Brexit reality, as it seems to me, at the moment...

renewablejohn · Mar 19, 2019

Muck Spreader said:
How on earth can you be like Switzerland and and be a member of EFTA at the same time, they are incompatible. It's taken Switzerland 30 years of constant negotiations with the EU to produce over a hundred bespoke bilateral agreements and the EU have said they would not go down this road again.

Just sign the EFTA agreement then you are like Switzerland and can trade with the EFTA community. As for the EU thats there problem if they dont want to trade with the UK.

stewart · Mar 19, 2019

renewablejohn said:
Just sign the EFTA agreement then you are like Switzerland and can trade with the EFTA community. As for the EU thats there problem if they dont want to trade with the UK.

If only it was that easy.

renewablejohn · Mar 19, 2019

stewart said:
If only it was that easy.

It really is. Just like solving the Irish problem by both UK and ROI joining EFTA but then why go for a simple solution when the real object is to remain. And before anyone says it cannot be done just check your history there is precedence.

stewart · Mar 19, 2019

renewablejohn said:
It really is. Just like solving the Irish problem by both UK and ROI joining EFTA but then why go for a simple solution when the real object is to remain. And before anyone says it cannot be done just check your history there is precedence.

So if it really is that easy and as beneficial as you portray, get on with it and do it, what is stopping you? Please don’t give me the fake news of MPs preventing you from joining EFTA, despite what the Brexitears may think many MPs are more astute than you give them credit for.

renewablejohn · Mar 19, 2019

stewart said:
So if it really is that easy and as beneficial as you portray, get on with it and do it, what is stopping you? Please don’t give me the fake news of MPs preventing you from joining EFTA, despite what the Brexitears may think many MPs are more astute than you give them credit for.

You have got to be kidding. Of all the MP's I have met non of them could organise a P up in a brewary. Get in the real world of doing deals and there totally lost.

stewart · Mar 19, 2019

renewablejohn said:
You have got to be kidding. Of all the MP's I have met non of them could organise a P up in a brewary. Get in the real world of doing deals and there totally lost.

The role of the government is to sort out the politics around trade deals, I know it would be easier if politics were not involved, however they are. Some politicians would make poor businessmen just as many businessmen would make poor politicians, that is a fact of life.

mar · Mar 20, 2019

renewablejohn said:
It really is. Just like solving the Irish problem by both UK and ROI joining EFTA but then why go for a simple solution when the real object is to remain. And before anyone says it cannot be done just check your history there is precedence.

Why should the ROI join the EFTA?

Muck Spreader · Mar 20, 2019

renewablejohn said:
It really is. Just like solving the Irish problem by both UK and ROI joining EFTA but then why go for a simple solution when the real object is to remain. And before anyone says it cannot be done just check your history there is precedence.

I bit of imperial arrogance here, just tell the Irish what's good for them. Rather like some of Rees-Mogg's lot who have been telling them they should rejoin the UK, breathtaking. And folk wonder why @Ashtree appears anti English

gone · Mar 20, 2019

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/19/why-brexit-is-europes-finest-hour/

renewablejohn · Mar 20, 2019

mar said:
Why should the ROI join the EFTA?

Because if they did that there would be no border issues with the EU as you would be trading cross border on EFTA terms. Far easier than the other solution of the ROI leaving the EU which I could see the ROI doing anyway in the next 10 years.

Highland Mule · Mar 20, 2019

renewablejohn said:
Because if they did that there would be no border issues with the EU as you would be trading cross border on EFTA terms. Far easier than the other solution of the ROI leaving the EU which I could see the ROI doing anyway in the next 10 years.

Pretty sure this is the UK's problem to fix, and we should have stopped bossing ROI around a good few years ago. Is it really proper to even ask?

renewablejohn · Mar 20, 2019

stewart said:
The role of the government is to sort out the politics around trade deals, I know it would be easier if politics were not involved, however they are. Some politicians would make poor businessmen just as many businessmen would make poor politicians, that is a fact of life.

Common trait of businessmen is a JFDI attitude which is totally lacking within this House of Commons.

nivilla1982 · Mar 20, 2019

Ben Lowry: Michael Gove was once a strong unionist, now he has given succour to Dublin at this critical moment

Read more at: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/o...r-to-dublin-at-this-critical-moment-1-8851875

renewablejohn · Mar 20, 2019

Highland Mule said:
Pretty sure this is the UK's problem to fix, and we should have stopped bossing ROI around a good few years ago. Is it really proper to even ask?

I thought you would have learnt by now you cannot fix Ireland with a one sided conversation. The whole point about the Good Friday agreement was both sides talking to find solutions. To me both sides joining EFTA is an easy solution which would take very little to implement.

Highland Mule · Mar 20, 2019

Just been reading about the EFTA. It doesn't seem a very good compromise to me - undemocratic, subservient to EU law without any ability to influence it and free movement of people (all current members are in the Schengen area although I cannot work out if this is a formal pre-requisite).

Do you really want that?

Highland Mule · Mar 20, 2019

renewablejohn said:
I thought you would have learnt by now you cannot fix Ireland with a one sided conversation. The whole point about the Good Friday agreement was both sides talking to find solutions. To me both sides joining EFTA is an easy solution which would take very little to implement.

That's a fair comment, but assuming that another country would leave a political alliance and join another is a pretty big ask, especially so when the status quo is a relatively successful union.

renewablejohn · Mar 20, 2019

Highland Mule said:
Just been reading about the EFTA. It doesn't seem a very good compromise to me - undemocratic, subservient to EU law without any ability to influence it and free movement of people (all current members are in the Schengen area although I cannot work out if this is a formal pre-requisite).

Do you really want that?

Think your confusing EFTA with EFTA plus EEA. Its the EEA which has the downsides and controlled by the EU. EFTA alone is a far better animal.

renewablejohn · Mar 20, 2019

Highland Mule said:
That's a fair comment, but assuming that another country would leave a political alliance and join another is a pretty big ask, especially so when the status quo is a relatively successful union.

Who said anything about the ROI leaving the EU to join EFTA. There not mutually exclusive you can be a member of both as history has shown.

Highland Mule · Mar 20, 2019

renewablejohn said:
Think your confusing EFTA with EFTA plus EEA. Its the EEA which has the downsides and controlled by the EU. EFTA alone is a far better animal.

I was looking on EFTA.int and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Free_Trade_Association and I admit I don't fully understand the concept. Are you telling me that EFTA members can trade with EU without being constrained by their policies? Or that free movement of people is not required? Even that EFTA council(?) members are elected by the member states' constituents?

mar · Mar 20, 2019

renewablejohn said:
Because if they did that there would be no border issues with the EU as you would be trading cross border on EFTA terms. Far easier than the other solution of the ROI leaving the EU which I could see the ROI doing anyway in the next 10 years.

Is it possible for ROI to be in EFTA and the EU at the same time?

Brexit reality, as it seems to me, at the moment...

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

Share this page