concerns and worries that Brexit has raised regarding Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement and peace on the island. I for one am very grateful to the EU for making this a priority and am furious with TM and her team of incompetents for throwing us under the Brexit bus.

Switzerland:

Since 2008, Switzerland has contributed CHF 1.3 billion towards various projects designed to reduce the economic and social disparities in an enlarged EU

They are part of Schengen and have free movement and free trade.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland%E2%80%93European_Union_relations

How much does the UK give?

UK’s full membership fee was £17.8 billion
the rebate reduced our contribution to £12.9 billion
we get back almost £6 billion a year.

(so, the UK pays just under 7 billion in membership)

Almost £1 billion of British money given to the EU is spend on international aid (which would be spent anyway)

(so, that leaves less than 6 billion in membership, which is actually 115 million per week and nothing like 350 :) )

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/how-much-do-we-spend-on-the-eu-and-what-else-could-it-pay-for/

Totally agree Grifone - "the Ireland border thing (thing? ) is a red herring" is perhaps one of the thickest statements I have had the misfortunate to read on MN.

Where is the plan?

We are going to have years of this

Hasn't it played into May's hands she can do her I will be a difficult women if I need to be for my country and that will appeal to some voters

Obviously others it won't I wonder if her stance has made voters think twice about voting for her

Labour could really do well from this if they bothered her get their act together

Oh yes, Northern Ireland, a minor detail that I'm sure will be cleared up by the tea break on the first day of negotiations...

Does "arsey" = "not behaving themselves perfectly and letting us dictate all the terms to them"? It would be nice for both sides to conduct negotiations in a professional, amicable way but there's not been much of that from the UK side! The EU27 have their own interests to look after, and their own voters to impress. They can't be seen to roll over in the face of quite frankly appalling antagonism and goadiness from UK politicians. Its not surprising, but still a shame because this whole Brexit nonsense doesn't have to be a disaster - if only we had a government who weren't determined to turn a mistake into a catastrophe.

If the UK are so horrible and nasty and awkward, the EU will surely be glad to see the back of us WON'T they?

I mean it's so obvious they just luurrrrve us, and think we are pretty amazing, and the £350 million a week we contribute that they are losing, has fuck-all to do with their nasty spiteful petty attitude towards us. rolleyessmiley

Do me a favour, open your eyes remainers; you are naive to the nth degree, truly!

Billsykesdog put it beautifully on page 2.

The EU are playing a very dangerous game. The EU is losing popularity in continental Europe. The EU is losing it's image as a cooperative, mutual, voluntary 'peace project' union and gaining an image of a coercive controlling imperialist overlord power which punishes those who step out of line.

WELL SAID!

Have any of the remainers read that article by Yanis Varoufakis? He hasn't got blinkers on, he has tried to negotiate with the EU and knows that they play dirty. The paragraph on 'sequencing' rings especially true. The EU keeps on saying that we must sort out the EU citizens in the UK before anything else.
Says who? How come they get to set the agenda!? In normal negotiations you have a red line but give something in return, the other side do ditto. You don't say "cave in to my demands on this before I will discuss anything else". It is outrageous behaviour but it's what the EU does.
It's a mantra on MN that when someone shows you what they are like then you should believe them. For goodness sake stop believing the happy-clappy drivel that the EU spouts and look at the reality of their actions towards the Greeks, and know that they will try to bully us next.
We need to negotiate mutually beneficial terms. No more, no less. But knowing how long it takes for the EU to do anything, I want us to crack on with the Rest of The World. We are focusing far too much on the EU.

I don't blame the EU27 in the slightest. It's nearly a year after the result, they turn up for the start of negotiations probably (reasonably) hoping that the UK will have done at least a bit of its working-out, only to find that we still haven't moved much beyond vague notions of 'taking back control' and 'having cake and eating it'.

Presented with sensible questions and challenges, the UK responds with outright tub-thumping.

The EU27 aren't stupid; it is blatantly obvious that Theresa May doesn't give a flying fuck for Brexit negotiations right now. All her posturing is aimed squarely at the twats who read the Daily Heil and get off on reading about 'sticking it to Europe'.

This is an extremely offensive, cynical way to treat a bloc who have so far been moderate and accommodating about the gigantic mistake the UK have made, and have done their own homework and turned up for talks in good faith that the UK is also taking this shitstorm seriously.

There does seem to be a lot of hyperbole coming from people that wanted brexit at the moment

Which is quite ironic

Naughty EU bening mean

a bloc who have so far been moderate and accommodating about the gigantic mistake the UK have made

Rubbish. They were trying to bounce us into Art 50 before the ink was dry on the referendum. TM kept her nerve and did things at her own pace.