politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Lessons from Labour’s conference for the Conservatives
Labour have, on balance, had a good conference, which should of course worry Conservatives like myself. Their leadership is now in full ascendancy – indeed many of the Corbynsceptic PLP stayed away.
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
That isn't how a contract (and therefore treaty) works. We are parties to it. Turning it around, if a deal is agreed, I can see it biting us on the arse if no-one remembers to give the 12months' notice: we will be sued for non-compliance after the transition period ends.
How about we ask a lawyer? I think there are a few on this site
Picking a random part of the treaty: "The EFTA States shall have the same rights and obligations as EC Member States within EC committees in which they participate fully, by virtue of Article 76 and Part VI of the Agreement and the corresponding Protocols, except in respect of voting procedures, if any."
Well, we won't be an EFTA state (which is narrowly defined at the beginning of the Treaty), and we won't be an EC member state. So, how does that work?
Per the definition, the UK is an EU 'member state', even if it no longer is a member in reality
I'm sorry, but those kind of issues run through the whole text of the treaty. We wouldn't be entitled to dispute resolution, because that refers explicitly to the EFTA countries, for example.
I think it's simply a nonsense to suggest we could - by our own volition alone - remain a party to the EEA agreement, were we not an EU member.
Matthew Goodwin's article also suggests scope for a tougher sentencing policy combined with greater rehabilitation, tighter immigration controls based on those with the highest skills, a less interventionist policy abroad and rather more focus on tightening border control at home, great accountability for business and maybe even workers on boards and a more contributory benefits system and much of that could be the basis of the Tory message
(Re the justice system, the old "Law West of Ealing Broadway" blog used to have regular - these are the facts, what was the sentence competitions. And people always used to assume the courts were massively more lenient than they were. The issue being that sentences only ever made headlines when they seemed absurd.)
That isn't how a contract (and therefore treaty) works. We are parties to it. Turning it around, if a deal is agreed, I can see it biting us on the arse if no-one remembers to give the 12months' notice: we will be sued for non-compliance after the transition period ends.
How about we ask a lawyer? I think there are a few on this site
Picking a random part of the treaty: "The EFTA States shall have the same rights and obligations as EC Member States within EC committees in which they participate fully, by virtue of Article 76 and Part VI of the Agreement and the corresponding Protocols, except in respect of voting procedures, if any."
Well, we won't be an EFTA state (which is narrowly defined at the beginning of the Treaty), and we won't be an EC member state. So, how does that work?
Per the definition, the UK is an EU 'member state', even if it no longer is a member in reality
I'm sorry, but those kind of issues run through the whole text of the treaty. We wouldn't be entitled to dispute resolution, because that refers explicitly to the EFTA countries, for example.
I think it's simply a nonsense to suggest we could - by our own volition alone - remain a party to the EEA agreement, were we not an EU member.
We're in it regardless....'volition' doesn't come into it, beyond us giving notice, or not giving notice. We have to take the active step to leave.
Ok, the dispute resolution provisions are going to be problematic, and only decided by a judge should it come to it. It's a big step, however, to suggest that that would somehow invalidate the treaty.
That isn't how a contract (and therefore treaty) works. We are parties to it. Turning it around, if a deal is agreed, I can see it biting us on the arse if no-one remembers to give the 12months' notice: we will be sued for non-compliance after the transition period ends.
How about we ask a lawyer? I think there are a few on this site
Picking a random part of the treaty: "The EFTA States shall have the same rights and obligations as EC Member States within EC committees in which they participate fully, by virtue of Article 76 and Part VI of the Agreement and the corresponding Protocols, except in respect of voting procedures, if any."
Well, we won't be an EFTA state (which is narrowly defined at the beginning of the Treaty), and we won't be an EC member state. So, how does that work?
Per the definition, the UK is an EU 'member state', even if it no longer is a member in reality
I'm sorry, but those kind of issues run through the whole text of the treaty. We wouldn't be entitled to dispute resolution, because that refers explicitly to the EFTA countries, for example.
I think it's simply a nonsense to suggest we could - by our own volition alone - remain a party to the EEA agreement, were we not an EU member.
We're in it regardless....'volition' doesn't come into it, beyond us giving notice, or not giving notice. We have to take the active step to leave.
Ok, the dispute resolution provisions are going to be problematic, and only decided by a judge should it come to it. It's a big step, however, to suggest that that would somehow invalidate the treaty.
Do you believe we remain party to every existing EU treaty, then? Because the US has decided (for example) that we're no longer party to Open Skies? Why would the EEA Treaty be any different.
Field work: 26/09/18 – 27/09/18 Sample size: 2,036"
No evidence of conference bounce for Corbyn in that poll done after his speech
Worth noting that Labour is ahead though. It was a successful conference, despite all the potential pitfalls. Labour are looking more professional again. People like that in a potential government.
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
TM supports joint UK - Ireland world cup bid for 2030
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Which one? The Irish one or the Gibraltar / Spain one, the latter, considering so many have shares in off shore betting companies, could be interesting. Then again, could the Channel Islands start considering the EU and France might be a better option, and the Isle of Man to Ireland, bet there has been a lot of thought given, but not spoken about...
