Wouldn't a happy compromise to the NI border problem be a special economic zone, as others have said, with some of that sweet sweet EU development money put into NI as compensation for not having a seat at the table where the rules are made.
Or does that make too much sense for Brexiteers to accept it?
You aren't getting a zone without 4 freedoms
God dangit. For a momentI was like "But that's what the zone is for", but you're right.
Customs regulations and the four freedoms are not the same thing.
I think I might have to stop trying to solve this Idiots Catch 22 before I get a head ache.
there is of course another glorious incentive: the eu has every conceivable reason to make the british government look as stupid as possible, and from their point of view the total collapse of the current uk government position followed by either ge or second referendum only adds a set of otherwise impossible desirable outcomes for them (customs union deal with a labour victory, possibility of a remain victory in a second ref, etc). so even if you can imagine a possible solution that requires a bit of flexibility from the eu its profoundly in their interest to not consider it as hard as possible
EU is not actively making the British government look as stupid as possible. That's all on themselves.
There was nearly a deal, but the British government didn't think it Brexit enough.
the choice of ireland as a sticking point from the side was genius in retrospect, and they didnt even have to do it disingenuously. but everything was aligned, from the failed election forcing them to grub for dup votes to the lack of internal tory party consistency, to make it just blow everything up over and over again
Let's hope it's not so very genius that actual people just blow actual other people up over and over again
Depends on the genre. If it was supposed to be some worthy, West Wing-esque drama, sure, it would've been cancelled. If it's a political satire, though, or a reality TV format that people watch to laugh at others? It'd run for a long, long time.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
the choice of ireland as a sticking point from the side was genius in retrospect, and they didnt even have to do it disingenuously. but everything was aligned, from the failed election forcing them to grub for dup votes to the lack of internal tory party consistency, to make it just blow everything up over and over again
Reality continues to feel like it's being written as a TV show.
Listen carefully and you'll hear Armando Iannucci scribbling furiously.
Want to see more of Kneel's slapdash slatherings?
Visit him at Monstrous Pigments' Instagram and Facebook pages!
the choice of ireland as a sticking point from the side was genius in retrospect, and they didnt even have to do it disingenuously. but everything was aligned, from the failed election forcing them to grub for dup votes to the lack of internal tory party consistency, to make it just blow everything up over and over again
Reality continues to feel like it's being written as a TV show.
Listen carefully and you'll hear Armando Iannucci scribbling furiously.
Commons Speaker John Bercow has told friends he will stand down next summer, the BBC has reported.
The Speaker, who has denied accusations of bullying staff, had come under intense pressure from MPs after damning report into Westminster’s workplace culture.
the choice of ireland as a sticking point from the side was genius in retrospect, and they didnt even have to do it disingenuously. but everything was aligned, from the failed election forcing them to grub for dup votes to the lack of internal tory party consistency, to make it just blow everything up over and over again
Reality continues to feel like it's being written as a TV show.
Depends on the genre. If it was supposed to be some worthy, West Wing-esque drama, sure, it would've been cancelled. If it's a political satire, though, or a reality TV format that people watch to laugh at others? It'd run for a long, long time.
Nah, this Ireland thing is pure good quality drama. It's a small piece of information introduced years and years earlier that suddenly becomes the fulcrum of a completely different major plotline in a completely organic way. This is like top-quality narrative economy.
Our major plotline from a few seasons back about Irish unrest suddenly intersects with an entirely new plot about British anti-foreigner insanity mid-season and upends everything.
I mean it’s funny and all except that for the past year every time I see an English or Northern Irish City trending on Twitter I get a moment of panic thinking the IRA lost patience and have bombed somewhere.
The bad old days were BAD old days and I’d really appreciate it if your government could please pull themselves together and sort this shit out before we go back to them. Please. Thanks. Now would be good.
Besides, we were all enjoying the mess you were making of yourselves but now you keep setting yourselves on fire and it’s taking all the fun out of it.
I'm incredulous/depressed/unsurprised/amused/depressed again that they're not even disagreeing over the plans for the border, no no no.
This is getting stuck on the plans for what to do if we have no plans for the border (which we don't).
We're not arguing over the plan, we're arguing over the 'in the event of no plan' plan.
Theresa May has insisted her Brexit proposals are still alive as she heads to Brussels for a key summit.
The prime minister will try to convince EU leaders to back her approach when she addresses them before dinner later.
But expectations of a breakthrough are low, with talks deadlocked over the Irish border issue.
Jeremy Corbyn said the government was "too weak and too divided" to come up with a solution to solve the problem.
The two party leaders clashed over Brexit at Prime Minister's Questions, with the prime minister rejecting the Labour leader's claim that her planned long-term relationship with the EU, known as the Chequers plan, was "dead".
Technically she's not wrong, because it was never alive in the first place.
Still, I am prompted to think of something else for absolutely no reason whatsoever:
If true it was probably the best outcome we could have hoped for at this stage.
But the thing is that there us no mechanism for an extension afaik. The EU would have to unanimously agree to not accept Britain leaving and then the whole thing just falls into limbo. Not 100% sure about this though.
