Can anyone defend today's shambolic events?

[Bearbehind]

So it seems TM decided to ignore the fact the DUP has said all along they wouldn't support different rules for NI and tell the EU that that was how we are planning to resolve the border issue.

Then Arlene points out that they weren't bluffing and will not support it so TM has to back track.

It's a fucking joke.

TM and her government continue to think everyone else will just back down if they plough on with their arrogant plans.

When are they going to get real?

Seriously, is there any defence for this staggering display of incomptentence?

I was just thinking that this thread title is equally applicable to today.

Brexit really is the gift that keeps on giving isn't it?

WTAF is going on?

Are they deliberately cocking it up? What was the idea when they decided not to do the studies but pretend that they had? That no one would ever find out? That it didn't matter?
Can we no-confidence David Davis? Or is he hoping that Damian Green gets sacked so he can walk and pretend that it's nothing to do with Brexit?

It is just like Trump as noble posted.

Incompetence and lies.

I thought this country were better than that but we aren’t.

noblegiraffe having watched disingenuous DD this morning and PMQs this afternoon I am also coming to the conclusion that this is a deliberate cock-up situation. The strategy (if worthy of the term) is that they will stumble through to the next stage of negotiations on trade (somehow!) and then they will be free to blame its failure on the EU/the DUP/Remoaning MPs/whomsoever is a convenient scape goat.

Keir Starmer was on radio 4 this morning, making absolutely no sense of course. He kept going on about retaining 'benefits' of the single market. What does that even mean? Why don't we just stay IN the single market?

I'm glad I have a guilt free conscience, having voted remain and then lib dem in the GE.

What was the idea when they decided not to do the studies but pretend that they had? That no one would ever find out? That it didn't matter?

I think the likelihood is that the civil service (though perhaps not DExEu civil servants) has done studies, but that releasing them would be so damaging that Davis was prepared to embarrass himself in front of the select committee instead.

Make a Freedom of Information Act request for them.

Seema Malhotra already has made a FoI request . This from David Allen Green's twitter

David Allen Green‏
@davidallengreen
9h9 hours ago
More David Allen Green Retweeted David Allen Green
This Freedom of Information non-disclosure reply from @DExEUgov was false if the analyses did not exist.

The reply confirmed they did exist.

There is no credible way @DExEUgov did not know this was false.

The @DExEUgov September FoI response to @SeemaMalhotra1 confirmed that analyses did exist.

"I can confirm that the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) holds the information you have requested."

If they did not, FoI non-disclosure letter could not have said this.

/1

And not only did @DExEUgov say the analyses existed but that the information was so substantial that three separate FoI exemptions apply.

And that for each exemption the public interest test was for non-disclosure.

/2

That the FoI responses were allowed to go out on this false basis must mean that there was by that date a systemic policy in place at @DExEUgov to knowingly mislead MPs and public as to the number and quality of the sector reports.

No other explanation matches the evidence.

/3

The DUP, meanwhile, has said that there is still “work to be done” if it would agree to any border plans. Arlene Foster’s party had suggested that Dublin had blocked them seeing the proposed deal on Monday, but this was flatly denied by Varadkar last night.

www.thejournal.ie/may-leo-brexit-3736464-Dec2017/

So who is telling the porkies? Foster said the British negotiating team said that Dublin told them not to show the wording to the DUP. Dublin say that is not true.

Jeez, the LD's missed a trick with the fees. The Con's will do anything to stay in gov't. And the LD's were actually in a coalition.

If the DUP get shown things, should every other party get them too? The DUP say they are not in gov't, but a supply and confidence situation. They haven't crossed to the gov't side.

"Foster said the British negotiating team said that Dublin told them not to show the wording to the DUP. Dublin say that is not true."

Wow. Just wow. I don't believe that for a minute

But even if it's true, the lack of communication isn't Varadkar's fault - it's the fault of the Brtiish negotiating team who (seemingly) kept people on their own "side" in the dark

From what I can see, today they have effectively agreed to kick it into the long grass and move on. However if later on they can't agree, the whole UK will remain in the custom union and allow free movement of people and trade, EU lite!

I'm up for that.

Farage seems to hate today’s dea, so I’m delighted.

Farage hates it? Always good news.