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
It’s a process point - the Senate has requested further work (it’s really a “background check” not an “investigation”). The White House is supposed to provide a dossier with all the information requested to the Senate but in practice outsource it to the FBI
That isn't how a contract (and therefore treaty) works. We are parties to it. Turning it around, if a deal is agreed, I can see it biting us on the arse if no-one remembers to give the 12months' notice: we will be sued for non-compliance after the transition period ends.
How about we ask a lawyer? I think there are a few on this site
Picking a random part of the treaty: "The EFTA States shall have the same rights and obligations as EC Member States within EC committees in which they participate fully, by virtue of Article 76 and Part VI of the Agreement and the corresponding Protocols, except in respect of voting procedures, if any."
Well, we won't be an EFTA state (which is narrowly defined at the beginning of the Treaty), and we won't be an EC member state. So, how does that work?
Per the definition, the UK is an EU 'member state', even if it no longer is a member in reality
I'm sorry, but those kind of issues run through the whole text of the treaty. We wouldn't be entitled to dispute resolution, because that refers explicitly to the EFTA countries, for example.
I think it's simply a nonsense to suggest we could - by our own volition alone - remain a party to the EEA agreement, were we not an EU member.
We're in it regardless....'volition' doesn't come into it, beyond us giving notice, or not giving notice. We have to take the active step to leave.
Ok, the dispute resolution provisions are going to be problematic, and only decided by a judge should it come to it. It's a big step, however, to suggest that that would somehow invalidate the treaty.
Do you believe we remain party to every existing EU treaty, then? Because the US has decided (for example) that we're no longer party to Open Skies? Why would the EEA Treaty be any different.
Dunno. It would depend on what the treaty said, and whether we were party to it. A50 just takes us out of the Lisbon treaties (which replaced the previous treaties).
Thanks to all for the kind words below and to Mike for indulging me in what ended up being a long piece. Forgive me: I cut about 25% of it but had neither the time nor the discipline to make it shorter.
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
You might have discussed it many times, but that doesn't make your view correct. 'cross over the other side' has no meaning.
A very good header Aaron. I must say Labour's PPB is cut above anything they've done recently. The tone seemed just about right. I've been trying to find who's behind it but so far without any luck.
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
You might have discussed it many times, but that doesn't make your view correct. 'cross over the other side' has no meaning.
Of course it does. This is a treaty between the three EAA/EFTA states on one side, and the EU states in their capacity as EU states on the other side. That is completely explicit in the treaty, and completely explicit in the definitions of territories etc. There is no ambiguity about it.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
It is still more plausible than most of the other options now, especially Chequers which the EU have rejected and provided we agreed to the core terms of the EEA no reason we could not stay in it as part of EFTA rather than the EU.
In the short term it also avoids No Deal and in the longer term still allows for the possibility of negotiating a Canada FTA which will take time to formulate
"Yesterday was a spectacle I hope we do not have to experience again. We watched two human beings, Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh, exposed in the rawest possible fashion to the entire world, over the gravest of accusations, with no definitive evidence apart from personal testimony to draw on, 36 years after an alleged crime took place. It was a grotesque political drama, in which everyone lost."
A very good header Aaron. I must say Labour's PPB is cut above anything they've done recently. The tone seemed just about right. I've been trying to find who's behind it but so far without any luck.
Thanks Roger - it's a guy called Simon Baker who was behind a lot of viral pro-Corbyn videos at the GE. @EL4JC on Twitter.
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
It is still more plausible than most of the other options now, especially Chequers and provided we agreed to the core terms of the EEA no reasons we could not stay in it as part of EFTA rather than the EU.
In the short term it also avoids No Deal and in the longer term still allows for the possibility of negotiating a Canada FTA which will take time to formulate
We can't stay in it, but we could apply to join it, once we'd applied to and been accepted by EFTA. This in principle is perfectly possible, but it does require consent of the other 31 countries involved, and they would want to look at the exact terms - voting rights, legal arrangements, budgets etc. It can't just be done in a trice.
What's more, I very much doubt that they'd consent if it were seen as a temporary arrangement for our convenience.
A very good header Aaron. I must say Labour's PPB is cut above anything they've done recently. The tone seemed just about right. I've been trying to find who's behind it but so far without any luck.
Thanks Roger - it's a guy called Simon Baker who was behind a lot of viral pro-Corbyn videos at the GE. @EL4JC on Twitter.
TM supports joint UK - Ireland world cup bid for 2030
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Which one? The Irish one or the Gibraltar / Spain one, the latter, considering so many have shares in off shore betting companies, could be interesting. Then again, could the Channel Islands start considering the EU and France might be a better option, and the Isle of Man to Ireland, bet there has been a lot of thought given, but not spoken about...
