They'll just implement full border controls, so not "frictionless"?

Nor in keeping with the GFA I'd imagine...

Ok, so the cunning being suggested here appears to be for the UK not to take back control of the UK/NI Border at all....and to "crack on as normal"..."normal" of course being that state of affairs which exists currently with the UK in the EU..:confused:

So do you folks want to take back control or not?

Isn't that admitting that you rely on the very EU the UK pretends to leave to find solutions for your domestic problems ?


Hmm, seems somehow yet another delay appears on the horizon... Just to be able to crack on as normal a little longer...

No doubt after Boris has told the EU what they must do to secure a suitable exit deal, he will tell them how the trade deal is going to be. He did promise "the easiest trade deal in history" after all.

Take back control of what? Some Irish backwater? There's really no need for the UK to be imposing stringent (or indeed any) border controls between Eire and NI.

I can see why the EU would want to, in order to protect the crown jewels that is their FTA. The commonsense answer is simply to have a FTA in place with the UK from day one, but then that opens the floodgates to anybody else that wants to leave the EU, hence why they're so reluctant to be pragmatic on this issue.

No reason for it to be difficult, unless the EU wish to make it so, of course...

Are we not having an FTA with the UK at this very moment, according to the Single Market ?
And precisely this is this agreement that 'holds the UK in shackles', so gravely that it is urgent to leave it, 'no if's, no but's'.

If you're happy with a free trade agreement with the EU, why reject it ? If you're not, why come back ?

Ah yes, the "it's all the EU's fault" argument.

We'll be hearing that a lot over the coming months.

'Unless the EU'
'The EU should'
'The EU must'...

Forget about Mother EU, you're leaving, remember ?

As you say, no reason for things to be difficult : the UK leaves, commerce and industry boom, the £ soars, and everyone is happy ever after ;-)

Small point of order perlease.....you are doubtless 66% correct with the first two statements, albeit you omitted "copyright D.Trump " as to the content.

Sadly, t'was not Boris who uttered those memorable words...easy mistake to make though with the same smug self adoring smirk on the fizzog.........it was a close relation of Mr Grayling when it comes to incompetence ( see "negotiations" ...... ..EUphemism ) ...enter then, ......................

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-406...-human-history

I doubt most who voted Leave did so because of the FTA, it was more FMoP, ECJ, ECHR, federalist agenda, etc, etc.

I'd expect most would be quite happy if the existing FTA with the EU continues, post Brexit. However, if the EU choose not to be pragmatic on this they need to be aware of the consequences, especially for Eire.

All depends on whether they want to play ball or not!

They've had 3 years to get their thinking caps on, no excuse for not being prepared for a variety of scenarios. The WA take it or leave it stance wont wash anymore.

This wasnt about me or anybody else demanding a free trade deal, or anything else from the EU. No deal is fine by me.

The issue is the Irish border that the EU has created an issue out of, in order to score political points. They created this issue, it's now up to them to resolve it.

Viewed from a foreigner, this might appear a bit contradictory.
Isn't Brexit all about leaving the EU ?

Ah, the 'if the EU' once again^^!
Just a naive question :
Wasn't it the onus of the Brexit party, to 'be pragmatic and be aware of the consequences' before proposing to leave ?
Had they done so, maybe they wouldn't be praying for the EU to sort out the fix your country is now in.

I can tell you that the first thing that came to mind in Europe during the Leave campaign was 'what are they gonna do with Northern Ireland ?'.
Too bad this didn't occur to your leaders and voters before...

It's the EU's ball, and in future they will decide who can play with it. It was the UK that decided to leave the team.

:E:E:E Which side has been prevaricating for three years and still hasn't come to an agreed position amongst themselves? The EU decided their position long ago and are prepared for it. No Yellowhammer for them.

The EU created an issue with the Irish border ?
Tell that to the Marines !

Nobody in Europe will object if the border between the EU and the UK is somewhere in the Irish sea, where do you see an issue ?

I do agree Sally we wasted an ordinate amount of time ourselves by pandering to the EU and effectively surrendering our position before the WA talks even started. But you cant change the past, we now need to move on and ensure the EU understands that WE are prepared to go No Deal if they wont budge on the backstop.

High stakes game the EU would be playing, up to them if they want to go down that route...

Is this wasn't so tragic it really would be funny. It's been blatantly obvious for three years that there would never be a satisfactory exit agreement, for the achingly simple reason that what the UK wants from the EU can only be obtained by being in the EU.

Boris and company are not stupid. They have known this too, but chose to deny it all along to keep their flock of sheep following obediently. Now it has come to the crunch and the only excuse they can come up with is to blame the EU. Again, just as predicted.