Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » For the first time since the E.U. referendum it is possible we

SystemSystem Posts: 11,700
edited June 2017 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » For the first time since the E.U. referendum it is possible we won’t leave the E.U. after all

It might not be the most likely outcome. But the prospect of a Labour government has put Brexit back on the table writes Keiran Pedley.

Read the full story here


«13456710

Comments

  • Options
    surbitonsurbiton Posts: 13,549
    Brexit is dead in the water. Simple.
  • Options
    YellowSubmarineYellowSubmarine Posts: 2,740
    It's a good piece. Brexit not happening is highly unlikely but not impossible. It just needs the polls to turn substantially in the next 12 to 15 months. So far there is no sign of that happening but Keiran rightly points out how fickle a section of the electorate is at the moment. If Brexit goes badly wrong could Brexit it's self be hit by the kind of populist backlash that drove Brexit ? Yes, of course it could. Will it ? That seems unlikely on the speed and scale needed but I've been wrong about too many things recently to believe my own judgement anymore. So the scenario Keiran paints is worth discussing.
  • Options
    YellowSubmarineYellowSubmarine Posts: 2,740
    Issue Keiran doesn't explore is how a Corbyn lead Labour Party will respond to failure of Brexit talks. Will they really go " oh we should stay then. " ? From the statements todate Corbyn seems much more likely to say " Oh this was a botched Banker's Brexit. Vote for us and we'll give you a people's Brexit. "

    Remainers like myself tend to assume Leave voters will change there mind in the light of fresh evidence. It's far more likely they'll self justify by saying ' Oh Brexit was sold out by X. We never really tried it " rather than think they were wrong.
  • Options
    YellowSubmarineYellowSubmarine Posts: 2,740
    But finally however volatile things are at the moment we shouldn't ignore the power of Entropy. And entropy is on Brexit's side. In order for Brexit to happen nothing has to happen. Purely the passage of 21 months means Brexit now happens automatically. For Brexit not to happen something enormous must happen. You need water to run up hill. Which is perfectly possible but needs a pump, a pipe and a power source. Where will these come from ?
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    edited June 2017

    Remainers like myself tend to assume Leave voters will change there mind in the light of fresh evidence. It's far more likely they'll self justify by saying ' Oh Brexit was sold out by X. We never really tried it " rather than think they were wrong.

    Yes, voters are likely to be quicker to blame mendacious foreigners than their own, possibly faulty, judgment. T'was ever thus......
  • Options
    .many figures in the Eu have made wistful statements about the UK changing its mind. They might be laughing so hard from the chaos they might not extract any political concessions. Other than they.ll ignores us even more when it comes to opt outs and threats to walk.
  • Options
    fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,279
    Many thanks to Keiran Pedley for an excellent and thought provoking article on Brexit. If I was a cynic watching John Mcdonell today, it would seem that he is more interested in regaining those lost Labour voters who switched to the Conservatives via UKIP and the Brexit result rather than shoring up that anti Brexit/anti establishment Corbyn mania youth vote at the GE.

    I have no doubts that both Remain and Brexit voters are now very worried about the way forward for the UK as we now try to negociate our exit from the EU in light of the GE result. And not least because the UK GE result will now see the EU regarding the UK as being in a far weaker position at the negociating table. A point that all parties on both side of the argument should do well to remember, never a good look to be siding with the EU against UKplc what ever your views on Brexit.
  • Options
    DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300
    Next government on Betfair -- I've cashed out rather than keep the money tied up till the middle of next week if they are not going to settle till after the Queen's Speech.
  • Options
    DM_AndyDM_Andy Posts: 399

    Issue Keiran doesn't explore is how a Corbyn lead Labour Party will respond to failure of Brexit talks. Will they really go " oh we should stay then. " ? From the statements todate Corbyn seems much more likely to say " Oh this was a botched Banker's Brexit. Vote for us and we'll give you a people's Brexit. "

    Remainers like myself tend to assume Leave voters will change there mind in the light of fresh evidence. It's far more likely they'll self justify by saying ' Oh Brexit was sold out by X. We never really tried it " rather than think they were wrong.

    I tend to agree with this, also a lot of Labour's ideas would be illegal or simply ineffective without Brexit.

  • Options
    Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,028
    edited June 2017
    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,989
    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    I thought opinion polling had shown very little change in the remain/leave split?
  • Options
    asjohnstoneasjohnstone Posts: 1,276
    edited June 2017
    Like YellowSubmarine says, Brexit is now the default course. It got its mandate via a referendum and really can only be taken away via another one.

    Neither major party has any desire to go to the country again on this, there's no political upside for either one. All all truth, they've accepted it and moves on to the details.
  • Options
    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    edited June 2017
    Morning all.

    An interesting piece Mr Pedley, cheers. – Never say never, but in all likelihood the Brexit process will continue into the negotiation phase and beyond, irrespective of who leads the Tories. There may be gov’t concession in the form of more cross-party involvement at commission level etc which should be welcomed in my opinion, but the meat and potatoes of the process remains the same. If there is to be a change of government however before the deal is completed, then all bets are off, the EU has a habit of discarding hard and fast rules when expedient to do so. As for the longevity of the Gov’t who can say, the coalition was written off every month of its 5 year term, what can I add, we live in interesting times.
  • Options
    tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,202
    If this minority Conservative government tears itself apart over Europe – as Tory governments’ often do – don’t be surprised if voters decide that Brexit is not worth it after all. The Tories would never wear it of course but Labour might. The difference now is that what Labour thinks matters again.

    Actually, I think Brexit is more likely to be watered down by the Tories rather than Labour.
  • Options
    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    @MrSubmarine. First-rate comments and observations this morning.
  • Options
    MonikerDiCanioMonikerDiCanio Posts: 5,792
    No serious politician would dare ignore the Brexit referendum result because it would spell the end of their career.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    When La Toynbee rides to the defence of a Tory PM, you know things must be extreme.

    She pointed out to Mr Osborne that his newspaper had been ‘pure poison against Theresa May day after day – and look at the result you’ve got. I know she sacked you, but why do you hate her so much? 'She and Philip Hammond are following your economic plan down to the last minute. They are Osbornites! So why do you hate them so much?’ Osborne, almost with a bull-terrier’s growl: ‘I don’t hate them.’

    Toynbee, laughing: ‘You’re dripping personal bile!’

    Toby Young quietly suggested that poor George had become ‘the Hon Member for Schadenfreude Central from the county of Embitteredshire’.



    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4594372/Quentin-Letts-sees-George-Osborne-plunge-knife-in.html
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    RobD said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    I thought opinion polling had shown very little change in the remain/leave split?
    There's been one poll post election showing the decision reversed - so obviously that's the one we should pay heed to......
  • Options
    PeterCPeterC Posts: 1,274
    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    Everyone is one year older. Some have died, new 18 year olds have joined the register. Some middle aged people have switched from Remain to Leave (based on the premise that this is an age-determined propensity). Remain may well have the upper hand but it is quite wrong to state that this is axiomatically the case.
  • Options
    DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300

    When La Toynbee rides to the defence of a Tory PM, you know things must be extreme.

    She pointed out to Mr Osborne that his newspaper had been ‘pure poison against Theresa May day after day – and look at the result you’ve got. I know she sacked you, but why do you hate her so much? 'She and Philip Hammond are following your economic plan down to the last minute. They are Osbornites! So why do you hate them so much?’ Osborne, almost with a bull-terrier’s growl: ‘I don’t hate them.’