I really have no idea what you are talking about A UK wide - Irish world cup would be fantastic
Matches in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Befast and Dublin. What is not to like
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Thanks to all for the kind words below and to Mike for indulging me in what ended up being a long piece. Forgive me: I cut about 25% of it but had neither the time nor the discipline to make it shorter.
So the number of deselected Labour MPs if they grouped together would already be enough to form the 7th largest party in the House of Commons
The choice they have is to stay and hope for a change in the leadership and reselection or form a new party and never be re-elected to the best club in London. Which would you choose?
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
You might have discussed it many times, but that doesn't make your view correct. 'cross over the other side' has no meaning.
Of course it does. This is a treaty between the three EAA/EFTA states on one side, and the EU states in their capacity as EU states on the other side. That is completely explicit in the treaty, and completely explicit in the definitions of territories etc. There is no ambiguity about it.
No, it's a treaty between 32 parties. 'In their capacity as EU States' appears nowhere in the treaty and has no meaning, even if it sounds great to you.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
It is still more plausible than most of the other options now, especially Chequers and provided we agreed to the core terms of the EEA no reasons we could not stay in it as part of EFTA rather than the EU.
In the short term it also avoids No Deal and in the longer term still allows for the possibility of negotiating a Canada FTA which will take time to formulate
We can't stay in it, but we could apply to join it, once we'd applied to and been accepted by EFTA. This in principle is perfectly possible, but it does require consent of the other 31 countries involved, and they would want to look at the exact terms - voting rights, legal arrangements, budgets etc. It can't just be done in a trice.
What's more, I very much doubt that they'd consent if it were seen as a temporary arrangement for our convenience.
Provided we agree to the terms required there is no reason they should object, indeed the likes of Iceland have said they would welcome the UK joining EFTA
TM supports joint UK - Ireland world cup bid for 2030
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Which one? The Irish one or the Gibraltar / Spain one, the latter, considering so many have shares in off shore betting companies, could be interesting. Then again, could the Channel Islands start considering the EU and France might be a better option, and the Isle of Man to Ireland, bet there has been a lot of thought given, but not spoken about...
I really have no idea what you are talking about A UK wide - Irish world cup would be fantastic
Matches in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Befast and Dublin. What is not to like
Where's Liverpool and Manchester in your list? That's what's not to like
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
You might have discussed it many times, but that doesn't make your view correct. 'cross over the other side' has no meaning.
Of course it does. This is a treaty between the three EAA/EFTA states on one side, and the EU states in their capacity as EU states on the other side. That is completely explicit in the treaty, and completely explicit in the definitions of territories etc. There is no ambiguity about it.
No, it's a treaty between 32 parties. 'In their capacity as EU States' appears nowhere in the treaty and has no meaning, even if it sounds great to you.
TM supports joint UK - Ireland world cup bid for 2030
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Which one? The Irish one or the Gibraltar / Spain one, the latter, considering so many have shares in off shore betting companies, could be interesting. Then again, could the Channel Islands start considering the EU and France might be a better option, and the Isle of Man to Ireland, bet there has been a lot of thought given, but not spoken about...
I really have no idea what you are talking about A UK wide - Irish world cup would be fantastic
Matches in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Befast and Dublin. What is not to like
Where's Liverpool and Manchester in your list? That's what's not to like
I would expect both would be included with other Scottish grounds
So the number of deselected Labour MPs if they grouped together would already be enough to form the 7th largest party in the House of Commons
The choice they have is to stay and hope for a change in the leadership and reselection or form a new party and never be re-elected to the best club in London. Which would you choose?
Well if they have lost the nomination of their local parties unless they start to build up an independent presence they will likely lose their membership of the best club in London to a Momentumite anyway
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
It is still more plausible than most of the other options now, especially Chequers and provided we agreed to the core terms of the EEA no reasons we could not stay in it as part of EFTA rather than the EU.
In the short term it also avoids No Deal and in the longer term still allows for the possibility of negotiating a Canada FTA which will take time to formulate
We can't stay in it, but we could apply to join it, once we'd applied to and been accepted by EFTA. This in principle is perfectly possible, but it does require consent of the other 31 countries involved, and they would want to look at the exact terms - voting rights, legal arrangements, budgets etc. It can't just be done in a trice.
What's more, I very much doubt that they'd consent if it were seen as a temporary arrangement for our convenience.
Provided we agree to the terms required there is no reason they should object, indeed the likes of Iceland have said they would welcome the UK joining EFTA
Oh sure, but that isn't the point. Yes, in principle it is quite likely that we could have gone for an EEA option, and maybe we could now if we don't mind delaying things for a couple of years (and of course don't mind taking on all the obligations including full FoM and large budget contributions). But the idea that this is some quick get-out clause which doesn't require an extensive negotiation is for the birds.
TM supports joint UK - Ireland world cup bid for 2030
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Which one? The Irish one or the Gibraltar / Spain one, the latter, considering so many have shares in off shore betting companies, could be interesting. Then again, could the Channel Islands start considering the EU and France might be a better option, and the Isle of Man to Ireland, bet there has been a lot of thought given, but not spoken about...