On more general terms, I find it funny that the Irish border issue is considered a "problem". It was never a problem - it was a gift wrapped solution for any government willing to take it. How do you sell an EEA-like arrangement where you remain in the single market and customs union (thus avoiding massive economic damage) to all the hardcore idiots that support Brexit? Simple, you have a problem that can't be solved in any other way and is too important to ignore - i.e. a peace process and an international treaty. It won't convince all of the idiots of course, but it's enough of a fig leaf to get away with it. It's one of many outs that May was given and chose not to take.
+8
Options
surrealitychecklonely, but not unloveddreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered Userregular
If true it was probably the best outcome we could have hoped for at this stage.
But the thing is that there us no mechanism for an extension afaik. The EU would have to unanimously agree to not accept Britain leaving and then the whole thing just falls into limbo. Not 100% sure about this though.
transition agreement isnt article 50 period - its the post article 50 period!
and the longer the transition period the more shit the brexit bois gonna kick up
They thought France wasn’t going to be fussy about the stuff they’re importing or the stuff moving through their country?! France?!
Ah yes, le perfide France
Work anecdote.
I work in warehousing company that also owns part of a trucking company.
At one point we sent a truck from Finland to Britain. In France it was stopped something like 20km from Calais, and it turned out someone had mistyped one character on the import licence.
Everything else was in order, and they could confirm the right number by phone.
French customs police sent the truck back to Finland to get the right papers.
Posts
EU is not actively making the British government look as stupid as possible. That's all on themselves.
There was nearly a deal, but the British government didn't think it Brexit enough.
To be fair, Rachel Johnson is so anti-Brexit that she quit the Conservative party, joined the Lib Dems, and tried to run as a candidate.
Goodreads
SF&F Reviews blog
Let's hope it's not so very genius that actual people just blow actual other people up over and over again
Disagree. There's no way this show would have been renewed for a second season.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Listen carefully and you'll hear Armando Iannucci scribbling furiously.
Visit him at Monstrous Pigments' Instagram and Facebook pages!
Or a new Blackadder.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/16/john-bercow-to-stand-down-as-commons-speaker-in-wake-of-bullying-inquiry
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Nah, this Ireland thing is pure good quality drama. It's a small piece of information introduced years and years earlier that suddenly becomes the fulcrum of a completely different major plotline in a completely organic way. This is like top-quality narrative economy.
Our major plotline from a few seasons back about Irish unrest suddenly intersects with an entirely new plot about British anti-foreigner insanity mid-season and upends everything.
The bad old days were BAD old days and I’d really appreciate it if your government could please pull themselves together and sort this shit out before we go back to them. Please. Thanks. Now would be good.
Besides, we were all enjoying the mess you were making of yourselves but now you keep setting yourselves on fire and it’s taking all the fun out of it.
This is getting stuck on the plans for what to do if we have no plans for the border (which we don't).
We're not arguing over the plan, we're arguing over the 'in the event of no plan' plan.
Not just over Brexit (I am there too but whatever) but over how our government is treating the Good Friday agreement
Well, I'm certainly reassured. Technically she's not wrong, because it was never alive in the first place.
Still, I am prompted to think of something else for absolutely no reason whatsoever:
But the thing is that there us no mechanism for an extension afaik. The EU would have to unanimously agree to not accept Britain leaving and then the whole thing just falls into limbo. Not 100% sure about this though.
So long as we renew it every 19 years.
On more general terms, I find it funny that the Irish border issue is considered a "problem". It was never a problem - it was a gift wrapped solution for any government willing to take it. How do you sell an EEA-like arrangement where you remain in the single market and customs union (thus avoiding massive economic damage) to all the hardcore idiots that support Brexit? Simple, you have a problem that can't be solved in any other way and is too important to ignore - i.e. a peace process and an international treaty. It won't convince all of the idiots of course, but it's enough of a fig leaf to get away with it. It's one of many outs that May was given and chose not to take.
transition agreement isnt article 50 period - its the post article 50 period!
and the longer the transition period the more shit the brexit bois gonna kick up
Shehab Khan is a political journalist for the Independant
Let this sink in. A major factor in our no deal plans was the assumption that the French would just let everything through.
Switch - SW-7373-3669-3011
Fuck Joe Manchin
Delusion is one hell of a drug.
How are they going to keep all the dirty foreigners out themselves if they don't check everything comming into Britain from France?
.
Island. Being on fire.
And meanwhile the UK was going to rigorously check every French truck for illegals?
Wat?
.
Island. Being on fire.
It's more like speed. Ukeanu needs to keep the bus going above article 50 or it explodes.
Ah yes, le perfide France
Work anecdote.
I work in warehousing company that also owns part of a trucking company.
At one point we sent a truck from Finland to Britain. In France it was stopped something like 20km from Calais, and it turned out someone had mistyped one character on the import licence.
Everything else was in order, and they could confirm the right number by phone.
French customs police sent the truck back to Finland to get the right papers.
.
Island. Being on fire.
C'mon France, all I need is you to waive some checks at the border.
Nah.
Aww c'mon
Nah
Aww C'MONNNNNN
Ohh...
*hangs up* YES!
A plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.