    Toynbee, laughing: ‘You’re dripping personal bile!’

    Toby Young quietly suggested that poor George had become ‘the Hon Member for Schadenfreude Central from the county of Embitteredshire’.



    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4594372/Quentin-Letts-sees-George-Osborne-plunge-knife-in.html

    I'm no fan of Osborne and deplore his promotion of narrow party advantage over sound policy while in office but it is hard to argue with anything he has said about the almighty mess Theresa May has got herself into with this quite unnecessary election. Osborne is right and the Mail was wrong and is wrong.
  • Options
    The likely outcome is one of the following (but what do I know, I predicted a Tory Landslide):

    1. If the May-led government survives - a watered down version of Brexit will exist - with some guarantees about Customs Union.

    2. If the May govt falls and Jezza gets into number 10 with an overall majority - there will be NORWAY-STYLE deal.

    3. If the May Govt falls and Jezza gets in with the support of the LDs/SNP - there will be a NORWAY-STYLE deal BUT with a referendum (or as I prefer a Preferendum - offering, Deal, No Deal or Swap (Remain in the EU).



  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    edited June 2017

    When La Toynbee rides to the defence of a Tory PM, you know things must be extreme.

    She pointed out to Mr Osborne that his newspaper had been ‘pure poison against Theresa May day after day – and look at the result you’ve got. I know she sacked you, but why do you hate her so much? 'She and Philip Hammond are following your economic plan down to the last minute. They are Osbornites! So why do you hate them so much?’ Osborne, almost with a bull-terrier’s growl: ‘I don’t hate them.’

    Toynbee, laughing: ‘You’re dripping personal bile!’

    Toby Young quietly suggested that poor George had become ‘the Hon Member for Schadenfreude Central from the county of Embitteredshire’.



    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4594372/Quentin-Letts-sees-George-Osborne-plunge-knife-in.html

    I'm no fan of Osborne and deplore his promotion of narrow party advantage over sound policy while in office but it is hard to argue with anything he has said about the almighty mess Theresa May has got herself into with this quite unnecessary election. Osborne is right and the Mail was wrong and is wrong.
    It's May's mess alright, and while dancing on the grave of your opponent is fair game for the editor of a Russian owned freesheet its not the behaviour of a future Prime Minister.....
  • Options
    DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300

    When La Toynbee rides to the defence of a Tory PM, you know things must be extreme.

    She pointed out to Mr Osborne that his newspaper had been ‘pure poison against Theresa May day after day – and look at the result you’ve got. I know she sacked you, but why do you hate her so much? 'She and Philip Hammond are following your economic plan down to the last minute. They are Osbornites! So why do you hate them so much?’ Osborne, almost with a bull-terrier’s growl: ‘I don’t hate them.’

    Toynbee, laughing: ‘You’re dripping personal bile!’

    Toby Young quietly suggested that poor George had become ‘the Hon Member for Schadenfreude Central from the county of Embitteredshire’.



    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4594372/Quentin-Letts-sees-George-Osborne-plunge-knife-in.html

    I'm no fan of Osborne and deplore his promotion of narrow party advantage over sound policy while in office but it is hard to argue with anything he has said about the almighty mess Theresa May has got herself into with this quite unnecessary election. Osborne is right and the Mail was wrong and is wrong.
    It's May's mess alright, and while dancing on the grave of your opponent is fair game for the editor of a Russian owned freesheet its not the behaviour of a future Prime Minister.....
    George Osborne is not the future prime minister and sfaict only ever saw himself as kingmaker rather than king: the Peter Mandelson of the Conservative Party, as it were. Leaving that to one side, Osborne is editor of the Standard and it is in that role he should be judged. From their hysteria over the weekend, some commentators seem flummoxed that it is not the role of newspapers to support unconditionally a Conservative government, pace the Mail and Sun and its sister paper, the Times.
  • Options
    RoyalBlueRoyalBlue Posts: 3,223
    If some kind of Brexit is not delivered, however watered down, the Tories will be destroyed for the short to medium term, as half their supporters and MPs defect to UKIP.

    I think even Soubry and co realise that. She repeated yesterday again and again that we are still leaving.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,370
    There is no doubt that this election result has created great uncertainty. I am not sure how a government without a majority negotiates Brexit or starts the process of the great reform bill which is surely going to take up all of the House's time and attention over the next year.

    One way would be to reach out to other parties, specifically the Labour party. Perhaps Keir Starmer should be invited to join the negotiating team. Whether Corbyn would allow him to accept or not is unclear and it is really not May's style. A new leader might find this an easier path to take.

    For me, this question and all others are tied up with the future of May. Is she really going to hang on? So far the signs are that she wants to. What does the party want? That is less clear. Until it is clear it is difficult to see a path forward at all, let alone with Brexit.
  • Options
    GeoffMGeoffM Posts: 6,071
    surbiton said:

    Brexit is dead in the water. Simple.

    A wishful thinking wankfest thread today, it seems. Seems the norm here now,

    Laters. Work to do.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    edited June 2017
    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    Apart from the mandate that all but a handful of MPs just elected were put there on a Manifesto of Brexit. The mandate for Brexit is far, far stronger than it was when just 52% voted for it.

    The issue is the mechanics of implementing Brexit. You really think democracy is going to be well served by those same elected politicians saying "sorry, it is too difficult to do..."?

    Those who wanted to turn their back on Brexit just got 12 seats.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787

    When La Toynbee rides to the defence of a Tory PM, you know things must be extreme.

    She pointed out to Mr Osborne that his newspaper had been ‘pure poison against Theresa May day after day – and look at the result you’ve got. I know she sacked you, but why do you hate her so much? 'She and Philip Hammond are following your economic plan down to the last minute. They are Osbornites! So why do you hate them so much?’ Osborne, almost with a bull-terrier’s growl: ‘I don’t hate them.’

    Toynbee, laughing: ‘You’re dripping personal bile!’

    Toby Young quietly suggested that poor George had become ‘the Hon Member for Schadenfreude Central from the county of Embitteredshire’.



    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4594372/Quentin-Letts-sees-George-Osborne-plunge-knife-in.html

    I'm no fan of Osborne and deplore his promotion of narrow party advantage over sound policy while in office but it is hard to argue with anything he has said about the almighty mess Theresa May has got herself into with this quite unnecessary election. Osborne is right and the Mail was wrong and is wrong.
    It's May's mess alright, and while dancing on the grave of your opponent is fair game for the editor of a Russian owned freesheet its not the behaviour of a future Prime Minister.....
    Osborne is editor of the Standard and it is in that role he should be judged.
    Osborne has got off to a good start in his editor's role - no doubt reflecting the worries and wishes of his readers. I just don't think it was necessary to burn quite so many bridges doing so - and you may well be right, possibly he only ever saw himself as a kingmaker - though he's unlikely to be able to fulfil that role now.
  • Options
    JonathanDJonathanD Posts: 2,400
    edited June 2017
    DavidL said:

    There is no doubt that this election result has created great uncertainty. I am not sure how a government without a majority negotiates Brexit or starts the process of the great reform bill which is surely going to take up all of the House's time and attention over the next year.

    One way would be to reach out to other parties, specifically the Labour party. Perhaps Keir Starmer should be invited to join the negotiating team. Whether Corbyn would allow him to accept or not is unclear and it is really not May's style. A new leader might find this an easier path to take.