I really have no idea what you are talking about A UK wide - Irish world cup would be fantastic
Matches in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Befast and Dublin. What is not to like
Where's Liverpool and Manchester in your list? That's what's not to like
I would expect both would be included with other Scottish grounds
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
So the number of deselected Labour MPs if they grouped together would already be enough to form the 7th largest party in the House of Commons
He hasn't been deselected, but it is a yellow card.
Does your total include the Tory MPs like Wollaton, Allen and Soubry similarly threatened by elements within the party?
None have yet been deselected by their local parties
The deselection process is long and a complete pain. Which is why so many CLP's and members were hoping the CCP were going to walk away at Conference. Most of the "interested" CLP's had potential candidates already available. (CCP = Chicken Coup Plotters (Old Nu-Labour/Blairittes))
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
Especally something as disturbing as this has been. Some of the hard right republicans are so obnoxious their day of reckoning cannot come soon enough.
I am not into US politics but my wife and I have watched the hearing in increasing dismay asking what on earth has happened to America
There are smart people behind Corbyn. May, not so much.
Based on his excellent Evening Standard article tonight Boles should be working in Downing Street as soon as possible, although he is likely to have to wait for a new incumbent
I like and admire Nick Boles, but that article is just silly. As @rcs1000 points out (and we've discussed many times), we can't just cross over to the opposite side of the EEA treaty without a complete renegotiation and formal consent by the 27 other EU countries plus the four EFTA countries. It's a non-starter at this stage, even if it might have been a possible option if we'd started the process three years ago.
It is still more plausible than most of the other options now, especially Chequers and provided we agreed to the core terms of the EEA no reasons we could not stay in it as part of EFTA rather than the EU.
In the short term it also avoids No Deal and in the longer term still allows for the possibility of negotiating a Canada FTA which will take time to formulate
We can't stay in it, but we coul convenience.
Provided we agree to the terms required there is no reason they should object, indeed the likes of Iceland have said they would welcome the UK joining EFTA
Oh sure, but that isn't the point. Yes, in principle it is quite likely that we could have gone for an EEA option, and maybe we could now if we don't mind delaying things for a couple of years (and of course don't mind taking on all the obligations including full FoM and large budget contributions). But the idea that this is some quick get-out clause which doesn't require an extensive negotiation is for the birds.
Yes there would be obligations continuing but we would still technically be outside the EU, avoid No Deal, have something which is possible unlike Chequers which the EU will block and something which will take significantly less time to negotiate than a Canada style deal (even if the latter may remain a longer term aim)
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
Maybe not but they do care about intrigue, drama, sexual misconduct allegations etc
You can say the same about the average Brit could not name their own MP. Doesn't mean they don't vote or pay interest to the news.
Alternatively you can see what the average Brit is reading and watching when they get to choose. #1 most read story on the BBC right now is "Brett Kavanaugh: Trump backs FBI check on top court nominee" with earlier today's article of "Brett Kavanaugh: Senate committee advances nomination amid turmoil" still there at number 9.
Second most watched right now on BBC is "Sexual assualt survivor corners senator in lift".
This is interesting. Those who aren't interested in news won't be watching the news.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
Real people are involved here in great distress.
I believe in common compassion and you sound like the hardest of those republicans sadly that have created so much fury
TM supports joint UK - Ireland world cup bid for 2030
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Which one? The Irish one or the Gibraltar / Spain one, the latter, considering so many have shares in off shore betting companies, could be interesting. Then again, could the Channel Islands start considering the EU and France might be a better option, and the Isle of Man to Ireland, bet there has been a lot of thought given, but not spoken about...
I really have no idea what you are talking about A UK wide - Irish world cup would be fantastic
Matches in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Befast and Dublin. What is not to like
Where's Liverpool and Manchester in your list? That's what's not to like
I would expect both would be included with other Scottish grounds
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
+1. The media are too British-centric already, with the result that major developments elsewhere (such as Trump's success) come as a bolt from the blue to most people. Modelling ourselves on the international coverage of US media is a bad idea.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
Maybe not but they do care about intrigue, drama, sexual misconduct allegations etc
You can say the same about the average Brit could not name their own MP. Doesn't mean they don't vote or pay interest to the news.
Alternatively you can see what the average Brit is reading and watching when they get to choose. #1 most read story on the BBC right now is "Brett Kavanaugh: Trump backs FBI check on top court nominee" with earlier today's article of "Brett Kavanaugh: Senate committee advances nomination amid turmoil" still there at number 9.
Second most watched right now on BBC is "Sexual assualt survivor corners senator in lift".
This is interesting. Those who aren't interested in news won't be watching the news.
They watch the Bodyguard or Netflix for that.
Given the Kavanaugh story is all over the BBC news there is little alternative to it but in practical terms even the appointment of a new ECJ Justice or EFTA Court Justice or ECHR Justice would be of more relevance to us than who the next US SC Justice is and how much coverage is given to that? Indeed when has the appointment of a UK SC Justice or formerly the Law Lords ever led our news? So why on earth should the appointment of a US SC Justice lead our news?
