The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has released a more detailed statement on this evening’s Brexit talks with the government, in which he reiterates that Labour wants to see the prime minister adopt its five key points in order to reach a cross-party deal: "Today, I held a meeting of our shadow cabinet to discuss the Brexit talks with the government. The exchanges with the government have been serious but our shadow cabinet expressed frustration that the prime minister has not yet moved off her red lines so we can reach a compromise. The key issues that we must see real movement on to secure an agreement are a customs union with the EU, alignment with the single market and full dynamic alignment of workers’ rights, environmental protections and consumer standards." But the 'Fake news' press has been pushing the narrative that Theresa May has capitulated to Jeremy Corbyn and that a customs union is the only solution. Of course as Remainers, that is what they want, but that does not make it so.
Nah where did you see that? They haven't been preparing at all. This email was sent today to those who want to be candidates not voters. What kind of preparation is this? For example in my country most of the candidates have been decided for more than 2 months ago and in a more prepared country like Germany probably even before.
Wrong and wrong. You are very wrong. The Remainers have been voting AGAINST a custom union and this is the reason Corbyn is brought in these discussions. Unless there is a second referendum attached a custom union on its own will have a hard time passing parliament vote. Half of Labour, SNP, Lib Dem, Green , Independent Group do NOT want to see a custom union at all. This is a true remainer, Corbyn is not representing them.
Money has been set aside and various steps have to be taken under the law with regards to elections throughout the year. This is just the latest. But if your point is that candidates do not have to be declared until April 24, 2019, you are right about that. What is interesting is that no candidates have declared in the EU, unlike in your own country.
Candidates have not been declared but all the major political parties in other countries have already decided who is going to put their name down for elections. We are not talking about small fringe poor parties but the big ones. The candidates are known and they have been doing campaigns in the media. A major party like Tories only now sending emails to attract candidates is not preparation. If they hadn't conceded that there would elections they wouldn't have sent the emails no matter what excuse they give now. This was a major fear for no deal by accident that the parties wouldn't have time to set their candidates.
There are matters going on this week that will be critical in determining whether these elections will be held in the UK or not, as I believe you know very well.
The UK Parliament has had its debate over how long the extension request should be and have agreed it should be to June 30, 2019. This is interesting, because no participation in the EU elections is required for an extension to June 30, as the new Parliament is not sworn in until July 2, 2019. MPs back Government's motion to request Brexit delay until June 30 MPs have voted overwhelmingly to back a Government motion authorising the prime minister to request a Brexit delay until 30 June, by 420 votes to 110. The division list showed there were 97 Conservative MPs who voted against the motion to request a further Brexit delay. They were joined by nine DUP MPs, three Labour and Independent Frank Field (Birkenhead) in opposing the motion. There were 223 Labour MPs who supported the motion along with 131 Tory MPs, 33 SNP, 17 Independents, 11 Liberal Democrats, four Plaid Cymru and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion). This was a trap that Theresa May set for those who want to revoke Brexit but are too scared to come out and say so. They refused to step into it. However, at the same time they failed to empower May to seek an extension beyond the end of the current term of the EU Parliament, or to embrace any solution that would require the UK to participate in the May 23, 2019 EU Parliamentary elections. Of course the EU leaders may still propose a longer extension and it will be probably the climax of this entire story to see how May responds to that. But one good way could be to encourage the EU - in their never ending arrogance - to load the proposal up with so many restrictive conditions that it is unsupportable by the UK Parliament. This is really starting to get a little bit tense.
donald tusk now recommending an extension of up to one year, which will conveniently allow for the 2nd referendum. all according to the plan. as i keep explaining, just like 2015 in greece, the EUSSR rules w/ an iron fist and cannot be defied https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-...sion-up-to-one-year-eu-official-idUSKCN1RH0H8
That is what they are trying to do. You are right, the similarity between them and the Soviets or the Red Chinese is deeply disturbing. If the EU leaders do make a longer offer than what the UK Parliament has approved, as is currently being rumored, then how Theresa May responds to that is likely going to be central to what is remembered about all of this in the years to come. We are approaching the climax moment of this motion picture.