    Why would Labour want to have any involvement in Brexit? Its a Tory party obsession and one which we have just seen has made little headway in winning over Labour WWC constituencies.

    The opinion polls have already swung Labour's way - all they need to do is let the government keep on screwing up and then win at the GE on a platform of competence and fairness.

    If they involve themselves in Brexit, then they have a chance of sharing some of the blame when economic pain comes along.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    GeoffM said:

    surbiton said:

    Brexit is dead in the water. Simple.

    A wishful thinking wankfest thread today, it seems.
    Along with Corbyn really won!

    https://twitter.com/GeneralBoles/status/873866245250179072
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534
    Good comments on previous thread by rcs.

    On this one, clearly one of the things that animates Corbyn's supporter base the most is Brexit. However, if I were him, I'd be very careful about taking this election result as a mandate to renege.

    It would validate everything Theresa May and the Conservatives said during the campaign, against the reassurances the Labour Party gave.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    The mandate for Brexit is far, far stronger than it was when just 52% voted for it.

    No, it isn't.

    If we had a Grand coalition, you might have a point, but that's not how our Parliamentary system works

    Remedial democracy for Brexiteers

    The manifestos of parties that don't command a majority (of seats) are not enacted.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    @IanDunt: Davis doing a round of media interviews this morning. If there's a softening in the Brexit position this is where we'll find out.
  • Options
    RogerRoger Posts: 18,894
    It isn't difficult to see sentiment shifting very quickly against Brexit. Much harder to see how the mechanics could.

    I think Carlotta's idea that voters will blame foreigners for our problems is frankly bonkers! If ever there was a moment when our government couldn't pass the blame to foreigners this is it! Even Quentin Letts in his desperation to find a fall guy that isn't Theresa May and her government is pointing his finger at Osborne!

  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534
    Can someone explain to me, aside from avoiding CFP and CAP, what on earth is the point in leaving the EU and staying in both the customs union and single market?

    Of course, we know the answer. It's a move by Remainers to make leaving the EU look so utterly pointless that they can foster a groundswell of opinion to seek to re-join again, in time, by pointing this out.

    If we must have a soft Brexit, I would take EEA-EFTA. In the longer-term, once all our trade deals have been recalibrated, we can take a view on whether that still works for us.

    Besides which I'd expect that given the UK's size, experience and influence we would still have a little bit of pre-input into EEA/single market rules (far more so than Norway) simply because of the real-politik of it.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,370
    JonathanD said:

    DavidL said:

    There is no doubt that this election result has created great uncertainty. I am not sure how a government without a majority negotiates Brexit or starts the process of the great reform bill which is surely going to take up all of the House's time and attention over the next year.

    One way would be to reach out to other parties, specifically the Labour party. Perhaps Keir Starmer should be invited to join the negotiating team. Whether Corbyn would allow him to accept or not is unclear and it is really not May's style. A new leader might find this an easier path to take.

    Why would Labour want to have any involvement in Brexit? Its a Tory party obsession and one which we have just seen has made little headway in winning over Labour WWC constituencies.

    The opinion polls have already swung Labour's way - all they need to do is let the government keep on screwing up and then win at the GE on a platform of competence and fairness.

    If they involve themselves in Brexit, then they have a chance of sharing some of the blame when economic pain comes along.
    They may well take that view. But it is absolutely in the national interest that we negotiate the best Brexit that we can. That probably means a "soft" Brexit with lots of market access and some freedom of movement. Labour should want that too.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,986

    Like YellowSubmarine says, Brexit is now the default course. It got its mandate via a referendum and really can only be taken away via another one.

    Neither major party has any desire to go to the country again on this, there's no political upside for either one. All all truth, they've accepted it and moves on to the details.

    Yes, this is settled - even Tim Farron's speech yesterday was moving on to single market etc. If places like Yeovil are to be won back then this is correct. The nation wants a sensible brexit now.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    On this one, clearly one of the things that animates Corbyn's supporter base the most is Brexit. However, if I were him, I'd be very careful about taking this election result as a mandate to renege.

    For or against?

    The commentariat is awash with people claiming simultaneously that

    1. People voted anything but Tory to avoid hard brexit
    2. Labour supports hard brexit

    Does leaving the single market energise Corbyn's base, or piss off the remainers who voted against Tory brexit?
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    Roger said:


    I think Carlotta's idea that voters will blame foreigners for our problems is frankly bonkers!

    Check the opinion polls, Roger. In the context of Brexit, that is clearly where any blame will be placed.
  • Options
    RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 27,319
    As has been pointed out, having triggered A50 we are leaving the EU if we do nothing - thats now the course we are set on. To not leave takes a lot more effort and with the Tories as divided and wounded as they are and Labour led by shy Lexit fans I don't see how the political capital is created to not leave.

    Its not do we leave, but how we leave. And thats always been the question. As a Labour Leave voter the best solution to the UK is also the insurance solution - regain our membership of EFTA. We leave the EU - the specific thing people voted for - but retain our EEA membership thus avoiding catastrophic no deal economic ruin. And a rejuvenated EFTA with us as a member will have some decent negotiating power with the EU. And whats more - as a non-Eurozone EU member leaving the EU and joining EFTA was inevitable. For years a twin track or two speed Europe was talked about. The Euro needs a fiscal union which we would not be part, so a leave vote allows us to define the relationship in our own terms rather than being bundled in to the other non-Eurozone nations as they exit.

    Some people won't like keeping freedom of movement. To which the question must be asked - do you want their job? Do you want to look after our elderly in the care home or go pick fruit or work in that factory doing "menial" labour? If you don't then we need migrant Labour. Thats why they came in the forst place, to do the jobs our own people chose not to do. Its all very well the people of Boston whining about bloody foreigners, but unless you're willing to pick fruit yourselves you need them.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    Reverse Ferret!

    @BBCNormanS: Labour not closing door on single market. "Reformed membership" an option says Barry Gardiner @BBCr4today
  • Options
    Peter_the_PunterPeter_the_Punter Posts: 13,333
    edited June 2017
    Immediatey after Brexit my daughter sent me a piece she wrote about its consequences for her firm's clients. She's a lawyer (yes, I know....) and she dealt with the narrow technical implications, which I found illuminating. One surprising point that I found interesting but at the time seemed irrelevant is that the drafting of the Articles clearly intended to make it easy for countries to stay in the EU. In short, it seems that if a Country that has written an Article 50 letter changes its mind, it merely has to indicate as much and as long as it is not out of time, the whole leaving process comes to a halt.

    I am not saying that we will or should do this, but if we do want to change our minds it seems the mechanism is blissfully easy.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    As has been pointed out, having triggered A50 we are leaving the EU if we do nothing - thats now the course we are set on. To not leave takes a lot more effort

    Apparently not...
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,370
    At the moment Boris seems to be the key to power. He is backing May and that makes May secure, for as long as he continues to do so. Bringing back Gove also seems to be his idea from his tweet yesterday.

    I really think May should go as the price of her incompetence and failure but it may be that it is just too difficult at the moment. That would be very good news for Labour, very good indeed.
  • Options
    FF43FF43 Posts: 15,777
    edited June 2017

    Can someone explain to me, aside from avoiding CFP and CAP, what on earth is the point in leaving the EU and staying in both the customs union and single market?

    Of course, we know the answer. It's a move by Remainers to make leaving the EU look so utterly pointless that they can foster a groundswell of opinion to seek to re-join again, in time, by pointing this out.