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
The Game of Politics is being played on at least 3 levels, the first being putting Kavanaugh into the Supreme Court enables Trump a keep out of gaol card, the second that the evangelicals get someone in to strengthen the "rights of God fearing Christians" and thirdly, the Democrats just want to stick it up Trump and the Republicans for not allowing Obama's choice for SCOTUS (and also to embarrass the hell out of Trump / Republicans before the mid-term elections)
Yes there would be obligations continuing but we would still technically be outside the EU, avoid No Deal, have something which is possible unlike Chequers which the EU will block and something which will take significantly less time to negotiate than a Canada style deal (even if the latter may remain a longer term aim)
It's not obvious that it would be quicker to negotiate than Free Trade Agreement. But even if it were, we'd end up with something which negated virtually all the reasons people had when they voted Leave. I really can't see much attraction to the idea, which is why the Vote Leave campaigned principally on the issues they did, and which an EEA option wouldn't satisfy.
We can't stay in it, but we could apply to join it, once we'd applied to and been accepted by EFTA. This in principle is perfectly possible, but it does require consent of the other 31 countries involved, and they would want to look at the exact terms - voting rights, legal arrangements, budgets etc. It can't just be done in a trice.
What's more, I very much doubt that they'd consent if it were seen as a temporary arrangement for our convenience.
From the article you posted:
Contrary to what is sometimes said, the UK could not « remain » a member State of the EEA after Brexit, because it will automatically[2] cease to be an EEA member when leaving the EU.
Article 126(1) EEA[3] states that « The Agreement shall apply to the territories which the Treaty establishing the EEC (today the EU) is applied (…) and to the territories of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway ». These three States are members of EFTA and, in accordance with articles 108(1) and (2) of the EEA Agreement, have established the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court (« Agreement between the EFTA States on the establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice », below « EFTA Agreement »). Both these institutions are only competent for these three States. Their role is to ensure the fulfillment by the EEA EFTA States of their obligations under the EEA Agreement. They are not competent for Switzerland, despite this country being a member of EFTA.
Neither the EU, nor its current 28 member States, are members of EFTA. After Brexit, the UK, not being a member of EFTA, and not anymore an EU member, could not be an EEA member and could not be a candidate to become one.
Procedurally, in order to become a member of the EEA after « the (EU) Treaties shall cease to apply » to it (art 50(3) TEU), the UK would first have to present its candidacy and negotiate and conclude an accession agreement to become an EFTA member (art 56(1) of the Convention establishing the EFTA). This is because the EEA cannot apply to non EU member States, with the exception of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, precisely because they are members of EFTA (art 126(1) EEA). Thus, the UK will have to negotiate an accession treaty to EFTA with the four members of this organisation: Switzerland and the three EEA EFTA members.
Once becoming an EFTA member, the UK will then have to negotiate an EEA accession treaty with the 31 entities which are members of the EEA: the EU, its 27 member States and the three EEA EFTA members. The Parties could agree to proceed to both negotiations at the same time.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
Real people are involved here in great distress.
I believe in common compassion and you sound like the hardest of those republicans sadly that have created so much fury
'Real distress' they apparently managed to cope with for 30 years until they got the chance to block a GOP leaning Justice being appointed to the SC
As for a revamped EEA seen as « an interim step » of a few years for the UK before becoming a third State vis-à-vis the EU, it would politically be even less realistic. Why would EEA members take the risk to open a difficult negotiation with the EU which could lead them to lose their current advantages?
But the author is only the former Legal Counsel of the European Council, so what does he know?
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
The point is when we don't even have the appointment of Justices to the UK SC leading our news we certainly should not be having the appointment of Justices to the US SC leading our news
Oh sure, but that isn't the point. Yes, in principle it is quite likely that we could have gone for an EEA option, and maybe we could now if we don't mind delaying things for a couple of years (and of course don't mind taking on all the obligations including full FoM and large budget contributions). But the idea that this is some quick get-out clause which doesn't require an extensive negotiation is for the birds.
Indeed. But everything requires an extensive negotiation. Canada requires an extensive negotiation - 5 years to draw up the deal (finished in 2014) and it hasn't yet been ratified, so 10+ years. Chequers is even more untested, so requires an equally extensive negotiation; but also a whole bunch of new infrastructure and IT systems, and as anyone who has tried to get either a pothole mended or pay their tax online via the HMRC website will tell you, that's going to take still more time.
EEA/EFTA, as you say, requires an extensive negotiation. No more than Canada, no more than Chequers. Arguably less than either: it's a fairly off-the-shelf model, and approving it wouldn't require the EU to break precedent. If we have the single market of Norway and the customs union of Turkey, no-one can particularly claim we got a special deal.
I don't think it'll happen, because I have very, very low faith in our current crop of politicians. But technically it's no more difficult than any other alternative currently on the table. The obstacles for EEA/EFTA are domestic-political, not technical.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
Maybe not but they do care about intrigue, drama, sexual misconduct allegations etc
You can say the same about the average Brit could not name their own MP. Doesn't mean they don't vote or pay interest to the news.
