Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

So the UK knew all along that it could not have a hard Brexit and funny enough, so did the EU, so Boris accepted the deal based on EU’s terms, which means that, the UK government will not be able to make laws which would tilt the level playing field to it’s advantage, as far as tariffs free goods going to the EU goes. Like it or not, the UK is very much still tied to the EU, but at a lesser advantages than while U.K. was a member of the EU. If the UK believed they had a very strong hand, they would have walked away from the EU with a hard Brexit a year ago and gone with the WTO tariffs based economy with the EU, to which the UK could have passed any kinds of laws they wanted. That would have been the true exit from the EU and a truly taking back their sovereignty. Sorry Paphitis, but the UK did not gain their independence from the EU, hence the fact there won’t be any Independence parade happening anytime soon.

The way I see it is Britain got pretty much everything it was asking for.

It has a free trade deal, and at the same time isn’t encumbered by EU Law, or courts.

It just needs to abide by certain fair play rules with regard to their free trade. But the EU has no avenues to force the UK to do anything. If it violates the level playing field, it’s free trade might be in jeopardy. It’s just a standard free trade agreement.

And the UK will be out of the EU at end of January.

The fact that Boris is only giving the parliament just a day or two to ratify Brexit, tells me it was intentional by Boris to delay the agreement with the EU just so to keep the British people in the dark before the deadline on December 31st.

In the meantime, confident EU which they feel they got most of what they wanted in the deal, have given the EU members until February to vote (rubber stamp) on the deal.

The EU doesn’t look very confident to me. Looks like BORIS is the one with the spring in his step and is all smiles.

You have a habit backing the wrong horse based on showmanship, Paphitis.

Oh I see! Boris is the showman and the EU are also acting with their sour faces. How convenient.

I read many articles and it looks like the UK has a free trade deal. So good result for them and they also BREXIT. Sounds like they got their cake and get to eat it too.

[erolz66]

I read many articles and it looks like the UK has a free trade deal. So good result for them and they also BREXIT. Sounds like they got their cake and get to eat it too.

It only sounds that way to you because you are an idiot. There are more barriers to trade between the UK and the EU now than there were when we were members. That means less trade. That is the way it works. If you look a services which accounts for the majority of UK trade with the EU, its biggest trading partner , then the barriers are much much worse now and trade will suffer. Only an idiot could perceive that having more barriers to trade and thus less trade in total with your biggest single trading partner is 'cake'. It is not. We chose to have less trade with the EU in return for getting our 'sovereignty' back and we did it by proving we had not lost that sovereignty in the first place because as long as you can chose to leave you are sovereign, by definition.

[Get Real!]

Less trade with the EU means less annual profit/surplus for successive criminal British governments who are only good at wasting taxpayer’s money on armaments; and meddling in two dozen countries in Africa and the ME, killing men, women and children!

Less trade for warmongers is a tiny win for humanity...

[Londonrake]

Less trade with the EU means less annual profit/surplus for successive criminal British governments who are only good at wasting taxpayer’s money on armaments; and meddling in two dozen countries in Africa and the ME, killing men, women and children!

Less trade for warmongers is a tiny win for humanity...

[Londonrake]

It only sounds that way to you because you are an idiot.

An improvement on being a lying piece of shit I suppose.

There are more barriers to trade between the UK and the EU now than there were when we were members. That means less trade. That is the way it works.

Semantics.

Before Brexit the EU Commission had sole responsibility for negotiating trade deals on behalf of the UK. If you look (and why would you?) it's record in that respect is pretty appalling. They still don't have one with the US, its biggest and most important trading partner. Eight years to get one with Japan. Having finally succeeded it would then be subject to the agreement of all 28 nations before it could be implemented. Thus, if the Wallonian tribe in Belgium had a problem with it (as they did with the Canadian one) then they could reject the deal. If Italian flange grommet producers think one is against their interests and the government agrees - the same. Now though the UK can negotiate and implement trade deals with any nation on Earth by itself. And you think that will result in "less trade"?

The truth is - as I said earlier - like all lost cause Remainers you will throw a negative light on every aspect of Brexit, as you've done since 2016. Petulance.

If it does transpire, over the next few months, that this is in any way a sell-out then make no mistake, Johnson and the Conservative party are dead ducks. I sincerely hope they're conscious of that.

It's OK Erolz. I'm happy posting rebuttals of your views, where I think they're wrong, whilst you suffer in haughty silence. In fact, I regard it as a sort of compliment. And of course - it makes things a lot easier.

[Londonrake]

The fact that Boris is only giving the parliament just a day or two to ratify Brexit, tells me it was intentional by Boris to delay the agreement with the EU just so to keep the British people in the dark before the deadline on December 31st.

In the meantime, confident EU which they feel they got most of what they wanted in the deal, have given the EU members until February to vote (rubber stamp) on the deal.

You're right. The European Parliament is a joke. A sop to democracy. The real power rests with the Council of Ministers, although much of their backroom dealings are "intergovernmental" (ie Franco/German stitch ups). They've expressed their view on the Brexit trade deal today, through their ambassadors. Beating the UK to it actually. A lack of confidence I imagine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55465081

.

[Kikapu]

The fact that Boris is only giving the parliament just a day or two to ratify Brexit, tells me it was intentional by Boris to delay the agreement with the EU just so to keep the British people in the dark before the deadline on December 31st.

In the meantime, confident EU which they feel they got most of what they wanted in the deal, have given the EU members until February to vote (rubber stamp) on the deal.