    If we must have a soft Brexit, I would take EEA-EFTA. In the longer-term, once all our trade deals have been recalibrated, we can take a view on whether that still works for us.

    Besides which I'd expect that given the UK's size, experience and influence we would still have a little bit of pre-input into EEA/single market rules (far more so than Norway) simply because of the real-politik of it.

    There​ is no point except democracy. The people voted to leave and that vote needs to be respected. There is genuinely no practical upside to Brexit. We need to find ways to leave that cause the least damage.
  • Options
    logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,727

    As has been pointed out, having triggered A50 we are leaving the EU if we do nothing - thats now the course we are set on. To not leave takes a lot more effort and with the Tories as divided and wounded as they are and Labour led by shy Lexit fans I don't see how the political capital is created to not leave.

    Its not do we leave, but how we leave. And thats always been the question. As a Labour Leave voter the best solution to the UK is also the insurance solution - regain our membership of EFTA. We leave the EU - the specific thing people voted for - but retain our EEA membership thus avoiding catastrophic no deal economic ruin. And a rejuvenated EFTA with us as a member will have some decent negotiating power with the EU. And whats more - as a non-Eurozone EU member leaving the EU and joining EFTA was inevitable. For years a twin track or two speed Europe was talked about. The Euro needs a fiscal union which we would not be part, so a leave vote allows us to define the relationship in our own terms rather than being bundled in to the other non-Eurozone nations as they exit.

    Some people won't like keeping freedom of movement. To which the question must be asked - do you want their job? Do you want to look after our elderly in the care home or go pick fruit or work in that factory doing "menial" labour? If you don't then we need migrant Labour. Thats why they came in the forst place, to do the jobs our own people chose not to do. Its all very well the people of Boston whining about bloody foreigners, but unless you're willing to pick fruit yourselves you need them.

    A hard Brexit is now much less likely than it was last week and that is a good thing.
  • Options
    EssexitEssexit Posts: 1,956
    PeterC said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    Everyone is one year older. Some have died, new 18 year olds have joined the register. Some middle aged people have switched from Remain to Leave (based on the premise that this is an age-determined propensity). Remain may well have the upper hand but it is quite wrong to state that this is axiomatically the case.
    Don't feed the troll.
  • Options
    Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,028
    FF43 said:

    There is genuinely no practical upside to Brexit.

    The chaos it has already wrought should have been enough to get it the centrefold in Bad Ideas Monthly.

  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    JonathanD said:

    DavidL said:

    There is no doubt that this election result has created great uncertainty. I am not sure how a government without a majority negotiates Brexit or starts the process of the great reform bill which is surely going to take up all of the House's time and attention over the next year.

    One way would be to reach out to other parties, specifically the Labour party. Perhaps Keir Starmer should be invited to join the negotiating team. Whether Corbyn would allow him to accept or not is unclear and it is really not May's style. A new leader might find this an easier path to take.

    Why would Labour want to have any involvement in Brexit? Its a Tory party obsession and one which we have just seen has made little headway in winning over Labour WWC constituencies.

    The opinion polls have already swung Labour's way - all they need to do is let the government keep on screwing up and then win at the GE on a platform of competence and fairness.

    If they involve themselves in Brexit, then they have a chance of sharing some of the blame when economic pain comes along.
    There are enough Duppies and Soft Brexiteers in the Tory party to have a "Soft Brexit". No need for Labour and LDs to actively participate.

    Soft Brexit solves the conundrum. It would satisfy many, and would make both complete Brexit, or rejoining more viable. In practice it would need to happen at least as a transition deal as there is no way that we will be ready for a total Brexit in 20 moths time.

    Turkey has been in the application process since for decades, as have the scandanavians in joining the EZ. It is perfectly possible for a temporary state to exist a very long time.

    Not hard or soft Brexit so much as Schrodingers Brexit. The key question really is not what we want, but whether the EU permits it.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,370

    Immediatey after Brexit my daughter sent me a piece she wrote about its consequences for her firm's clients. She's a lawyer (yes, I know....) and she dealt with the narrow technical implications, which I found illuminating. One surprising point that I found interesting but at the time seemed irrelevant is that the drafting of the Articles clearly intended to make it easy for countries to stay in the EU. In short, it seems that if a Country that has written an Article 50 letter changes its mind, it merely has to indicate as much and as long as it is not out of time, the whole leaving process comes to a halt.

    I am not saying that we will or should do this, but if we do want to change our minds it seems the mechanism is blissfully easy.

    That does not seem to be the majority view which is that the service of an Article 50 letter is irrevocable but this is a decision that will ultimately be made by politicians rather than lawyers.

    I very much doubt it would be easy. The price for seeking to withdraw such a notice is likely to be revisiting such matters as the UK rebate and possibly some of our opt outs. I would fear for any government which put such a proposal to the British people.
  • Options
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 1,112
    Dura_Ace said:

    FF43 said:

    There is genuinely no practical upside to Brexit.

    The chaos it has already wrought should have been enough to get it the centrefold in Bad Ideas Monthly.

    Not to mention it's most ardent supporters
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    edited June 2017
    Scott_P said:

    On this one, clearly one of the things that animates Corbyn's supporter base the most is Brexit. However, if I were him, I'd be very careful about taking this election result as a mandate to renege.

    For or against?

    The commentariat is awash with people claiming simultaneously that

    1. People voted anything but Tory to avoid hard brexit
    2. Labour supports hard brexit

    Does leaving the single market energise Corbyn's base, or piss off the remainers who voted against Tory brexit?
    The Labour party has the advantage, because they can sit on the sidelines while the Tories force the bitter medicine down the British public's throat. Unlike the government, Labour does not need a coherent position.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    This article is basically this thread in long form

    https://twitter.com/isaby/status/874152079455117312
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    Scott_P said:

    Reverse Ferret!

    @BBCNormanS: Labour not closing door on single market. "Reformed membership" an option says Barry Gardiner @BBCr4today

    The joke that did the rounds after the 1975 referendum was 'Labour, having almost taken us into the Common Market almost took us out again.....'
  • Options
    alex.alex. Posts: 4,658
    Scott_P said:

    Reverse Ferret!

    @BBCNormanS: Labour not closing door on single market. "Reformed membership" an option says Barry Gardiner @BBCr4today

    Ignoring the fact that the UK does not get to negotiate its departure with itself. Again. And again. And again...



  • Options
    RogerRoger Posts: 18,894
    I heard a vox pop from Birmingham yesterday. An area which split 50/50 pro and anti Brexit. The fist part from a pro Brexit area the second from an anti. It was clear to me that the pro Brexiteers had lost their confidence. 'Well we didn't really know what it was about' was common. The Remainers by contrast seemed to know exactly what it was about and articulated it with some precision.

    I'm a great believer in the insightfulness of vox pops (it told me in the first week of the Referendum campaign that Remain could be in trouble) and this told me that ordinary Leavers are not as convinced by their decision as the Remainers and if things continue to go pear shaped are likely to turn on those who didn't explain it properly.
  • Options
    nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    I was never convinced by the arguments that things were so bad and restrictive that we had to do something about it. We watched politicians lie on all sides treating the people like idiots with neither side actually explaining what was good or bad about the EU. the referendum was held to appease a group outside the mainstream of politics both within and out of the conservative party. UKIP would have destroyed themselves by the endless scandals that they were embroiled in at every level. A year on we are no further on where those with some knowledge discus options that to a lot of the electorate don't understand. I'd be interested what response you'd get if you asked a random group of people if EE/EFTA was our best leave option.we now sit and watch the same politicians squabbling about their futures and who becomes top dog.
    Given the real challenges facing the country, NHS, care costs, the next recession, education which is clearly failing, terrorism etc etc what do we do. Ignore those issues and argue about the f****** EU. Those left in twenty years will look back and say what a bunch of t******
  • Options
    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    edited June 2017

    Scott_P said:

    On this one, clearly one of the things that animates Corbyn's supporter base the most is Brexit. However, if I were him, I'd be very careful about taking this election result as a mandate to renege.

