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PM dug into a corner by refusing to compromise on sovereignty but EU reached ‘pain threshold’
But En Marche's Alexandre Holroyd says the EU is regaining sovereignty over access to its markets.
'I hoped we would go for a sensible version of Brexit. It’s forcing businesses to comply with two sets of regulations.' - Former Siemens CEO [2 mins]
26/07/2022
Former Siemens CEO - “I hoped we would go for a sensible version of Brexit. It’s forcing businesses to comply with two sets of regulations. It’s a double cost. What we’re learning is that our so-called sovereignty is turning out to be rather expensive.”
'It is pure fantasy:' Ken Clarke and Bill Cash clash over Brexit - after 60 years of arguments about the EU [2 mins]
27/01/2020
"The argument about sovereignty you and I have been having for 60 years. All treaties require pooling of sovereignty"
Parliament hears proponents of leaving the EU are “in a state of confusion and denial” as calls grow for public inquiry.
Professor A.C. Grayling talks to the European Movement about the impact of Brexit on Britain's place in the world and how Trump and the far-right will threaten our long-term stability if we don't resist them.
“You bring Brexiters on, you never challenge them. You let them talk utter rubbish about Brexit. Year after year after year.”
Hermann Houser says Britain has no chance of being technologically independent after leaving the EU.
BBC presenter demonstrates why Brexit 'fundamentally won't work' in two-and-a-half minute clip [3 mins]
10/12/2020
A BBC presenter has been praised for his two-and-a-half minute explainer of Brexit - in a clip that some viewers said demonstrates why it "fundamentally won't work".
Under cover of the pandemic, his inner circle is sidelining elected MPs and pushing through laws with no scrutiny
Chlorinated chicken is just the start. The government intends to rip up food standards, public services and public protections.
What is the single market and why does it matter in talks about Brexit?
Even the keenest Brexiteer must feel that the process has been tortuously long. / That has been, in large part, because successive British governments have refused to accept the trade-off between untrammelled sovereignty and friction-free access to the EU’s single market, a refusal that shapes today’s increasingly testy relationship.
Brexit is a political Ponzi scheme
17/05/2021
It is increasingly clear that Brexit has cost not saved money, encumbered not liberated trade, inhibited not enhanced our sovereignty, and threatens to break up the UK. In fact, argues Nick Westcott, it is nothing more than a political Ponzi scheme – and it is still going on.
Lord Neuberger condemns internal market bill for exempting some of its powers from legal challenge
Brexit was a ‘colossal mistake’, former PM Sir John Major tells Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
07/02/2023
Former prime minister Sir John Major has told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Britain made a “colossal mistake” when it left the European Union. / Sir John said while he is not a “significant Europhile”, he believes the UK was stronger in the EU.
Ex-PM says UK was stronger in the EU – as Jeremy Hunt challenged to admit Britain ‘poorer’ after Brexit.
Dogmatic obsession means that Johnson won’t lift a finger to help Northern Ireland.
This caller told Eddie Mair he believed Leave voters will soon regret Brexit and realise "they were conned."
Brexit: a ‘total disaster’ of our own making
07/02/2024
Brexit has caused a crisis for British manufacturers who export into Europe – and things could be about to get even worse...
How will wealthy Brexiteers profit from Brexit? The surprising truth about the world's most secretive tax network for the wealthy. Plus, we hand the Brexit Party a rather unfortunate award.
Six years post-Brexit, Britain remains haunted by the EU in a neurosis that is not reciprocated in Brussels or other capitals.
A new book argues that Ireland must be united in order for the UK to realise full national sovereignty. One of the authors tells Political Correspondent John Manley why unionists based in Britain should start agitating for a border poll.
Brexit’s South American Ripple Effect
04/08/2017
How will the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union impact the ongoing sovereignty dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)?
Britain, the EU and the Sovereignty Myth
09/04/2016
The argument that Britain needs to leave the European Union to reclaim its sovereignty is misguided says new paper, Britain, the EU and the Sovereignty Myth.
Britain, the EU and the Sovereignty Myth
09/05/2016
The argument that Britain needs to leave the European Union to reclaim its sovereignty is misguided says new paper, Britain, the EU and the Sovereignty Myth.
Ministers are portraying themselves as victims of a deal they created for Northern Ireland. A classic blame-shifting strategy.
Britain exited the European Union because it wanted to reclaim its sovereignty. Learning from Norway’s EU experience, Britain must be cognisant of the limits on its autonomy, even as a non-member, write Johanne Døhlie Saltnes, Merethe Dotterud Leiren, Arild Aurvåg Farsund, Jarle Trondal, John Erik Fossum and Christopher Lord.
Chris and Garvan Walshe catch up on how they handled lockdown, what to expect next, and what has changed since they last recorded the podcast together, in November 2018. Just as it did two years ago, the Northern Ireland backstop features heavily in Lie of the Week. Also, will the Conservative Party have the good sense to ditch its current leader?
CPTPP will not make up for Brexit
16/04/2023
The UK’S membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership offers little gain for the British economy.
EU says it’s not trying to limit UK sovereignty by asking Britain to follow same rules after Brexit transition
11/12/2020
Emmanuel Macron insisted he has not been trying to ‘have his cake and eat it’ with his approach to talks.
EU tells UK to respect its independence
05/03/2020
Chief negotiator Michel Barnier says 'the EU sets its own conditions for opening up its markets for goods and services'
Fisking Frost - Chris Grey
12/03/2021
[This post will] provide a detailed analysis of an article written by David (now Lord) Frost in this week’s Sunday Telegraph.
