Is Brexit actually going to happen?

[ska invita]

The problem with this being that the EEA is based on an agreement between the EU and EFTA, so the UK would need agreement of both the EU and EFTA to join the EEA seperately from the EU.

Norway's Prime Minister has very clearly rejected the idea at least of the UK joining EFTA and I think that went as far as the UK joining the EEA, because the UK would just mess everything up for them (or words to that effect).

This would also mean accepting free movement of people, and paying into the EU budget (probably more than currently as we'd likely lose our current rebate), while losing our current level of input into the rules we'd have to obey, and there's a fair chunk of hard brexit supporters who'd prefer us to remain in the EU than take this route.

Could happen I guess, but would likely take a lot of persuasion for the EFTA countries to agree to it, and I'm not sure what we've got to persuade them with.

I think it neednt be equivalent to existing arrangements, it can be a "bespoke" one, like Mays deal is already bespoke, but with the 4 freedoms on top.
??

 

[killer b]

When did the Norse prime minister rule out the UK joining the efta btw free spirit? It says here they'd welcome us: Norway for now—or never?

 

[Jeremiah18.17]

Some unnamed ministerial source quoted in the Independent saying that If May loses convincingly on her deal but is not no confidenced she may call an election anyway, setting date at beginning of April, immediately after Brexit date.........so Parliament taken out of equation????
We can only guess what this would unleash, but the fact a Minister has been floating it ( in spicy language if the Independent is to be believed) indicates what strange times we are in.
Also suggestions that DUP preparing to play hard ball over no confidence vote to try and extract more concessions/bribes......

 

[ska invita]

When did the Norse prime minister rule out the UK joining the efta btw free spirit? It says here they'd welcome us: Norway for now—or never?

Norwegian politicians reject UK's Norway-plus Brexit plan
7th December 2018

 

[ska invita]

Some unnamed ministerial source quoted in the Independent saying that If May loses convincingly on her deal but is not no confidenced she may call an election anyway, setting date at beginning of April, immediately after Brexit date.........so Parliament taken out of equation????
We can only guess what this would unleash, but the fact a Minister has been floating it ( in spicy language if the Independent is to be believed) indicates what strange times we are in.
Also suggestions that DUP preparing to play hard ball over no confidence vote to try and extract more concessions/bribes......

Ive heard the Torys have hired election agents or whatever it is political partys pay peole to do ahead of elections, a little while back too. But that could be hedging bets.

 

[A380]

The loon faction on Conservative Home are swivelling their eyes so much it’s like one of those old fashioned dolls’eye switchboards this evening:

‘Parliament is now the enemy of the people’

‘A state of emergency should be declared’

‘ The Queen should go to the commons and dissolve it personally ‘

It’s brightened up my day I can say.

 

[DexterTCN]

When did the Norse prime minister rule out the UK joining the efta btw free spirit? It says here they'd welcome us: Norway for now—or never?

Not the Norman leader but it may give a general idea.

 

[killer b]

Norwegian politicians reject UK's Norway-plus Brexit plan
7th December 2018

So not the Norwegian prime minister then, an unnamed 'senior minister'.

 

[brogdale]

Not the Norman leader but it may give a general idea.

Beware right-wing loons from other countries who might be motivated to say things helpful to our right-wing loons.

 

[DexterTCN]

Beware right-wing loons from other countries who might be motivated to say things helpful to our right-wing loons.

Beware people who comment on a 6 minute video 4 minutes after it's posted.

 

[ska invita]

So not the Norwegian prime minister then, an unnamed 'senior minister'.

Not unnamed
"the plan was rejected by Heidi Nordby Lunde, an MP in Norway’s governing Conservative party, and leader of Norway’s European movement. She said her views reflected those of the governing party even though the Norwegian prime minister, Erna Solberg, has been more diplomatic by saying Norway would examine a UK application."

...

She said the only politicians in Norway who wanted the UK to join Efta were the Eurosceptic party that wanted to destroy Norway’s relationship with the EU.

Her fears have been echoed by Ole Erik Almlid, of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise business association, who has also questioned whether the UK would be willing to go from rule maker to rule taker. He said Norway would suffer and parts of the Efta agreement with the EU would have to be suspended if an Efta member such as the UK refused to abide by the obligations in the agreement.

 

[brogdale]

Beware people who comment on a 6 minute video 4 minutes after it's posted.

Watched it live....you know, like on the telly.
Yes, I'm that old.

 

[DexterTCN]

Watched it live....you know, like on the telly.
Yes, I'm that old.

Took me a few minutes to find.

Then I gave up and just typed 'norway brexit' into youtube.

 

[brogdale]

Took me a few minutes to find.