This is interesting. Those who aren't interested in news won't be watching the news.
They watch the Bodyguard or Netflix for that.
Given the Kavanaugh story is all over the BBC news there is little alternative to it but in practical terms even the appointment of a new ECJ Justice or EFTA Court Justice or ECHR Justice would be of more relevance to us than who the next US SC Justice is and how much coverage is given to that? Indeed when has the appointment of a UK SC Justice or formerly the Law Lords ever led our news? So why on earth should the appointment of a US SC Justice lead our news?
You seem so annoyed that a major US story with implications for November mid terms should take away from your Brexit obsession. You need to calm down a little
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
The Game of Politics is being played on at least 3 levels, the first being putting Kavanaugh into the Supreme Court enables Trump a keep out of gaol card, the second that the evangelicals get someone in to strengthen the "rights of God fearing Christians" and thirdly, the Democrats just want to stick it up Trump and the Republicans for not allowing Obama's choice for SCOTUS (and also to embarrass the hell out of Trump / Republicans before the mid-term elections)
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
Real people are involved here in great distress.
I believe in common compassion and you sound like the hardest of those republicans sadly that have created so much fury
'Real distress' they apparently managed to cope with for 30 years until they got the chance to block a GOP leaning Justice being appointed to the SC
Cope with via years of therapy. Which was attended before he was appointed and she wrote her letter before he was selected.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
The Game of Politics is being played on at least 3 levels, the first being putting Kavanaugh into the Supreme Court enables Trump a keep out of gaol card, the second that the evangelicals get someone in to strengthen the "rights of God fearing Christians" and thirdly, the Democrats just want to stick it up Trump and the Republicans for not allowing Obama's choice for SCOTUS (and also to embarrass the hell out of Trump / Republicans before the mid-term elections)
I watched Kavanaugh's hearings. For myself I find it heartening that Supreme Court justices (and indeed other senior judges) don't have the same level of power in this country, given the partisanship on display. I think it is a warning about the dangers of removing power from the legislature and investing it in a court that is to all purposes unaccountable to the extent that one of the biggest issues in national politics is the views of any one judge being confirmed, rather than the views of those who are up for election either as head of government/state or members of the legislature. It should be a warning to those in this country who are sceptical to the idea of the sovereignty of Parliament, which for all its faults appears at least to be guided by the will of the public rather than the interpretation of a 230 year old constitution by 9 justices appointed for life.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
Real people are involved here in great distress.
I believe in common compassion and you sound like the hardest of those republicans sadly that have created so much fury
'Real distress' they apparently managed to cope with for 30 years until they got the chance to block a GOP leaning Justice being appointed to the SC
That is just partisan nonsense and encountered fury when it was put forward by the republicans. It is also disgraceful
Yes there would be obligations continuing but we would still technically be outside the EU, avoid No Deal, have something which is possible unlike Chequers which the EU will block and something which will take significantly less time to negotiate than a Canada style deal (even if the latter may remain a longer term aim)
It's not obvious that it would be quicker to negotiate than Free Trade Agreement. But even if it were, we'd end up with something which negated virtually all the reasons people had when they voted Leave. I really can't see much attraction to the idea, which is why the Vote Leave campaigned principally on the issues they did, and which an EEA option wouldn't satisfy.
Of course it would, never mind the Irish border issue the Canada EU trade deal took 7 years to negotiate and has still not been completely finalised yet.
Longer term as I said Canada may be an option but EEA makes sense for now (plus of course we could have imposed transition controls on FOM from the new accession nations in 2004 even within the EU but Blair refused to do so until 2007 and you can deport those without jobs after 3 months within the EEA)
It's not 'full details', but a very stretched opinion piece by an EU functionary. A126, is however, where the litigation will turn (if it comes to it). It is, whether Jean-Claude Piris(the writer) likes it or not, ambiguous. As with Lord Kerr, a treaty doesn't just mean what he wants it to.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
The Game of Politics is being played on at least 3 levels, the first being putting Kavanaugh into the Supreme Court enables Trump a keep out of gaol card, the second that the evangelicals get someone in to strengthen the "rights of God fearing Christians" and thirdly, the Democrats just want to stick it up Trump and the Republicans for not allowing Obama's choice for SCOTUS (and also to embarrass the hell out of Trump / Republicans before the mid-term elections)
Which is all about US domestic politics
So what? Brits don't care about America?
