Political relations between UK-EU

[Vic]

And just when I thought it was worth bothering taking one of your posts seriously

As you freely stated - you are just a piss taker - but at least you admit that baiting other posters is your intent

Glad for you that you get to enjoy your deliberate piss-taking and baiting

The issue is that any benefits are "in the future". Whereas the disbenefits are here and now. If the lorry parks aren't needed, you can chalk off the millions to build them to government pessimism (and/or less trade) but - while loss of business is tragic - it's real, and taking the piss is the only solace we losers (the word appeared yesterday, in capitals if I recall) have currently got - in the absence of any winners. Except for British banana growers.

 

[west didsblue]

That's cool then - at least you admit that you are simply taking the piss - and accordingly you can understand why we Leavers emphasise that we are simply cheerful and happy

This was a thorny issue at the time - people have 'fuzzy memories it seems (not aimed at you)

I certainly remember you saying that the WA would pass. My concerns were different - you may remember that my obsession was the unfettered backstop and how that would be used by the EU if the hapless May had been able to get that passed.

I certainly got a lot of flax for banging on about the dreadful implications of the unfettered backstop - which really demonstrated to me how many people simply post away and do not think things through - again not aimed at you

I have posted previously about what my views are to do with why the WA - once the poisonous UBS was removed - was signed rather than renegotiated. Of course the NIP was the price to remove the UBS.

For me - with my views - what a difference was made by having the negotiations led by a pro-Leave team rather than the dick that had been previously leading.

Given the shit position May/Robbins put the UK into - a lot has been done in a short period of time - it is disappointing that you and others cannot accept that

Some posters never seemed to understand the difference between the status of the UK's fishing industry and the potential to use the sector as a key negotiating aspect. Not aimed at you - I felt that you understood - but just enjoyed playing.

Hmmmm - I am afraid that answers have to be nuanced towards what I wanted from Brexit - we all know that people have different views

The WA could never be positioned by me as exactly what the outcome should have been. We should never have accepted the EU's agenda - but, the hapless May/Robbins........ I have posted about it's limitations due to them - at least the UBS was jettisoned.

So in summary - May utterly fucked up but given my concerns and expectations during 2017-2019, I view the WA as a generally shit arrangement but fuck - a lot better than I was expecting - and of course at least it signalled we were out. It was essential to break free of the years of further negotiations that the EU would have welcomed

The deal? I am delighted TBH. I am particularly delighted given the position as I viewed it in 2017 - 2019 when it looked like we would either not leave at all or simply be in a vassal state/BRINO

I am delighted at a level beyond my expectations of pre-2016, 2017-2019 or even in mid-late 2020.

In summary - we are out of the EU in a manner that sees us out of the SM, CU and with seemingly zero prospect of being sucked back in - that apocalypse was needed and it seems to be shy

But that is enough for one post

May and Robbins again.
Looking forward are we??

 

[Vic]

Not sure if you realise but the "communists" in the East wouldn't be the ones making the decision. Any discussions would be between the EU and the democratically elected government in Kiev, a government that has stated that it hopes to gain accession by 2030. The EU think it will take a bit longer but there is an ambition on both sides for it to happen. If you think Putin and Russia will still be an issue in 10 years you've got a better crystal ball than me.

Ukraine taking steps to joining the EU was the catalyast for the Russian annexation of Crimea. Putin didn't want it to happen. To be fair, neither did most of the Russian-speaking bits of the Ukraine. But I guess any problem for the EU is a good thing for some in Brexitworld.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

So is NI better or worse off now?....i dont smoke, but people have picked up on this already

 

[BobKowalski]

So is NI better or worse off now?....i dont smoke, but people have picked up on this already

Meanwhile over in France...there are going to be shortages here and there, we are changing to a more restricted trading arrangement and to all extents and purposes NI is on the other side of the barrier.

 

[BobKowalski]

For the lorry watchers...

‘The Port of Dover says it had an average of 1,000 trucks crossing each day between Dec. 31 and Jan 4. The 2019 daily average was about 6,500, so that's an 85% reduction on normal levels.’ @Bloomberg

 

[BobKowalski]

Interesting (and great) times - I was at the Dinamo game.

I stayed at the big Ukraine (Khreschatyk) Hotel next to that central square - I think you guys were there as well? I think I may have bumped into Bill when picking up the tickets at the CITY hotel.

Walking around the central square with all the photos of those that had died and soldiers 'collecting' money to support the families of the deceased was very 'poignant'

I bottled out of the Kharkiv trips after getting my tickets - I was OK with Kiev, but.... fair play to you.

But as you say - the situation at that time and the events since mean that EU membership is very unlikely

Ukraine signed an association agreement with the EU in 2017, membership likely in 2024/5, along with Bosnia and several others, assuming events don‘t derail the agreed path.

 

[west didsblue]

Ukraine signed an association agreement with the EU in 2017, membership likely in 2024/5, along with Bosnia and several others, assuming events don‘t derail the agreed path.

Yes but if you weren't at the Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar games you can't possibly know anything about Ukraine.
I know all about Italy, Germany, France and Spain because of my trips to European aways. I also spent 10 minutes in Bosnia on the road from Split to Dubrovnik so I know everything about Bosnia's prospects for EU accession.

 

[metalblue]

Yes but if you weren't at the Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar games you can't possibly know anything about Ukraine.
I know all about Italy, Germany, France and Spain because of my trips to European aways. I also spent 10 minutes in Bosnia on the road from Split to Dubrovnik so I know everything about Bosnia's prospects for EU accession.

That’s all well and good but what do you know of York?

 

[GH64]

Well, the ones from Ghana are a bit pricy at the moment...people with allotments get digging for Britain. ‘Save our Bananas!’

Honestly, we should put that on a side of a fucking bus.

Or maybe since bananas are £0.79p / kg at the moment and British apples are £2.63 /kg at a certain well known supermarket we should pay more for Bananas to the countries that grow them which are generally a lot worse off than us, and grow more of own apples.
Put that on a bus.