If she had some sense, she'd leave the EU and join EFTA/EEA and stay in the customs union (Norway Plus). That gives her unlimited time to negotiate a future (since they technically already exit with this option) while limiting the damage since the single market and customs union stay in tact. If the EU is going to try and "bully" the UK, call their bluff and push for Norway Plus. Then take a deep breath and start negotiating a long term solution to all of this. This rushed attempt at creating a withdrawal agreement in weeks or even months is madness. It'll take years to create a withdrawal agreement that will get any consensus. But Norway Plus is at least a form of Brexit (even if it isn't the form that the ERG wants). But this whole process of lurching forward with extension after extension is incredibly damaging. So its either submit to the EU or leave now on terms that will allow the UK to truly negotiate a solution that it will want. Norway Plus is the only form of Brexit on the table that will preserve the problems of the Irish border and limit economic damage by keeping the UK in the single market and customs union for now.
Theresa May from March 20, 2019 - three weeks ago - on participating in the EU Parliamentary elections: What May has said about not being willing to delay Brexit beyond 30 June as PM Theresa May was asked if she would remain as prime minister if the UK stayed in the EU beyond 30 June because three weeks ago she said that would be unacceptable. This is what she said at PMQs on 20 March, talking about her first request for an article 50 extension. She said: The government intend to bring forward proposals for a third meaningful vote. If that vote is passed, the extension will give the house time to consider the withdrawal agreement bill. If not, the house will have to decide how to proceed. But as prime minister— as prime minister, I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June.And here is the video {At the link}. If the UK participates in these elections, it seems clear that she should resign. The problem is, that will not be enough for a failure of this magnitude. Everything she has said about this suggests to me that she knows this, too.
The Brexiters never had a viable plan and this is the result. Their incompetence is swaying public opinion away from that emotional populism. When people see the Brexit leaders fail time and time again, the whole notion of Brexit suffers.
Did you expect anything else? At some point, patience will run thin. We're now talking about yet another extension with no path forward in sight. The UK has several seemingly contradictory red lines and a withdrawal agreement that has been voted down 3 times. You may call it arrogance but this isn't unexpected. At some point, some European leaders will get fed up. Macron is arguably the most vocal but there are probably others. Now it is worth pointing out that others (for example Tusk and Varadkar) have taken a softer tone. Macron is just using the moment to assert France's power in the EU governance (especially now that the UK is out of the picture). It also doesn't help that members of the ERG have proposed sabotaging EU Council votes as some sort of attempt to gain leverage which helped prompt Macron's proposal of stripping the UK's council veto. But bottom line, you can't be serious if you think that the UK's incompetence wouldn't draw some anger from some EU members.
i would ask you to ponder for a moment exactly who all of this epic failure benefits in the end. when you have an unelected body on one side (eu cummission) who wield absolute power both legislatively & executively, w/ the Kangaroo ECJ under their thumbs.... and the whole continent sees the world's oldest parliament dissolve into a circus of incompetence. voila all of a sudden those very kind well-meaning eurocrats are looking very worthy and efficient! i don't like making excuses for the UK b/c i'm not a fan, but this has been brussels' strategy from the start. force divisions, delay, frustrate, make an example out of GB to stave off any contagion or even thought of other EU members trying to follow suit.
macron is in part actually pissed b/c he wants time to push forward his own agenda (expanded EU stuff -- common border police, common army, etc) and brexit is taking away all the discussion time. but in the end he will do whatever brussels instructs him to
Everything has trade offs. Now the U.K. can accept or not accept unelected bodies/bureaucrats in the US telling them they’ll have to lower their food standards in order to trade... It seems lost on the Brexiters that they are just changing masters. It certainly not because the U.K. can’t make up its mind and keeps pushing the deadlines...