Not US SC Justices no and we have far more pressing issues to discuss closer to home at the moment
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
The point is when we don't even have the appointment of Justices to the UK SC leading our news we certainly should not be having the appointment of Justices to the US SC leading our news
You run this risk of looking either as a hard right wing republican or hugely naive in thinking this story should not be on UK news channels
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
The point is when we don't even have the appointment of Justices to the UK SC leading our news we certainly should not be having the appointment of Justices to the US SC leading our news
Why not ? US SC Justices are, of course, vastly more powerful in their country than ours are here, but normally an appointment, though notable, wouldn’t lead the news. If you haven’t twigged why this one is a little different, you are surprisingly incurious about what goes on in the rest of the world.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Surely you must see that is an insult to the accuser and the suitabilty to the role of Kavanaugh
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
Why? It is completely irrelevant in most respects to the average Briton, indeed the allergy death from a Pret a Manger sandwich today probably had more relevance and a better claim to lead the news
You need compassion which seems absent as you obsess with the politics
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
Compassion? There are far more worthy things of compassion than political gameplaying over matters which happened decades ago in order to block the appointment of a SC Justice.
Real people are involved here in great distress.
I believe in common compassion and you sound like the hardest of those republicans sadly that have created so much fury
'Real distress' they apparently managed to cope with for 30 years until they got the chance to block a GOP leaning Justice being appointed to the SC
Cope with via years of therapy. Which was attended before he was appointed and she wrote her letter before he was selected.
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
Maybe not but they do care about intrigue, drama, sexual misconduct allegations etc
You can say the same about the average Brit could not name their own MP. Doesn't mean they don't vote or pay interest to the news.
This is interesting. Those who aren't interested in news won't be watching the news.
They watch the Bodyguard or Netflix for that.
Given the Kavanaugh story is all over the BBC news there is little alternative to it but in practical terms even the appointment of a new ECJ Justice or EFTA Court Justice or ECHR Justice would be of more relevance to us than who the next US SC Justice is and how much coverage is given to that? Indeed when has the appointment of a UK SC Justice or formerly the Law Lords ever led our news? So why on earth should the appointment of a US SC Justice lead our news?
You seem so annoyed that a major US story with implications for November mid terms should take away from your Brexit obsession. You need to calm down a little
No, I am annoyed that we never give the appointment of UK SC Justices anywhere near the same coverage in our news we apparently do to US SC Justices despite the fact the former has far more relevance to most of us than the latter
Trump orders fbi to re-open investigations into Kavanaugh complaint
Is that important news - not good on US politics
We are going overboard on Kavanaugh in my view, at the end of the day it is mainly a matter of US domestic policy, who the latest SC Justice is will have next to no impact in the UK yet tonight it led the BBC News.
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
SCOTUK doesn’t have the power to strike down legislation as unconstitutional though.
Which again is almost entirely US domestic legislation
Which Britons are interested in. Most Brits will visit the US at least once and there's a socio-cultural affinity, respect and interest in what happens across the pond.
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
I can assure you outside political junkies and legal eagles the average Brit could not give a toss who the next US SC Justice is, indeed even in America over half of Americans cannot name a single SC Justice
The point is when we don't even have the appointment of Justices to the UK SC leading our news we certainly should not be having the appointment of Justices to the US SC leading our news
You run this risk of looking either as a hard right wing republican or hugely naive in thinking this story should not be on UK news channels
I could not give a toss what you think I look like, the blatant fact of the matter is it is outrageous UK news should give top billing to issues surrounding the appointment of a US SC Justice while failing to do the same regarding the appointment of top UK Justices
Comments
https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/emperor-may-has-no-clothes-it-s-time-to-stop-fooling-us-all-on-brexit-a3948351.html
I think it's simply a nonsense to suggest we could - by our own volition alone - remain a party to the EEA agreement, were we not an EU member.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/sep/28/academics-uk-universities-accused-bullying-students-colleagues
@EuropeElects
5m5 minutes ago
UK, ComRes poll:
LAB-S&D: 40% (-1)
CON-ECR: 39% (-2)
LDEM-ALDE: 9% (+2)
UKIP-EFDD: 5% (+2)
SNP-G/EFA: 3%
GREENS-G/EFA: 2% (-1)
Field work: 26/09/18 – 27/09/18
Sample size: 2,036"
Plenty of time to sort out the border !!!!
Ok, the dispute resolution provisions are going to be problematic, and only decided by a judge should it come to it. It's a big step, however, to suggest that that would somehow invalidate the treaty.
Is that important news - not good on US politics
Imagine the appointment of the latest Judge to the UK Supreme Court getting a mention on US news let alone leading it
Indeed I am astounded at the lack of any compasion in your matter of fact statement.
I watched the hearing over the last two days as the US descended into the sewer
It is tearing the US apart and of course it is receiving huge coverage in the UK
In the short term it also avoids No Deal and in the longer term still allows for the possibility of negotiating a Canada FTA which will take time to formulate
"Yesterday was a spectacle I hope we do not have to experience again. We watched two human beings, Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh, exposed in the rawest possible fashion to the entire world, over the gravest of accusations, with no definitive evidence apart from personal testimony to draw on, 36 years after an alleged crime took place. It was a grotesque political drama, in which everyone lost."
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/09/kavanaugh-ford-hearings-everyone-lost-andrew-sullivan.html
Does your total include the Tory MPs like Wollaton, Allen and Soubry similarly threatened by elements within the party?