    For or against?

    The commentariat is awash with people claiming simultaneously that

    1. People voted anything but Tory to avoid hard brexit
    2. Labour supports hard brexit

    Does leaving the single market energise Corbyn's base, or piss off the remainers who voted against Tory brexit?
    The Labour party has the advantage, because they can sit on the sidelines while the Tories force the bitter medicine down the British public's throat. Unlike the government, Labour does not need a coherent position.

    I've just been talking to my stepson whilst taking him to the airport.. If he is anything to go by, that brexit claim is a load of nonsense. And he has a point. The Tories looked after the old with the triple lock, but the young have been given little or nothing in the last 10 yrs. That's why they were able to be motivated to vote in such huge numbers. That needs to be addressed or the Tories will lose heavily,
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Good morning, everyone.

    F1: race was very exciting but a huge amount happened so doing the write-up might take me a little while. Surprised and delighted that the Raikkonen hedge was matched, so the hedged result was very slightly negative (due to cunningly getting my Vettel bet stake wrong I actually finished ahead). Without that, it was just over two stakes down.
  • Options
    TonyETonyE Posts: 938
    DavidL said:

    Immediatey after Brexit my daughter sent me a piece she wrote about its consequences for her firm's clients. She's a lawyer (yes, I know....) and she dealt with the narrow technical implications, which I found illuminating. One surprising point that I found interesting but at the time seemed irrelevant is that the drafting of the Articles clearly intended to make it easy for countries to stay in the EU. In short, it seems that if a Country that has written an Article 50 letter changes its mind, it merely has to indicate as much and as long as it is not out of time, the whole leaving process comes to a halt.

    I am not saying that we will or should do this, but if we do want to change our minds it seems the mechanism is blissfully easy.

    That does not seem to be the majority view which is that the service of an Article 50 letter is irrevocable but this is a decision that will ultimately be made by politicians rather than lawyers.

    I very much doubt it would be easy. The price for seeking to withdraw such a notice is likely to be revisiting such matters as the UK rebate and possibly some of our opt outs. I would fear for any government which put such a proposal to the British people.
    Just delurking for this - I'm sure Peter is absolutely correct, under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a nations, so long as it does so in good faith, may withdraw notice to leave a treaty agreement at any time up until the point at which that notice takes effect.

    The EU treaties are drafted to refer to Vienna (so Andrew Duff explains) so as to allow them to remain manageable in the context of international convention, otherwise you would have had to insert many clauses from Vienna into the EU treaties themselves for them to be watertight.
  • Options

    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    Apart from the mandate that all but a handful of MPs just elected were put there on a Manifesto of Brexit. The mandate for Brexit is far, far stronger than it was when just 52% voted for it.

    The issue is the mechanics of implementing Brexit. You really think democracy is going to be well served by those same elected politicians saying "sorry, it is too difficult to do..."?

    Those who wanted to turn their back on Brexit just got 12 seats.
    Not entirely true but this is the point I was making on Saturday - now being repeated on the hour on Radio 4. 318 Tories were elected on a Brexit manifesto, 261? Labour MPs on a Brexit will happen manifesto. Even if you deduct those not tied to the Manifestos, nominally 500 were elected pro-Brexit.

    Now it is true that many voted Labour to kill Brexit - irrational, but no one voted Labour for its rationalism.

    Mrs May should do what with hindsight she should have kept on doing, proceed with her notional majority and wait to be voted down.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,127
    RoyalBlue said:

    If some kind of Brexit is not delivered, however watered down, the Tories will be destroyed for the short to medium term, as half their supporters and MPs defect to UKIP.

    I think even Soubry and co realise that. She repeated yesterday again and again that we are still leaving.

    Only if you believe that half of Tory supporters are unthinking fanatics who are incapable of accepting hard truths or of changing their view in light of the facts.

    What we need is leadership to tell people that the promised land doesn't exist, and it can only come from former Leavers like Johnson and Gove.
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Just a bit late to add this as a comment, but two juicy stories from the BBC gossip column:
    BBC gossip column has some cracking headlines:
    Mercedes boss Toto Wolff would not be surprised if world champion Nico Rosberg makes a Formula 1 comeback with Ferrari. (Autosport)

    Robert Kubica has confirmed he wants to attempt a full F1 comeback six years after a horrific rallying accident in Italy. (Sky Sports)

    On-topic: if we leave the EU, there will be ructions. If we stay in the EU, there will be ructions.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534
    Scott_P said:

    On this one, clearly one of the things that animates Corbyn's supporter base the most is Brexit. However, if I were him, I'd be very careful about taking this election result as a mandate to renege.

    For or against?

    The commentariat is awash with people claiming simultaneously that

    1. People voted anything but Tory to avoid hard brexit
    2. Labour supports hard brexit

    Does leaving the single market energise Corbyn's base, or piss off the remainers who voted against Tory brexit?
    I meant the membership and £3 registered supporters.

    A large chunk of his voters would have more nuanced views.
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,370
    TonyE said:

    DavidL said:

    Immediatey after Brexit my daughter sent me a piece she wrote about its consequences for her firm's clients. She's a lawyer (yes, I know....) and she dealt with the narrow technical implications, which I found illuminating. One surprising point that I found interesting but at the time seemed irrelevant is that the drafting of the Articles clearly intended to make it easy for countries to stay in the EU. In short, it seems that if a Country that has written an Article 50 letter changes its mind, it merely has to indicate as much and as long as it is not out of time, the whole leaving process comes to a halt.

    I am not saying that we will or should do this, but if we do want to change our minds it seems the mechanism is blissfully easy.

    That does not seem to be the majority view which is that the service of an Article 50 letter is irrevocable but this is a decision that will ultimately be made by politicians rather than lawyers.

    I very much doubt it would be easy. The price for seeking to withdraw such a notice is likely to be revisiting such matters as the UK rebate and possibly some of our opt outs. I would fear for any government which put such a proposal to the British people.
    Just delurking for this - I'm sure Peter is absolutely correct, under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a nations, so long as it does so in good faith, may withdraw notice to leave a treaty agreement at any time up until the point at which that notice takes effect.

    The EU treaties are drafted to refer to Vienna (so Andrew Duff explains) so as to allow them to remain manageable in the context of international convention, otherwise you would have had to insert many clauses from Vienna into the EU treaties themselves for them to be watertight.
    The Supreme Court hearing proceeded on the premise that it was not. There was a case in Dublin that was supposed to be getting referred to the CJE for a ruling on the matter. Not sure what has happened to that. The question is really whether it is something we can do unilaterally or whether it needs to be done bilaterally, with the agreement of both parties. Obviously if both parties agree it can be done but I would expect conditions to be attached to that.
  • Options
    DavidL said:

    At the moment Boris seems to be the key to power. He is backing May and that makes May secure, for as long as he continues to do so. Bringing back Gove also seems to be his idea from his tweet yesterday.

