Storm Clouds.

[Kamisiana]

moved2crete Ted Heath read the document its all there.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ted-heat ... lder-upton

[Kilkis]

According to Wikipedia UK troops have been involved in 51 conflicts since 1900. Five of those related to Ireland while the rest were all abroad. A few, like the Cod War, hardly class as "war" at all but the vast majority were significant conflicts where the UK was a major or a minor player. They span the globe.

Warwick

[scooby]

One thing I can't get my head round is that we know the EU has the four rules and to have one you must take all? So how come Canada and Japan can negotiate free trade deals without free movement etc, and they are WTO? Confusing....Warwick??

[peebee]

One thing I can't get my head round is that we know the EU has the four rules and to have one you must take all? So how come Canada and Japan can negotiate free trade deals without free movement etc, and they are WTO? Confusing....Warwick??

They are putting as many obstacles in the way, and making so many threats because they are $hit scared of the UK leaving.
Tell them to do one and just leave - no pay off, just leave.

[Kilkis]

Typically they negotiate very specific zero/lower tariff deals on items where there is a mutual interest. Also they are not "free trade" in the same sense that being in the EU is "free trade". Goods in both directions still have to go through customs checks of various sorts even where there is a zero tariff.

Essentially countries like Canada and Japan start off in a position where goods in both directions go through customs checks and are subject to tariffs and/or quotas. They negotiate that to a position where goods still go through customs checks but the tariffs/quotas are relaxed or completely removed.

The UK starts from a position where there are no tariffs or quotas AND there are no customs checks of any sort. The UK is trying to get to a position where there are still no quotas/tariffs and still no customs checks. The customs checks are as big a problem as tariffs/quotas.

There is also the problem of regulatory regimes. For example The EU has a body that regulates medicines, i.e. deals with all approvals. Canada also has a body that regulates medicines. Each country looks at the other's regulatory regime and decides if they are closely enough aligned to allow trade in medicines between the two countries. If they are happy they trade. The UK currently comes under the EU's regulatory regime for medicines, i.e. it doesn't have one at all. Unless the UK can set up a regulatory regime of its own that is closely aligned with the EU before 30 March 2019 and go through the mutual recognition process the EU will not trade medicines with the UK. There are many commonly used drugs that are not manufactured at all in the UK and are imported, predominately from the EU. Mutual recognition agreements with other countries like the USA are also currently with the EU so the UK would not only have to set up its own regulatory regime it would have to negotiate mutual recognition agreements with each country's own regime. The same applies to radioactive products such as those used in radio-therapy and to airline safety. These are just examples. It's not that it cannot be done but can it be done by 30 March 2019?

Warwick

[Brian]

Excellent reply Warwick.
A stark and worrying prospect.

[Kilkis]

There is a report in the Telegraph today that, based on a leaked document, the government are planning to unilaterally grant permanent residence status to EU national living in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. See Telegraph article, which has limited access. There is a fuller discussion in other papers, e.g. the Express.

It looks like the idea that they must ensure reciprocal rights for UK citizens living in the EU has gone out the window as the probability of a no-deal Brexit looms large and the effect of losing 3 million workers from the labour force starts to be increasingly possible.

Warwick

[scooby]

There is a report in the Telegraph today that, based on a leaked document, the government are planning to unilaterally grant permanent residence status to EU national living in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. See Telegraph article, which has limited access. There is a fuller discussion in other papers, e.g. the Express.

It looks like the idea that they must ensure reciprocal rights for UK citizens living in the EU has gone out the window as the probability of a no-deal Brexit looms large and the effect of losing 3 million workers from the labour force starts to be increasingly possible.

Warwick

How long has it took this bungling government to decide on this, Labour said this at the very start.

[Guy M]

The crucial point to realise is that overriding everything else the British government is scared. Remembering this helps understand each of their actions.