Then I gave up and just typed 'norway brexit' into youtube.

...and?

 

[Gerry1time]

Invade Belgium.

 

[killer b]

Not unnamed
"the plan was rejected by Heidi Nordby Lunde, an MP in Norway’s governing Conservative party, and leader of Norway’s European movement. She said her views reflected those of the governing party even though the Norwegian prime minister, Erna Solberg, has been more diplomatic by saying Norway would examine a UK application."

...

She said the only politicians in Norway who wanted the UK to join Efta were the Eurosceptic party that wanted to destroy Norway’s relationship with the EU.

Her fears have been echoed by Ole Erik Almlid, of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise business association, who has also questioned whether the UK would be willing to go from rule maker to rule taker. He said Norway would suffer and parts of the Efta agreement with the EU would have to be suspended if an Efta member such as the UK refused to abide by the obligations in the agreement.

Ah yeah, there's more after the advert.

But - not the prime minister, just some random Norwegian MP with an obvious agenda, and her mate at the norse CBI.

 

[TopCat]

You don't need to physically strike someone to be charged with assault, it would be enough to cause a person to apprehend the imminent use of unlawful violence. But that is legalistic nit-picking anyway and doesn't further this debate a jot.

You deliberately hammed it up.

 

[Raheem]

Some unnamed ministerial source quoted in the Independent saying that If May loses convincingly on her deal but is not no confidenced she may call an election anyway, setting date at beginning of April, immediately after Brexit date.........so Parliament taken out of equation????

Fixed Term Parliament Act, though. She couldn't get a General Election past MPs without getting an A50 extension first.

 

[ska invita]

Ah yeah, there's more after the advert.

But - not the prime minister, just some random Norwegian MP with an obvious agenda, and her mate at the norse CBI.

true but from the off EFTA members were saying the UK would be too big (economcially) to be a member...i remember being convinced why they were correct to think that at the time, but my memory has moved on to other things

 

[Cloo]

Invade Belgium.

It'd distract everyone, I'll say that. Especially the Belgians.

 

[Raheem]

It'd distract everyone, I'll say that. Especially the Belgians.

Assuming we actually managed to make it as far as Belgium.

 

[Cloo]

Assuming we actually managed to make it as far as Belgium.

Yeah, we'd probably try to get over there using this new ferry company that doesn't have any ships or port facilities and end up rowing over in some polystyrene kebab containers.

 

[Jeremiah18.17]

Fixed Term Parliament Act, though. She couldn't get a General Election past MPs without getting an A50 extension first.

Do you think that Labour would vote against a chance of an election, regardless of A50 extension? May’s loyalists plus Labour would be enough wouldn’t it? Then timing of election would be her choice. Labour went with the 2017 election despite not having the finance they would have liked and a lot of the Parliamentary Party convinced they were going to get a drubbing. FPA did not prevent 2015 election....
Not buying that it is a main Tory plan at moment, but don’t think it is impossible.

 

[Wookey]

You deliberately hammed it up.

OK, yeah.

I'd love to chat further on your remarkable insight into the workings of my inner mind, but I've just painted my kitchen cupboards a jaunty powder blue, and the paintwork is just at that tacky stage? So I'm gonna go just check that out instead...

 

[DexterTCN]

 

[agricola]

Do you think that Labour would vote against a chance of an election, regardless of A50 extension? May’s loyalists plus Labour would be enough wouldn’t it? Then timing of election would be her choice. Labour went with the 2017 election despite not having the finance they would have liked and a lot of the Parliamentary Party convinced they were going to get a drubbing. FPA did not prevent 2015 election....
Not buying that it is a main Tory plan at moment, but don’t think it is impossible.

2015 election was the result of the FTPA, and Labour would never vote for a FTPA-called General Election without May triggering A50 first - they wouldn't have to, as if she ever tried that she would lose enough of her support that Corbyn could get a vote of no confidence through. Then you'd think someone would be called upon to form an government (probably Corbyn), trigger an A50 extension and then have the election when that government inevitably got no-confidenced.

 

[TopCat]

OK, yeah.

I'd love to chat further on your remarkable insight into the workings of my inner mind, but I've just painted my kitchen cupboards a jaunty powder blue, and the paintwork is just at that tacky stage? So I'm gonna go just check that out instead...

Not interested in your murky mind. Your words were clear. All this stuff about cupboards is just flim flam.

 

[DexterTCN]

So if that's right we're officially in no deal/no brexit territory.

 

[killer b]

it isn't right, and we aren't.

 

[Raheem]

Do you think that Labour would vote against a chance of an election, regardless of A50 extension?

No, Labour would demand an A50 extension. Why would they not?