4 Likes
Ukip’s fishing spokesman is the aptly named Mike Hookem who is doing his nut in the press. FTW, this whole situation is bizarre, Mike Hookem…
Super turn of phrase 
I’ll aim to get that into a meeting at work.
2 Likes
Jim Pickard of the FT on the performance of our Trade Minister this morning.
1 Like
Fuck the referendum, anything that stops this utter clusterfuck of a shit sow going ahead gets my vote.
Sometimes you just have to say fuck democracy when 52% are fucking retards.
11 Likes
Ahhhh, but that’s kinda my point. I think the exclusion of EEA from Barniers step model (based upon Maybots red lines) is a bit cheeky, as the EEA deal the Swiss turned down excluded full-on FoM.
You’re right, of course, that a reaonsably competent government who had but the faintest idea of what they wanted would have pointed this discrepancy out, but … here we are.
An interesting take on Guy Verhofstadt’s rather surprisingly lucid proposal for an Association Agreement.
Makes a decent fist of telling us what we already knew…
Also, Euroclear are moving to Brussels and will have a subsidiary to deal with their UK clearing responsibilities if I understand the move correctly. Seems like a very sensible move following their moves to create a settlement system for Ireland that does not rely on London.
1 Like
That MP for Yeovil is a proper cock. His Twitter feed is really quite alarming.
1 Like
Luxembourg PM Bettel:
"They were in with a load of opt-outs. Now they are out, and want a load of opt-ins.”
Has there been a more succinct appraisal?
18 Likes
2 Likes
Really interesting image of the Johnson/Gove approved technology for the NI border. I’m surprised that they have got the prototype together so speedily;
Be interesting to hear what the DUP have to say about this, other than ‘NO!’
9 Likes
His blog is utterly essential reading. I’ve C&P’d a para for those who haven’t read it
_"Beyond all of this, though, is a perhaps even more dangerous naivety, and it can be seen not just amongst hardline Brexiters but also amongst more pragmatic politicians – such as Philip Hammond – and in some journalistic commentary. This is the idea that the EU-27’s stance is ‘just a negotiating position’ and that, as in all negotiations, each side has to compromise. What underlies this is the assumption that Britain’s Brexit negotiations are rather like those she has conducted as an EU member, with last-minute deals, compromises on all sides, and a recognition of the particular domestic pressures of British politics from the Eurosceptic press and politicians.
But the situation with Brexit is fundamentally different, partly because Britain is, indeed, leaving, so there is no particular desire to accommodate us; partly because the time clock of Article 50 and the catastrophic effect on Britain of ‘no deal’ completely changes the balance of power. To put it another way, whereas in those previous deals when we were a continuing member the EU was trying to achieve something and needed Britain to do that, now Britain is trying to achieve something and needs the EU to do it."_
5 Likes