Westminstenders: From Russia with Love

[RedToothBrush]

Things just got scary.

The colony of US puppet state or a vassel state of the EU?

Why not just let market forces take their course and let Russia buy the UK?

How did we get to stories of spies and mafia who buy politicians?

Just who are our enemies and allies?

Won't someone think of the effect on house prices in Salisbury?

Try not to don your foil hat, brace yourself and resist shouting 'money laundering too loud'.

More turbulence ahead.

Brexit still seems like such a cracking idea doesn't it?

pain the Nazanin update. Thanks for posting though.

I think with the Tory splits that May had to keep showing the headbangers that she holds out as long as possible on each issue

She is the classic "in office, but not in power"
She also seems genuinely ignorant about international trade wit foreigners, not just the EU.

The transition period will at least give vital time

• for affected countries to build the infrastructure for Customs, phytosanitary checks, certification checks, transport, lorry parks etc
• for businesses to modify their supply chains and update certification processes - some will downsize and / or move to the EU
• for those who wish to move countries and can do so
• to accept there is no magic solution for the NI border and to accept staying in EEA / EFTA plus a custom arrangement … Any trade talks are likely to have a clause that if the UK reneges on the NI promise, then all trade arrangements are null & void.

Olivia Yes, under any FTA, the UK would be a 3rd country, with all that means for non-tariff barriers.
Only an EEA / EFTA type deal plus a customs arrangement could retain effectively the current frictionless trade after the Brexit transition period ends.

jane The last possible date to revoke A50 is 29 March 2019, Brexit day.
in practice it would have to be at least a month earlier, because all 27 member govts might need to agree unanimously - the law is unclear whether the UK can revoke without this.

@davidallengreen
Heading towards a Brexit in name only, where the UK is technically not a member of the EU but almost everything else stays the same.

A 52:48 Brexit, as it always should have been

@ultrafastcarl
I'm actually quite relaxed over all of this too. The farther from 2016 we go, hopefully, the quieter the more extreme voices are and the more the voices of sanity may win out and provide the best solution possible for all.

@CharlesTannock
That only applies to 2y transition period & only if it pans out without any setbacks. Beyond that simple 🇬🇧 EU 3rd country FTA will be very different & won't be remotely a compromise with Remainers. Only had HMG gone for EU SM&CU solution could u claim 52:48 compromise was goal

I want to agree with Green, but suspect Tannock is right.

Depends on what's left of the wreckage of british political and economic landscape by 2020 I suppose.

Depends on what's left of the wreckage of british political and economic landscape by 2020 I suppose.

Whatever the eventual outcome in fifty billion years' time this is and always has been my biggest worry about Brexit.

I'd say this one takes a couple of generations and a fair wind to repair.
A very fair wind.

‏*@BorderIrish*
I have voted to leave being the border of Northern Ireland. It is the will of me. During the transition period I will go on being the border of Northern Ireland and then I will be pretending to be a technological solution to myself by tweeting ferciously and ignoring smugglers.

Foreign Office 🇬🇧@foreignoffice
Welcome the support and solidarity from our European partners and allies following Salisbury incident. #FAC

So, BINO?

BorderIrish has nailed it
They are my goto news source on the border issue

Iron Lady … or Lady of Lead ?

Lead is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials.
It is soft and malleable, and has a relatively low melting point.

It is also toxic.
Lead poisoning leads to irritability and depression; in higher doses to cognitive deficits and delirium.

Barnier is playing chess;
DD & May are playing "Pigeon chess"

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Pigeon_chesss_

"Debating creationists on the topic of evolution is rather like trying to play chess with a pigeon:

it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory

Tannock not Green is right.

All the issues re: rights etc are being stored up for post 2020.

At this point we run into the problems and a GE in 2022.

Perfect for a Labour victory.

Yes, thank you for the update on Nazanin, Pain.

Thanks pain
So...
May and DD have caved on everything the EU asked for?
I can't decide if this a good or bad thing....?

Probably good as we don't waste time.

This is not a negotiation remember. The EU is a rules based organisation so there is not much they can negotiate anyway without compromising the integrity of the Single Market.

Blue passports ?

My history GCSE and A Level was dominated by WW1 / between the wars / WW2 / Russia. I vaguely recall some British industrial history / Peterloo massacre stuffas well, but it was very 20th century dominated.

The main thing I get from it, though, was the ability to analyse and apply critical thinking to a situation. Is this still an important part of history teaching?

Draft agreed today

Color-coded green (agreed), yellow (awaiting detail), white (awaiting agreement from 1 side)

read this if you are an expat, or plan to be:

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/draftagreementt_coloured.pdf

Green (agreed bits) include Expats, who are covered in Articles 9,10, 14:
Basically anyone with 5 years residence by the end of the transition period - even if there is no following agreement -
will have the right to permanent residence

There shall be no discretion in applying the limits and conditions, other than in favour of the person comcerned
< so the Home Office can f@ck off >

Once acquired, the right to permanent residence can only be lost by a period of 5 consecutive years outside the country

Article 17 states that application forms must be short and user-friendly
It has provision for extension of time limits where the host country < i.e. the Home Office > cannot process all the residence applications in time

and also states that copies must be allowed of all required documents, except where thee is a reasonable doubt about authenticity < bit of wiggle room for HO to be bastards ? >

Transition Period
Expats may apply for a residence permit during the transition period.

Equal treatment for expats wrt employment, education, social security
Professional qualifications to be recognised as at present

There shall be no discretion in applying the limits and conditions, other than in favour of the person comcerned

I don't trust the Home Office. They will make up the rules as it suits them, and then back down crying that it was a mistake when they are publicly exposed.

I hope that by the time the transition period is nearing its end we will collectively have come to our senses and realise that the whole thing is a mistake and cancel it.

Wasn't the Russian spy case useful for providing a smokescreen for the Government not having to explain another climb down. Not that it will have escaped the Moggites....

I got a 'page not found' message when I tried to click on Big Choc's link in the 17:02 post.

I don't trust the Home Office. They will make up the rules as it suits them, and then back down crying that it was a mistake when they are publicly exposed.

Hopefully there will be a process from the EU side to ensure the UK is holding up it's end of the deal ?

Many teachers' critical thinking skills have been eroded by being obliged to believe unswervingly in every crackpot new initiative dreamed up by education pundits, for example Brain Gym.

Sorry, peregrina Try this:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/draftagreementt_coloured.pdf

Article 126: ECJ to have jurisdiction throughout the transition period

The UK to have all obligations and all rights - except voting ! - during transition

Thanks BigChoc that's interesting.

I note the Good faith clause Article 4a necessitated by DDs previous threats to renege on what had been agreed.

Good faith
The Parties shall, in full mutual respect and good faith, assist each other in carrying out tasks which flow from this Agreement.
They shall take all appropriate measures, whether general or particular, to ensure fulfilment of the obligations arising from this Agreement and shall refrain from any measures which could jeopardise the attainment of the objectives of this Agreement.
This Article is without prejudice to the application of Union law pursuant to this Agreement, in
particular the principle of sincere cooperation.

Liam Fox can negotiate all the non-EU FTAs he can during the 21 months of transition < any ? >
but those FTAs can only come into force on a date after transition