    I really think May should go as the price of her incompetence and failure but it may be that it is just too difficult at the moment. That would be very good news for Labour, very good indeed.

    We need to see how it pans out for May - no harm in that. Obviously she can't lead us into another election. Boris needs to be more high profile and we need to see what shit is thrown at him, and more to the point to what extent it sticks.

    However, our situation is as nothing compared to the horror story which is emerging across the Channel. 24 months and Macron will be more reviled than any of his predecessors.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    DavidL said:

    There was a case in Dublin that was supposed to be getting referred to the CJE for a ruling on the matter. Not sure what has happened to that.

    The Dublin case was dismissed by the court IIRC
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534

    As has been pointed out, having triggered A50 we are leaving the EU if we do nothing - thats now the course we are set on. To not leave takes a lot more effort and with the Tories as divided and wounded as they are and Labour led by shy Lexit fans I don't see how the political capital is created to not leave.

    Its not do we leave, but how we leave. And thats always been the question. As a Labour Leave voter the best solution to the UK is also the insurance solution - regain our membership of EFTA. We leave the EU - the specific thing people voted for - but retain our EEA membership thus avoiding catastrophic no deal economic ruin. And a rejuvenated EFTA with us as a member will have some decent negotiating power with the EU. And whats more - as a non-Eurozone EU member leaving the EU and joining EFTA was inevitable. For years a twin track or two speed Europe was talked about. The Euro needs a fiscal union which we would not be part, so a leave vote allows us to define the relationship in our own terms rather than being bundled in to the other non-Eurozone nations as they exit.

    Some people won't like keeping freedom of movement. To which the question must be asked - do you want their job? Do you want to look after our elderly in the care home or go pick fruit or work in that factory doing "menial" labour? If you don't then we need migrant Labour. Thats why they came in the forst place, to do the jobs our own people chose not to do. Its all very well the people of Boston whining about bloody foreigners, but unless you're willing to pick fruit yourselves you need them.

    I agree with most of this. Reforming welfare rules and obtaining an emergency brake should be enough on migration.
  • Options
    TonyETonyE Posts: 938
    DavidL said:

    TonyE said:

    DavidL said:

    Immediatey after Brexit my daughter sent me a piece she wrote about its consequences for her firm's clients. She's a lawyer (yes, I know....) and she dealt with the narrow technical implications, which I found illuminating. One surprising point that I found interesting but at the time seemed irrelevant is that the drafting of the Articles clearly intended to make it easy for countries to stay in the EU. In short, it seems that if a Country that has written an Article 50 letter changes its mind, it merely has to indicate as much and as long as it is not out of time, the whole leaving process comes to a halt.

    I am not saying that we will or should do this, but if we do want to change our minds it seems the mechanism is blissfully easy.

    That does not seem to be the majority view which is that the service of an Article 50 letter is irrevocable but this is a decision that will ultimately be made by politicians rather than lawyers.

    I very much doubt it would be easy. The price for seeking to withdraw such a notice is likely to be revisiting such matters as the UK rebate and possibly some of our opt outs. I would fear for any government which put such a proposal to the British people.
    Just delurking for this - I'm sure Peter is absolutely correct, under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a nations, so long as it does so in good faith, may withdraw notice to leave a treaty agreement at any time up until the point at which that notice takes effect.

    The EU treaties are drafted to refer to Vienna (so Andrew Duff explains) so as to allow them to remain manageable in the context of international convention, otherwise you would have had to insert many clauses from Vienna into the EU treaties themselves for them to be watertight.
    The Supreme Court hearing proceeded on the premise that it was not. There was a case in Dublin that was supposed to be getting referred to the CJE for a ruling on the matter. Not sure what has happened to that. The question is really whether it is something we can do unilaterally or whether it needs to be done bilaterally, with the agreement of both parties. Obviously if both parties agree it can be done but I would expect conditions to be attached to that.
    That is correct, the case in Dublin has been dropped because you can't send a hypothetical for judgement (Jolyon Maugham's case). There were other weaknesses too, but he didn't want to bring it in London. The issue in the Supreme Court case was that neither side wanted to put that as an argument, and as it was explained to me, that was deliberately done by both sides to keep it off the table at the time for political reasons (Gov't didn't want it openly stated, Miller et al thought it damaged their case).
  • Options
    PClippPClipp Posts: 2,138

    Remainers like myself tend to assume Leave voters will change there mind in the light of fresh evidence. It's far more likely they'll self justify by saying ' Oh Brexit was sold out by X. We never really tried it " rather than think they were wrong.

    Yes, voters are likely to be quicker to blame mendacious foreigners than their own, possibly faulty, judgment. T'was ever thus......
    You mean like Boris Johnson? And perhaps the dreadful Gove as well, though he is is Scotsman rather than a proper foreigner....
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137

    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    Apart from the mandate that all but a handful of MPs just elected were put there on a Manifesto of Brexit. The mandate for Brexit is far, far stronger than it was when just 52% voted for it.

    The issue is the mechanics of implementing Brexit. You really think democracy is going to be well served by those same elected politicians saying "sorry, it is too difficult to do..."?

    Those who wanted to turn their back on Brexit just got 12 seats.
    Not entirely true but this is the point I was making on Saturday - now being repeated on the hour on Radio 4. 318 Tories were elected on a Brexit manifesto, 261? Labour MPs on a Brexit will happen manifesto. Even if you deduct those not tied to the Manifestos, nominally 500 were elected pro-Brexit.

    Now it is true that many voted Labour to kill Brexit - irrational, but no one voted Labour for its rationalism.

    Mrs May should do what with hindsight she should have kept on doing, proceed with her notional majority and wait to be voted down.
    It is an interesting counter-factual; how many votes would Labour have lost if it remotely indicated it might can Brexit? Couple of million?
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453

    Not entirely true but this is the point I was making on Saturday - now being repeated on the hour on Radio 4. 318 Tories were elected on a Brexit manifesto, 261? Labour MPs on a Brexit will happen manifesto. Even if you deduct those not tied to the Manifestos, nominally 500 were elected pro-Brexit.

    Now it is true that many voted Labour to kill Brexit - irrational, but no one voted Labour for its rationalism.

    Mrs May should do what with hindsight she should have kept on doing, proceed with her notional majority and wait to be voted down.

    This was the discussion last night.

    The expectation must be that leaving the single market is in the Queen's Speech, and 500 MPs will vote for it, right?

    Anyone laying odds?
  • Options
    mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,147
    If there is any chance of a remain-y "solution" to the Brexit problem, it would be based around negotiating a deal with the EU that includes the option of staying in, and then putting the OUT and IN deals back to the public in a second referendum? It creates a back door but, to quote Harry Perkins, it's still "will o't' people." The problem with this scenario is that the Government's negotiators are unlikely to go down this route for the forseeable, so it relies on the goodwill of the EU at the point at which it all collapses and Government V2 steps in (whether that is post-May Tories, or JC).
  • Options
    RogerRoger Posts: 18,894
    edited June 2017

    Can someone explain to me, aside from avoiding CFP and CAP, what on earth is the point in leaving the EU and staying in both the customs union and single market?

    Of course, we know the answer. It's a move by Remainers to make leaving the EU look so utterly pointless that they can foster a groundswell of opinion to seek to re-join again, in time, by pointing this out.

    If we must have a soft Brexit, I would take EEA-EFTA. In the longer-term, once all our trade deals have been recalibrated, we can take a view on whether that still works for us.

