May Day, May Day...

[The Bedlington Terrier]

After the blessed Theresa launched a 1,500-mile tour of Holland, Belgium and Germany to try and win "assurances" about the "backstop" the top Tories have had enough.

Angry Tory MPs have now got the opportunity to get shut of Mrs May in a vote of "No confidence" in our Prime Minister in Westminster tonight. Welcome to our club guys!

[sinkov]

The ruthless election winning Tory machine seems to have been gripped by a death wish BT, and the lame duck PM waddles on. This can only end one way, prepare for government mon ami.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I think we now have 106 shopping days left to Brexit and she is in Brussels again today begging bowl in hand. To witness a British Prime Minister who is simultaneously stubborn and stupid is really excruciating. Cliff edge approaching fast...

[Supersub6]

It really doesn't matter who is in government because we have shown to the world at large that we are very much a disunited kingdom and are struggling to uphold a democratic vote of its people.
A cross party commission should have been set up two years ago to thrash out all the salient points before going to negotiate with the EU on our departure. This did not happen and is still not happening and has resulted in all the stupid squabbling between MPs who, let's face it, are just interested in their own agendas and the rest of us can go to hell ---unless their is some sort of backstop agreement on that border!
I must apologise to my Irish friends because I am not trying to say that Ireland is hell!

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I wrote on here Supersub6 more than 12 months ago and asked the question why had no-one addressed the Irish question? If a thick football fan could see it, why couldn't the Brexit negotiators?

[1959_60]

The Irish border issue is impossible to solve given what the UK is asking for.

Stop freedom of movement. How, without border checks?

Out of the customs union/single market. How without customs checks etc? The technology doesn't currently exist for moving stuff from one area to another without checks.

And how can this "back stop" be time limited? It is there until we agree a new trade deal. So the back stop will have to remain until we agree the new deal. Unless we also time limit the trade discussions - which is not possible without the real risk of running out of time and ending up with no deal.

And with no deal, how can we avoid a hard border...which no one wants?

The only way is to ditch our wish to end free movement...or to accept a hard border.

[sinkov]

I wrote on here Supersub6 more than 12 months ago and asked the question why had no-one addressed the Irish question? If a thick football fan could see it, why couldn't the Brexit negotiators?

Perhaps our negotiators didn't actually want to see it BT, because it very neatly traps us in the EU. The problem is easily resolved by a Trade Agreement, which we wanted to discuss alongside the Withdrawal Agreement, or at least the Brexiteers did knowing it would resolve the border problem. But the EU flatly refused to discuss it, the Brexiteers were sidelined, the Remainers took over and agreed to kick the Trade Agreement to some time the future and accept the backstop. So here we are, with a deliberately confected border problem which need never have arisen. But of course it suits the Remainers and the EU very well.

What is also relevant, although ignored, is the fact that this hard border will never be constructed under any circumstances. Varadkar has stated quite categorically that the Irish will never construct one, even in the event of no deal, we aren't going to construct one, and if us and the Irish won't, then neither would the EU do it. So it will never happen, it's merely a technical exercise to keep us in the EU. If it came down to it technological solutions would quickly be found, many customs experts say they exist already, the EU says they don't. But they would say that wouldn't they.

[1959_60]

Sinkov, what technology will allow us to have no hard border but will stop those pesky foreigners entering the UK from Ireland?

One of our red lines is to stop freedom of movement remember.

[alfinyalcabo]

Sinkov, what technology will allow us to have no hard border but will stop those pesky foreigners entering the UK from Ireland?

One of our red lines is to stop freedom of movement remember.

A plethora of gunships all around our coastal waters to sink the phookers if they won't turn around will stop them..

[Supersub6]

A plethora of gunships all around our coastal waters to sink the phookers if they won't turn around will stop them..

Surely that would be contravening their hoooooooman rights -----wouldn't it?