What's more, I very much doubt that they'd consent if it were seen as a temporary arrangement for our convenience.
Matches in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Befast and Dublin. What is not to like
Treaty is here http://www.efta.int/media/documents/legal-texts/eea/the-eea-agreement/Final Act/FinalAct.pdf ...(sorry, my hyperlinking doesn't seem to work - Robert linked to this on the previous thread)
https://esharp.eu/debates/the-uk-and-europe/why-the-uk-will-not-become-an-eea-member-after-brexit
Are you annoyed it took away from Boris
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/07/15/iceland-opens-door-uk-join-efta/
It'd be a sad and insular day if British news decided to only report that which happened in Britain.
https://www.newsweek.com/half-americans-cant-name-supreme-court-justice-poll-finds-1093404
I am not into US politics but my wife and I have watched the hearing in increasing dismay asking what on earth has happened to America
You can say the same about the average Brit could not name their own MP. Doesn't mean they don't vote or pay interest to the news.
Alternatively you can see what the average Brit is reading and watching when they get to choose. #1 most read story on the BBC right now is "Brett Kavanaugh: Trump backs FBI check on top court nominee" with earlier today's article of "Brett Kavanaugh: Senate committee advances nomination amid turmoil" still there at number 9.
Second most watched right now on BBC is "Sexual assualt survivor corners senator in lift".
This is interesting. Those who aren't interested in news won't be watching the news.
I believe in common compassion and you sound like the hardest of those republicans sadly that have created so much fury
Given the Kavanaugh story is all over the BBC news there is little alternative to it but in practical terms even the appointment of a new ECJ Justice or EFTA Court Justice or ECHR Justice would be of more relevance to us than who the next US SC Justice is and how much coverage is given to that? Indeed when has the appointment of a UK SC Justice or formerly the Law Lords ever led our news? So why on earth should the appointment of a US SC Justice lead our news?
Contrary to what is sometimes said, the UK could not « remain » a member State of the EEA after Brexit, because it will automatically[2] cease to be an EEA member when leaving the EU.
Article 126(1) EEA[3] states that « The Agreement shall apply to the territories which the Treaty establishing the EEC (today the EU) is applied (…) and to the territories of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway ». These three States are members of EFTA and, in accordance with articles 108(1) and (2) of the EEA Agreement, have established the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court (« Agreement between the EFTA States on the establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice », below « EFTA Agreement »). Both these institutions are only competent for these three States. Their role is to ensure the fulfillment by the EEA EFTA States of their obligations under the EEA Agreement. They are not competent for Switzerland, despite this country being a member of EFTA.
Neither the EU, nor its current 28 member States, are members of EFTA. After Brexit, the UK, not being a member of EFTA, and not anymore an EU member, could not be an EEA member and could not be a candidate to become one.
Procedurally, in order to become a member of the EEA after « the (EU) Treaties shall cease to apply » to it (art 50(3) TEU), the UK would first have to present its candidacy and negotiate and conclude an accession agreement to become an EFTA member (art 56(1) of the Convention establishing the EFTA). This is because the EEA cannot apply to non EU member States, with the exception of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, precisely because they are members of EFTA (art 126(1) EEA). Thus, the UK will have to negotiate an accession treaty to EFTA with the four members of this organisation: Switzerland and the three EEA EFTA members.
Once becoming an EFTA member, the UK will then have to negotiate an EEA accession treaty with the 31 entities which are members of the EEA: the EU, its 27 member States and the three EEA EFTA members. The Parties could agree to proceed to both negotiations at the same time.
As for a revamped EEA seen as « an interim step » of a few years for the UK before becoming a third State vis-à-vis the EU, it would politically be even less realistic. Why would EEA members take the risk to open a difficult negotiation with the EU which could lead them to lose their current advantages?
But the author is only the former Legal Counsel of the European Council, so what does he know?
EEA/EFTA, as you say, requires an extensive negotiation. No more than Canada, no more than Chequers. Arguably less than either: it's a fairly off-the-shelf model, and approving it wouldn't require the EU to break precedent. If we have the single market of Norway and the customs union of Turkey, no-one can particularly claim we got a special deal.
I don't think it'll happen, because I have very, very low faith in our current crop of politicians. But technically it's no more difficult than any other alternative currently on the table. The obstacles for EEA/EFTA are domestic-political, not technical.
Longer term as I said Canada may be an option but EEA makes sense for now (plus of course we could have imposed transition controls on FOM from the new accession nations in 2004 even within the EU but Blair refused to do so until 2007 and you can deport those without jobs after 3 months within the EEA)
US SC Justices are, of course, vastly more powerful in their country than ours are here, but normally an appointment, though notable, wouldn’t lead the news. If you haven’t twigged why this one is a little different, you are surprisingly incurious about what goes on in the rest of the world.
Perhaps you should take it as a learning experience ... ?
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-discovers-unfairness-world/571612/
After the hearing, I spoke with a male friend who told me that he was glad he had watched it with his female co-workers. “Almost all of them had a story like hers,” he said. “I never understood that.”