    Besides which I'd expect that given the UK's size, experience and influence we would still have a little bit of pre-input into EEA/single market rules (far more so than Norway) simply because of the real-politik of it.

    Trying to destroy the method of governance that has served us for the last 48 years at the precise moment when our government is in meltdown is scaring ordinary voters to death.

    What's more it's making the Tories who are now the exclusive carriers of the Brexit banner look like crackpot obsessives
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534

    Dura_Ace said:

    Brexit has no democratic mandate now, as a year has passed since the vote. In that time enough Leavers will have died and enough new Remainers will have turned 18 to make abandoning Brexit the only democratically legitimate course of action.

    Apart from the mandate that all but a handful of MPs just elected were put there on a Manifesto of Brexit. The mandate for Brexit is far, far stronger than it was when just 52% voted for it.

    The issue is the mechanics of implementing Brexit. You really think democracy is going to be well served by those same elected politicians saying "sorry, it is too difficult to do..."?

    Those who wanted to turn their back on Brexit just got 12 seats.
    Not entirely true but this is the point I was making on Saturday - now being repeated on the hour on Radio 4. 318 Tories were elected on a Brexit manifesto, 261? Labour MPs on a Brexit will happen manifesto. Even if you deduct those not tied to the Manifestos, nominally 500 were elected pro-Brexit.

    Now it is true that many voted Labour to kill Brexit - irrational, but no one voted Labour for its rationalism.

    Mrs May should do what with hindsight she should have kept on doing, proceed with her notional majority and wait to be voted down.
    It is an interesting counter-factual; how many votes would Labour have lost if it remotely indicated it might can Brexit? Couple of million?
    The Conservatives would have probably retained their majority - and a clear one at that - as it would have made the difference in most of the hyper marginals lost to Labour, and picked up a few extra seats from Labour in the Midlands and the North East.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    Can someone explain to me, aside from avoiding CFP and CAP, what on earth is the point in leaving the EU and staying in both the customs union and single market?

    Of course, we know the answer. It's a move by Remainers to make leaving the EU look so utterly pointless that they can foster a groundswell of opinion to seek to re-join again, in time, by pointing this out.

    If we must have a soft Brexit, I would take EEA-EFTA. In the longer-term, once all our trade deals have been recalibrated, we can take a view on whether that still works for us.

    Besides which I'd expect that given the UK's size, experience and influence we would still have a little bit of pre-input into EEA/single market rules (far more so than Norway) simply because of the real-politik of it.

    The customs unions brings with it the existing trading arrangements of the EU: the free trade agreements with Canada, Korea, Israel, Colombia, Egypt, Chile, Mexico, and even the EFTA states. On the day we leave the EU, we will lose all those agreements. (And once you include preferential tariff deals as well, that's a lot of agreements.)

    Now, in all likelihood, the UK will be able to replicate each of these. (And even add some more.) But it won't happen on day one. New treaties require negotiations, and approval by parliaments and the like. It will probably take a decade to fully replace the existing arrangements that we leave behind. Staying in the customs union for - say - two year gives Liam Fox and his team to actually get some deals done. Will all of them be replaced (Cote d'Ivoire, anyone)? Not in the two year window, no. But the most important of them could be.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,060

    DavidL said:

    At the moment Boris seems to be the key to power. He is backing May and that makes May secure, for as long as he continues to do so. Bringing back Gove also seems to be his idea from his tweet yesterday.

    I really think May should go as the price of her incompetence and failure but it may be that it is just too difficult at the moment. That would be very good news for Labour, very good indeed.

    We need to see how it pans out for May - no harm in that. Obviously she can't lead us into another election. Boris needs to be more high profile and we need to see what shit is thrown at him, and more to the point to what extent it sticks.

    However, our situation is as nothing compared to the horror story which is emerging across the Channel. 24 months and Macron will be more reviled than any of his predecessors.
    Can I file your assessment of Macron's prospects with your other predictions?
  • Options
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 1,112
    Roger said:

    Can someone explain to me, aside from avoiding CFP and CAP, what on earth is the point in leaving the EU and staying in both the customs union and single market?

    Of course, we know the answer. It's a move by Remainers to make leaving the EU look so utterly pointless that they can foster a groundswell of opinion to seek to re-join again, in time, by pointing this out.

    If we must have a soft Brexit, I would take EEA-EFTA. In the longer-term, once all our trade deals have been recalibrated, we can take a view on whether that still works for us.

    Besides which I'd expect that given the UK's size, experience and influence we would still have a little bit of pre-input into EEA/single market rules (far more so than Norway) simply because of the real-politik of it.

    Trying to destroy the method of governance that has served us for the last 48 years at the precise moment when our government is in meltdown is scaring ordinary voters to death.

    What's more it's making the Tories who are now the exclusive carriers of the Brexit banner look like crackpot obsessives
    Don't often agree with you Roger but this isn't wrong.
    The Brexiteers have managed to turn the Tory party into a one issue, incompetent, poorly led version of Ukip over the last year or so.
    Particularly disturbing considering the alternative.
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,986
    Labour still with a couple of internal issues...
  • Options
    BudGBudG Posts: 711
    edited June 2017
    A good article. One thing to throw into the mix is that although the polls indicate that there has been no great shift towards Remain, there has certainly been a great shift in the likelihood of younger voters to vote. It is likely that this has not been taken into consideration in the polls.

    If they had voted in larger numbers in the Referendum, as they did last Thursday, it is likely that the result may well have swung the other way.

    Now they have got themselves registered to vote in larger numbers, found their way to the polling stations and have discovered that their votes CAN change things, I would expect the youth to be a lot more influential in stopping Brexit if we were to ever be in the situation where we had another vote on the subject.
  • Options
    RecidivistRecidivist Posts: 4,679
    DavidL said:

    Immediatey after Brexit my daughter sent me a piece she wrote about its consequences for her firm's clients. She's a lawyer (yes, I know....) and she dealt with the narrow technical implications, which I found illuminating. One surprising point that I found interesting but at the time seemed irrelevant is that the drafting of the Articles clearly intended to make it easy for countries to stay in the EU. In short, it seems that if a Country that has written an Article 50 letter changes its mind, it merely has to indicate as much and as long as it is not out of time, the whole leaving process comes to a halt.

    I am not saying that we will or should do this, but if we do want to change our minds it seems the mechanism is blissfully easy.

    That does not seem to be the majority view which is that the service of an Article 50 letter is irrevocable but this is a decision that will ultimately be made by politicians rather than lawyers.

    I very much doubt it would be easy. The price for seeking to withdraw such a notice is likely to be revisiting such matters as the UK rebate and possibly some of our opt outs. I would fear for any government which put such a proposal to the British people.
    Even after the damage that Brexit has already done Britain is still a big economy with a lot of clout that the EU would much rather have on board. I am pretty sure if the government offered to revoke Article 50 it could extract concessions. I am getting really fed up of leavers continually talking Britain down like this.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,792

    Good morning, everyone.

    F1: race was very exciting but a huge amount happened so doing the write-up might take me a little while. Surprised and delighted that the Raikkonen hedge was matched, so the hedged result was very slightly negative (due to cunningly getting my Vettel bet stake wrong I actually finished ahead). Without that, it was just over two stakes down.

    Good morning, Mr.D.
    I'm pleased for you - only explanation I can think of is that someone foolishly have that Vettel wasn't going to stop again, and that Raikkonen's second set of tyres would give him the advantage.
    I was impressed by both Hamilton and Vettel.

