I cost nothing to run so donate to https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/
The bilingual blog about all things British
Love, theatre and ideas
British Wildlife & Photography
Why Scotland should be an independent country
Thoughts about Scotland & the world, from a new Scot
Bipartisan dialogue for the politically engaged
Impartial Everytime Always
Exploring Rhymes, Reasons, and Nuances of Our World
Mark Doran's Music Blog
Songwriter / Guitarist
This site supports Scottish Independence
A comic about history and stuff by FT
The embittered mumblings of a serial malcontent.
an irreverent look at UK politics
Exploring the Depths of Curiosity
Nature + Health
http://netbij.com
Movies, politics, comedy and more...
Tories thinking about paying the EU for access to the single market.
Isn’t that the same as having a trade tariff?
Perhaps they only intend to pay for certain sectors of the UK economy to have free access?
Now what would that be I wonder?
You can bet your boots it won’t be Scottish exports.
May visiting Westminster’s new naval base in Bahrain.
All they need now is some gun boats to go with it,perhaps the Bahrain government can help out with funding that as well.
Rule Britannia and Bahrain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, they seem to have done a deal for Nissan, which clearly Nissan and the Japanese government know about bu the UK parliament does not… nor the UK tax payer. Now it looks like they will be paying for the City to remain in the single market (but one they will have NO control over, as it will be decided by the EU), so maybe Mr Mayhem won’t like it quite as much as he thinks he will.
I wonder if her dear friends, the Bahrain government are thinking of adding blue to their flag, or are they content with just the red of the opposition’s blood?
They have some very strange friends these Brits, don’t they
LikeLike
I don’t think the government will be able to pay billions to access just the financial aspects of the single market. The EU has been pretty clear that separation of the four freedoms isn’t possible. It isn’t even theoretically possible, even if the political will was there. The single market is governed by a collection of institutions that were established by EU regulations passed by the European Parliament. Pensions, for example, are regulated by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority. Access to the EU pensions market requires accountability to the Pensions Authority. That only happens if you sign the relevant EU treaties laying out that accountability and the powers of the institution. Those treaties in turn reference other European institutions such as the European Court of Justice etc etc because there needs to be a legal mechanism to resolve disputes, a defined method for making and agreeing on modifications etc etc. Single market access just can’t be divided up into market segments in an easy way. Instead, it requires the acceptance of legal obligations, which the UK has signalled it will not do.
The Great Repeal Bill will remove the UK from the influence of all the institutions of the EU by creating a British mirror of the EU legislation but replacing EU institutions with UK ones. There’s not much point in moving European law (those pesky regulations) into UK law if we are still beholden to the EU, especially when we no longer have a say in any changes. Maybe on day one we will still be accountable to European institutions but there will no longer be a treaty forcing us. It is only a matter of time and constitutional effort before we truly separate. That is really the key point, I think. The UK Gov are on a path that diverges from the EU so it’s hard to see how we can remain a part of it in any way at all.
The UK can, of course, negotiate a trading relationship with the EU. Disputes will need to be handled by courts and institutions will need to provide oversight. Somehow or other funds will be required to maintain the relationship. Paying for access is the wrong way to think about it, in my view. If I ran a market stall, I would need to pay the owner of the market to be allowed to set up my stall. After all, they own or rent the land, enforce basic market rules about stall width etc etc. It’s more that we need to pay our share of the operation of the market.
No country outside the EEA is allowed to sell pensions in the EEA without being a full member. It’s all a question of harmonisation and accountability. Switzerland, for example, only has access to the life assurance market. To get there it signed 120+ treaties and accepts the freedom of movement of people. I don’t see the UK doing any of that. Donald Tusk is right when he says hard Brexit or no Brexit. We are on a path to hard Brexit, even if that isn’t the intention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m reading that book you suggested, Terry.
Fascinating stuff. Actually I’m beginning to wonder if you’re not Mr Dunt!
I’m inclined to agree that it looks bad, despite all the cheery grins coming from the three muppeteers.
One of the most scary things is this idiot Davis being unprepared to listen to anyone who isn’t 100% positive about the future. Head, sand, ostrich! La la la la la la I can’t hear you!
So, tied to that, the cabinet is looking at doing something that they won’t be able to do because Davis won’t allow anyone to be negative around him?
Lord save us from this bunch of incompetent ignoramuses.
LikeLike
Ian Dunt is really great at boiling the issues down to as few words as possible. That’s not my style at all – I like to use as many words as possible!
It’s often reported that Stalin didn’t like bad news. To be fair to Davis, he just gives short shrift to the harbingers of doom, while Uncle Joe packed them off to cellars of the Lyubyanka. It’s just not a good way to run anything.
What a bunch of muppets, indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh well, there’s something good to be said for Davis then. He’s not Joe Stalin.
I think you do quite well with words though, and you and Mr Dunt have a good deal in common.
LikeLike
“Not Joe Stalin” is the only good thing I think of to say about David Davis. Oh, and “not Liam Fox”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, at least he’s got something going for him, eh?
LikeLike
free trade they the Tory filth scum said and now will steal the peoples
taxes to pay for the City London one of the richest cities in the world
to have access to the eu market.
free for the Torys supporters and future employers that is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The thing is, Niko, they might have access to the markets, but the markets will be regulated by the EU, and London will have to comply BUT they won’t have any say in the regulations.
Now that won’t suit London, at all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You still “no”, Niko?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Amazing huh?
