Johnson is trying to run down the clock on EU negotiations. It's Labour's job to hold him to account. A vote of no confidence may be the only way to do that now. The Tories must be required to vote for whatever outcome he delivers.
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Agreed.
Agreed. On a related note, your readers may find this comment (I don’t have the original) informative:
A former MEP with contacts in the Brussels secretariat (MP comment: probably means council) says it was Johnsons’ arrogance that destroyed hopes last night. “Despite a belief on the EU side that Mr Johnson had come to make peace, he went in to the pre-dinner a deux meeting with VDL with all guns blazing, urging her to sideline M Barnier. He claimed that he (Barnier) was unimaginative (not his job), and that after years of blocking reasonable Uk requests, he was an obstacle to a deal. He also made and embarrassing crack about Barnier’s being French, and both the British and the Germans knowing how difficult they could be. VDL, who was cool, made it very clear to BJ that Barnier’s mandate from the EU was solid. She called his bluff, and asked if he had any fresh proposals. He did not. After that, the dinner was an exercise in studied politeness, but Johnson did not appear to notice the offence he had given, and continued to make facetious comments. Several people asked afterwards whether he realised how serious the situation has become.
Coco the clown will find out how serious it all will become in the new year. My prediction is that no deal will mean that food eports EU – Septic Isle – cease. French,Belgian and Dutch fisherman will esure that & their respective governments will sit on their hands – why bother doing anything?. 40% of UK food will be absent from supermarket shelves. I will watch with great interest to see how Brits react and who they blame. As for the Brexshitters: let them eat Spitfires.
Been saying this for a while now. Starmer asked in the summer whether or not we could get a deal. Boris said categorically that we would and Starmer accepted Boris’ word on it.
Time now to say enough!
I don’t think Keith is at all bothered about the pandemic or brexit. I also think that the Labour right will never suffer the collapse of the Tory’s because who else can they cast as their bogeyman.
You are wrong then
Excellent Richard – very well said. If only he would.
On the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning Nick Robinson challenged the Business Secretary why was Johnson agreeing to continue the talks to find a deal with the EU when Johnson has said that a no deal would be “wonderful.” Sharma was at a loss to explain how, in what way a deal (whatever they were aiming for) would be better than the “wonderful” no deal that Johnson had seemed to plump for. Obviously the the Tory cabinet is as confused as everybody else about what on earth is going on and what the final outcome should be.
Given Labour’s unease about how to vote on any deal (For, Abstain or Against are all reasonable possibilities) this does seem a route that will unify all the opposition parties. I like it.
Keir – are you watching?
Any such action will inly happen once the charade is over and the hard BrexShit is finally in the bag and irreversible.
Bozo will head off over the rainbow to join his Bullingdon and Eton spaff chums.
Only then shall Sir Keir ride to our rescue.
I’ll await with baited breath for the next move of Forensic Keith the Abstainer.
Well if this Guardian report is true this Libertarian Tory government has finally realised that competition has to be fair!
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/14/brexit-trade-deal-possible-within-days-after-johnson-concession-says-eu
We can hope
Well said, sir. I have had the same thought for some time, albeit not articulated so elegantly. I only hope Starmer has the good sense to do so. While waiting for him to get off the fence (hopefully), perhaps active lobbying of Labour MPs on this matter might help oil the wheels.
The attached from Prospect magazine might be a little ray of hope that the folly of Brexit might not last forever
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/soon-we-will-finally-be-able-to-have-an-informed-debate-about-europe
I doubt Keith will risk that, although you view it as the Tories having to own what comes next, the media would simply portray the inevitable outcome as failure by the weak opposition and confidence in the PM.
Unfortunately, though I completely agree with you, Starmer has made such a mess of Brexit, I fear the opening is not really there. He seems not to have the killer instinct. When the opportunity arose to call for an extension to the implementation period, he kept quiet. Big mistake. He could have put HMG in a corner. His strategy, I think informed by Claire Ainsley, has been to send a message to Brexiters (particularly in the “red wall”) that he is listening. He has been at pains to explain that Brexit is done and that it’s for the government to get the best deal. He has at not at any point asserted any view of his own on what the deal should be. He has asserted nothing at all in fact, preferring silence as the least risky option. In this respect he has been weak and unconvincing (whereas in general he has performed reasonably well). He therefore goes into this week having failed to build a case for no confidence. He should have prepared the ground using consistent criticism. If he brings in a vote of no confidence this week it will easily be discounted as “playing politics”. I cannot fully convey my frustration at this. Labour cannot rely on government failure alone.
The only sensible deal that can compromise between Leavers and Remainers to avoid division and discrimination and economic damage would be a soft Brexit deal if every Brit is truly patriotic. Hard Brexit would definitely, according to economic assessment from experts, damage the economy and diminish the GDP, since the referendum was a binary which did not mention a vote for a Hard Brexit or stay in the EU.
As for the implementation of a clean break from the EU and in the meantime seeking a deal from them still means abiding by the rules of the deal they give us. Therefore, there is no escape from trade regulations which apply with any other trade organisation including WTO. Trade deal regulations do not correlate with sovereignty. In other words, you cannot be fully sovereign and never abide by the rules of the countries you do trades with. It is irrational.
Arancha González said trade deals are developed to establish interdependence between parties, and not independence, which she says is likely to be the key barrier to trade negotiation progress.