    Great news about Kubica; indifferent towards the Rosberg speculation.
  • Options
    nielhnielh Posts: 1,307
    I don't see politically how you go from 500+ MP's elected on a hard brexit platform, to remaining in the EU. Even in these revolutionary times.

    It is more likely that we end up with a different approach to Brexit. The point about the election is that Brexit is that it turns out that it is one issue of many for people, it is not the only issue.

    Calling the referendum without any preparatory work on what a leave vote would mean was an absolute, profound, disaster. Party before country. Cameron and May are going to go down as the worst prime ministers in history.


  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    BudG said:

    Now they have got themselves registered to vote in larger numbers, found their way to the polling stations and have discovered that their votes CAN change things, I would expect the youth to be a lot more influential in stopping Brexit if we were to ever be in the situation where we had another vote on the subject.

    ‘Respect your youngers,” tweeted the pop star Lily Allen after the shock election result driven by a high youth turnout. But have we come to respect the youngers and their opinions too much?

    And since Thursday people have been falling over themselves to congratulate the younger among us for doing their democratic duty; a five-minute detour to the polling station given the same weight as going over the top at Ypres. Young people posted selfies taken after the event and wore stickers saying “I voted!” Should they get lollipops too?


    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/let-s-stop-treating-the-young-as-political-sages-fqv5b3cqg
  • Options
    NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,359
    I'm wearing two hats here - as a pro-EU (not merely Remainer - I actually like the EU) voter with a lot of familiarity with how it works, and as a Corbynite Labour loyalist.

    With the first hat - yes, it'd in practice by perfectly feasible to stay on if talks produce what both sides recognise is no satisfactory outcome. Ultimately the EU is driven by political consensus, and where there's a will there's a way - stopping the clock indefinitely, legal interpretation, whatever. I think the EU would see it as a return to sanity and would be happy to oblige, on condition that we promised not to flounce out again in the next 10 years.

    But from the Labour viewpoint I see no big upsides and lots of downsides in leading on this at the moment. Corbyn's view is essentially that membership per se is not the key issue, what matters is the terms of our future relationship: the default is to assume we're leaving, but if so then we need to have customs-free access and protection of labour and environmental rights as well as protection for citizens on both sides. Labour will press on these issues and denounce the government if it slips on them. As for free movement, Corbyn can best be described as intensely relaxed, but persuaded by colleagues that something must be done to appease public concern on unrestricted movement - any mild restrictions would be fine.

    If public opinion shifted decisively against leaving or Labour took over Government responsibility, Labour could fairly easily segue into a "This isn't going to work out, let's stay" position. But unless actually in Government, I don't expect us to be leading the charge.
  • Options
    felixfelix Posts: 15,125
    Pulpstar said:
    And so it starts....pretty clear how no-one won the election and many of the old problems remain. also a reminder of what a nasty person Clive Lewis is.
  • Options
    RogerRoger Posts: 18,894
    rcs1000 said:

    DavidL said:

    At the moment Boris seems to be the key to power. He is backing May and that makes May secure, for as long as he continues to do so. Bringing back Gove also seems to be his idea from his tweet yesterday.

    I really think May should go as the price of her incompetence and failure but it may be that it is just too difficult at the moment. That would be very good news for Labour, very good indeed.

    We need to see how it pans out for May - no harm in that. Obviously she can't lead us into another election. Boris needs to be more high profile and we need to see what shit is thrown at him, and more to the point to what extent it sticks.

    However, our situation is as nothing compared to the horror story which is emerging across the Channel. 24 months and Macron will be more reviled than any of his predecessors.
    Can I file your assessment of Macron's prospects with your other predictions?
    An assessment without a shred of evidence. I'm in France at the moment and have been more or less since their election and the mood of optimism is everywhere and tangible.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    https://twitter.com/davidericstan/status/874131843511177217

    Ummm

    @IanDunt: Davis not budging on hard Brexit. Notable that he uses McDonnell demand to leave single market as justification.

    @IanDunt: As before, Corbyn leadership position helps the right of the Tory party delivery on their extreme agenda.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,128
    How George Osborne's robbing the young has come back to hurt the Conservatives:

    ' The Government has “betrayed a generation of students” after it “quietly put out” a report on one of the busiest days in UK politics in which it has backtracked on a promise it made to students in 2012 regarding their loans.

    Students in England who started university in or after 2012 repay nine per cent of everything they earn above £21,000 (pre-tax salary) once they graduate. Yet, now, after launching a consultation, the team at MoneySavingExpert.com said the Conservatives have secretly put its conclusions out during the Autumn Statement, backtracking on this and, effectively, hiking costs retrospectively, despite an overwhelming 95 per cent of the consultaion’s respondents opposing the freeze.

    The freeze in the threshold means graduates will now repay more of their cash each month towards the loans and - as many students won’t repay the full amount borrowed within the 30 years before the debt is wiped - also means they will pay more overall as well.

    The freezing of the threshold means over two million graduates will end up paying £306 more each year by 2020/21 than they would have done without the change.

    MoneySavingExpert.com said, “disgracefully,” the move was not announced by George Osborne in today's speech and, instead, it was “buried on page 126 of the Autumn Statement.” '

    http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/spending-review-2015-government-betrays-a-generation-of-students-by-secretly-backtracking-on-a-2012-a6748801.html
  • Options
    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Mr. B, to be fair, Raikkonen might well have gotten fastest lap in those circumstances. He had the best tyre, a very good car, and he quite likes fastest laps (and he had clear air).

    I don't think the Rosberg speculation will come off. Vettel's not going to want a rival and Ferrari generally have a number one driver approach.

    Kubica coming back, if he has the pace, would be great.
  • Options
    ScarfNZScarfNZ Posts: 29
    Roger said:

    Can someone explain to me, aside from avoiding CFP and CAP, what on earth is the point in leaving the EU and staying in both the customs union and single market?

    Of course, we know the answer. It's a move by Remainers to make leaving the EU look so utterly pointless that they can foster a groundswell of opinion to seek to re-join again, in time, by pointing this out.

    If we must have a soft Brexit, I would take EEA-EFTA. In the longer-term, once all our trade deals have been recalibrated, we can take a view on whether that still works for us.

    Besides which I'd expect that given the UK's size, experience and influence we would still have a little bit of pre-input into EEA/single market rules (far more so than Norway) simply because of the real-politik of it.

    Trying to destroy the method of governance that has served us for the last 48 years at the precise moment when our government is in meltdown is scaring ordinary voters to death.

    What's more it's making the Tories who are now the exclusive carriers of the Brexit banner look like crackpot obsessives
    What do you mean "look like crackpot obsessives"? May is power craved and the cabinet ministers do are telling the Prime Minister what to do are undermining her!
  • Options
    nichomarnichomar Posts: 7,483
    Does anyone actually believe that leaving the EU will solve the problems that worry people most and is worth the time and lost opportunity it is causing?
  • Options
    The_ApocalypseThe_Apocalypse Posts: 7,830
    edited June 2017
    If your going to claim that Labour still has internal issues, it needs to have more of a basis than this Chris Leslie thing, who is only one person.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,127
    I don't think so, fudged Brexit is now more likely but reversing the EU referendum and rejoining the EU would not only be a national humiliation it would see a UKIP now led by a returning Farage revive quicker than Lazarus
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    nichomar said:

    Does anyone actually believe that leaving the EU will solve the problems that worry people most and is worth the time and lost opportunity it is causing?

    Peter Bone
This discussion has been closed.