LikeLike
She may want to have a Red, White and Blue Brexit but in reality she will only be having an 18 month Red and White Brexit . I’m pretty sure there will be non or at the very least Minimal Blue involved in her Brexit.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/06/uk-will-have-under-18-months-to-negotiate-deal-says-eus-brexit-broker?CMP=share_btn_tw
Funnily enough oor wee Boris appears to think this is more than enough time to get Brexit all done and dusted. If I were to advise wee Boris,which is something I’m not inclined to do you’ll be relieved to hear Tris, I’d suggest he have a wee word with Greenland about how their exit from the E.U. went … THREE years and over 100 meetings with E.U. officials.
http://www.politico.eu/article/greenland-exit-warning-to-britain-brexit-eu-referendum-europe-vote-news-denmark/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Red and white brexit it certainly is. In Westminster’s britnat eyes Scotland is nothing. Britnats in Scotland love Westminster for treating us like crap.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish they would take the blue out of it.
LikeLike
Well, obviously, Arbroath, Mr Johnson, with or without your advice, is FAR smarter than Greenlanders, and look, he has Mr Davis, erm and Mr Fox to help him out.
Who could ask for more?
LikeLike
Red white and blue bollox. I hae ma doubts that Brexit will ever happen. Its too hard.
O/T I went into my local Coop tonight, but I couldn’t find much to buy. It looks like just about everything they sell has a butchers apron on it. Gave up, went to Lidl. But even they have caught the infection. Their bread has wee aprons on too. Managed to get a loaf in Morrisons in the end that was flag free. I also bought an Irish fruit loaf there. No flags on Irwins bread. Maybe the Irish have learned the marketing value of the apron is negative. Just as Mayhem’s lot will find in all those former colonies where the apron is the symbol of oppression.
LikeLiked by 2 people
When Scotland becomes independent of London rule,the English supermarkets will be demanding that any reference to Scotland,flags etc,be removed from their produce.
If the xenophobia continues south of the border,no doubt anything other than the cross of St.George or THEIR union flag will be allowed.
So maybe they are just getting a little ahead of themselves.
Lidl still has loads of items with the Saltire on display but they are not an English supermarket.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aye, but England is still the third largest export market for Germany, despite two world wars and one world cup. They have an insatiable demand for imported goods.
Scotland, of course, runs a trade surplus.
LikeLike
Aldi likewise.
I see a lot of German produce in there, but there’s never a German flag on it.
Seriously I like to buy food that has been grown locally. Not really for any other reason than it’s likely to be more fresh.
Unlike the people who complained to Tesco about Scottish flags on Scottish strawberries, I’m perfectly happy to see an English flag on English produce.
LikeLike
LOL. I know the feeling. I’ll happily buy stuff that has an English flag or a Welsh flag, but I avoid the apron.
I’ve just been reading Brexit: What the hell happens next? by Ian Dunt.
The complexities are frightening. Even the best care scenario is frankly awful. How a set of witness nuggets like the Brexiteers can possibly be expected to cope is beyond my understanding.
They have no staff. They are employing people who know how desperate they are and they are paying through the nose…
And still the three of them dribble a load of crap.
LikeLike
I presume that they are using our tax revenues to pay for everything.
Tories are very good at using other people’s money to pay for their wants.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What else would they use.
LikeLike
I would like to have written a considered post (for a change) but I just can’t. So please excuse the French folks but it’s just another load of back stabbing, two faced, double dealing fucking shit.
Just what we’ve come to expect and there’s a lot more to come. Does anyone know Klingon for “They are without honour!”
LikeLike
Aprons nullhonourare
LikeLiked by 1 person
QIH Hol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was easier when you guys stuck with Earth languages, even dead ones.
LikeLike
LOL: luHutlhchu’ batlhlIj
LikeLike
Klingon ne credite; Lingua Latina mortua est, vivat lingua Latina!
LikeLiked by 2 people
quod ego ut multa nimis
LikeLike
It should be obvious to everyone by now that there is no hard or soft brexit. There is just Brexit everything else is just typical marketing bumf and utterly meaningless.
Red, white and blue Brexit is just marketing nonsense for what is a Great Titanic Brexit. Glug, glug glug.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Everyone today is wondering what on earth she was talking about. Red white and blue… whit?
LikeLike
Well it rhymes with whit…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does…
LikeLike
“Not “hard”, not “soft”, but a magnificent “red, white and blue Brexit””
I saw/heard this one and wondered if you’d go for the jugular 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or maybe just have a couple of fits…
😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
No. I was just intrigued as to how it added anything much to “Brexit means Brexit”.
I was wondering how I’d cope with that in a class.
Can you elaborate May?
Yes Sir, Brexit means Red White and Blue Brexit.
Ok… moving on…
What colour is Tuesday?
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL… Me?
LikeLike
trispw,
Completely off topic. I am not sure what ‘reach’ small blogs have, but your support for Mark Frankland’s campaign cheered me up immeasurably round and about the time when Mhairi Black’s bill was being flattened by Tory MP’s.
‘Tis a small victory, but a victory none the less.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Mark is a hero. He works tirelessly for the people who need help in his area. I always support him and so does Munguin’s Republic.
This now idea he has to set up a fund to help other people who face winter with no heat or light and no way of cooking is REALLY great.
Mhairi likewise is a total joy. Her passion and intellect are stunning. And I love the way she refuses to be intimidated by the posh relics of by-gone days in Westminster.
I don;t know if anyone on MR made a donation or encouraged anyone else to. It’s not my business and I wouldn’t dream of asking, but if we did make a ting difference I’ll be delighted.
As I’ve said before I am ashamed to be associated with a country that treats its vulnerable like that so that it can reach targets, and I’m equally, or more delighted to be a citizen of a country where we can raise the money to stop the DWP doing what they do.
If the DWP are displaying Great British Values then I’ll be happy to renounce my citizenship.
LikeLike