You're right. The European Parliament is a joke. A sop to democracy. The real power rests with the Council of Ministers, although much of their backroom dealings are "intergovernmental" (ie Franco/German stitch ups). They've expressed their view on the Brexit trade deal today, through their ambassadors. Beating the UK to it actually. A lack of confidence I imagine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55465081

.

Not at all. Today’s vote by the EU ambassadors is just provisional to keep the wheels of trade turning come January 1st, whereas the UK‘s vote in the next day or two will be a ratification.

[Londonrake]

Not at all. Today’s vote by the EU ambassadors is just provisional to keep the wheels of trade turning come January 1st, whereas the UK‘s vote in the next day or two will be a ratification.

Ahh, silly me. Musn't assume the Council of Ministers have decided then.

What would happen if the UK didn't ratify it? That's a just curious question.

My understanding is the arch London, human rights - as Remainer as it gets - lawyer Starmer has decreed that Labour will support the deal. There's a turn up for the books. So, there doesn't seem to be much doubt about the outcome.

Remainers always have an adroit answer to all the difficult questions. Well, apart from Erolz of course. You'd think I would have learned that by now.

What's the situation up there in Glueweinville over New Year? Here, there's a curfew extension until 1am, although everywhere that's worth going to is shut by decree of course.

[Kikapu]

Not at all. Today’s vote by the EU ambassadors is just provisional to keep the wheels of trade turning come January 1st, whereas the UK‘s vote in the next day or two will be a ratification.

Ahh, silly me. Musn't assume the Council of Ministers have decided then.

What would happen if the UK didn't ratify it? That's a just curious question.

My understanding is the arch London, human rights - as Remainer as it gets - lawyer Starmer has decreed that Labour will support the deal. There's a turn up for the books. So, there doesn't seem to be much doubt about the outcome.

Remainers always have an adroit answer to all the difficult questions. Well, apart from Erolz of course. You'd think I would have learned that by now.

What's the situation up there in Glueweinville over New Year? Here, there's a curfew extension until 1am, although everywhere that's worth going to is shut by decree of course.

I’m sure the Counsel of Ministers are onboard with the vote by EU ambassadors since they most probably already know what is in the deal and it is only to be rubber stamped since they already know they like the deal.

If the UK did not ratify the deal, they would also vote provisionally, which is what they should do to meet January 1st trade, to allow time to examine the deal in detail by the Parliament and ratify it at later date, but it appears that is not what Boris wants, so what is he hiding which he doesn’t want the Brits to see?

Labour may support the deal grudgingly so not to be labeled “obstructionist” , but Labour would have an out at later date if the deal turns sour, which they can always claim that Boris only gave them a day or two to go through 1200 pages, discuss and vote.

Currently we have a complete shutdown of all businesses at 19:00 all over Switzerland. Cantons with stricter rules, have a complete shutdown all day except for stores selling food and similar until 19:00. That means there are no places to go for New Year’s Eve, therefore, home stay will be the 1st choice for many. There may be a televised fireworks. In the past, it was common to go to Lake Zürich and celebrate the New Year with drinks, food and fireworks while freezing our buns off most of the time.

[Londonrake]

I’m sure the Counsel of Ministers are onboard with the vote by EU ambassadors since they most probably already know what is in the deal and it is only to be rubber stamped since they already know they like the deal.

If the UK did not ratify the deal, they would also vote provisionally, which is what they should do to meet January 1st trade, to allow time to examine the deal in detail by the Parliament and ratify it at later date, but it appears that is not what Boris wants, so what is he hiding which he doesn’t want the Brits to see?

Labour may support the deal grudgingly so not to be labeled “obstructionist” , but Labour would have an out at later date if the deal turns sour, which they can always claim that Boris only gave them a day or two to go through 1200 pages, discuss and vote.

Currently we have a complete shutdown of all businesses at 19:00 all over Switzerland. Cantons with stricter rules, have a complete shutdown all day except for stores selling food and similar until 19:00. That means there are no places to go for New Year’s Eve, therefore, home stay will be the 1st choice for many. There may be a televised fireworks. In the past, it was common to go to Lake Zürich and celebrate the New Year with drinks, food and fireworks while freezing our buns off most of the time.

The Council of Ministers (aka Merkel and Macron) are not "on board", they tell the ambassadors what to say and think. Somebody lower in the pecking order does the same with MEPs.

Whilst not claiming to be some sort of oracle there were things which seemed self evident to me:

There was always going to be a trade deal***. The consequences of not having one would have been devastating to both sides. Much more so since the pandemic and its double-dip recession. It would have entailed significant reactionary consequences for politicians, most notably I think Macron.

It was always going to be a last minute affair. That's the way the Commission does business.

Once agreed it was going to be presented as a win - by both sides. Interpretation is a matter of perspective. Like Erolz you will always see things from a negative UK POV. Remainer cynicism will be hard to shake off and take many years I suspect. The essential truth of the matter will come out (perhaps) in the not too distant future.

After this Thursday the only "out" Labour would have is formal adoption of a policy for reapplying to join the EU. On the Federation's terms. Good luck with that one. How they were decimated last December provides a helpful clue to the likely response. If you think that idea's a goer then I would respectfully suggest you have very little concept of the average Brit's bloody minded resolve in such matters. Well, much like the EU hasn't actually.

Sorry to hear about your NYE restrictions. The lake event sounds great. Hopefully, next year will be kinder to us all.


*** In fact, you could say I have bet my shirt on it. I eagerly await tomorrow's events at the FTSE. Fingers crossed here.