'Any economic gains are likely to be small compared to the cost of leaving the customs union and single market.'
The prime minister has imperilled peace in Northern Ireland, and every day the economic fallout worsens.
“This is what friends do, even if the pain has been self-inflicted, stupid and unnecessary.”
Former taoiseach John Bruton accuses British government of 'threatening language' and being in denial over trade border in the Irish Sea
08/07/2021
JOHN Bruton has accused the British government of using "threatening" language while "pretending" that it did not sign-up to a trade border in the Irish Sea.
George Papandreou On A United Europe
21/01/2014
George Papandreou, the ex-prime minister of Greece, discusses a united Europe as part of The World Post's new series, One On One, which gives voice to prominent figures speaking on pressing global issues.
'...it is a good time to take stock of the Gibraltar strand of Brexit and how that intertwines with the Brexit saga and, ultimately, to the extent that it does represent a certain kind of completion, a good time to take stock of Brexit itself.'
Negotiations over Gibraltar’s post-Brexit border arrangements could risk the government crossing its own red lines about the Rock’s sovereignty, ministers have been warned. / Mark Francois, a Conservative former minister who backed Brexit, could be heard to say ‘Here we go again’.
The doyen of the UK computing industry says that a hi-tech future will leave Britain no choice but to turn to Europe.
Since Brexit happened, those who campaigned for it have shown little attachment to and only the faintest memory of the benefits promised. The one exception is ‘Reclaiming our sovereignty’.
If anyone is interested in a super-geeky thread on the now infamous FCO 30/1048, here it is.
27/03/2019
If anyone is interested in a super-geeky thread on the now infamous FCO 30/1048, here it is. It's actually a fascinating document; incredibly balanced, accurate, visionary and pragmatic about Britons' post-imperial illusions of sovereignty. Well worth a read of the summary pages.
Brexit has not only failed to deliver on its promise of reducing immigration and controlling borders, but it has also made the immigration issue worse and more difficult to manage. The government’s chaotic and ineffective immigration policies, such as the Rwanda policy, have only added to the problem.
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Brexit ‘bonfire’ of EU rules is burning Parliamentary sovereignty instead
23/06/2023
The Retained EU Law Bill could see politicians, rather than the people ‘take back control’.
Trump’s national security adviser wants the UK to be beholden to the US for its daily bread, making the country a timid American outpost.
Lady Hale wishes she never wore spider brooch during Supreme Court ruling on suspension of Parliament
04/12/2023
Lady Hale hit headlines for wearing a spider brooch during the Supreme Court ruling on Boris Johnson's prorogation of Parliament.
Legal kryptonite? Parliamentary sovereignty, international law and the Internal Market Bill
10/10/2020
Another autumn, another Brexit-related constitutional drama in the UK.
Lessons from seven lean years of Brexit
28/04/2023
Almost seven years on from the Brexit referendum, there remains uncertainty over the future UK-EU relationship. Reflecting on the lessons from the last seven years, Neil Kinnock argues there remains a clear case for the UK being an economic, political, social, scientific and cultural part of the Europe of the future.
Measuring the Cost Brexit Six Months On
09/06/2021
The end of the transition period was merely a staging post within a process that will be long with us, says Chris Grey.
‘If we have a populist in government who is flouting convention and acting in a way that bypasses the sovereignty of parliament, parliament will respond accordingly’
A survey has found a large majority of small businesses want the UK to cooperate with the European Union as the government faces calls renegotiate terms of the its post-Brexit trade relationship with the bloc.
Rebel MPs are working on a plan to thwart Boris Johnson pursuing a no-deal Brexit on 31 October that involves forcing parliament to sit through the autumn recess, amid growing outrage about the power and influence of his controversial aide, Dominic Cummings.
US trade deal would mean ‘submitting to someone else’s wishes’, academic says.
Nothing to see here - Chris Grey
19/06/2020
'The Brexiters have no more idea in private than they do in public about what they are doing. Predictions based upon their concealed intent project on to them a competence they simply don’t possess.'
Over the next two years the EU will decide its future path – here's why the UK has to be involved despite Brexit
01/01/2020
In both Britain and the rest of Europe, a frank and honest discussion is needed about what it means to be sovereign in a changing world.
Owen Paterson's role in Brexit - Chris Grey
07/11/2021
It’s probably fair to say that Owen Paterson was not a household name until the events that led to his resignation last week. However, he played a significant role in the Brexit saga, albeit of a particular sort.
Brexiteers must be sick of the sight of Alastair Campbell by now, after he delivered another brutal Brexit takedown.
The BBC’s Analysis editor Ros Atkins looks at the controversy surrounding the government’s plan to scrap thousands of EU-era laws.
So much for Brexit sovereignty
23/01/2023
It’s high time politicians got real about the EU and single market, extinguished the bonfire of lies and told the truth.
UK’s recent narrow understanding of sovereignty belongs to a receding Trumpian world.
When thinking about what I might about say in this lecture it occurred to me that it would be appropriate to look at parliaments and sovereignty, which are hugely important concepts when it comes to understanding Euroscepticism and Britain’s place in the European Union (EU).
Trade has plummeted and red tape has blocked our borders. Is that what ‘protecting our sovereignty’ meant?
One Europhobe is finally waking up to the costs of leaving the EU.
Richard Baldwin, of the Geneva Institute and Editor in Chief of VoxEU talks about the Economics of Brexit. The interview was recorded at the Royal Economic Society annual conference at The University of Sussex in Spring 2016 and produced by Econ Films.
World View: British voters have been sold a dream, in the same way Trump peddled ‘Maga’ to the masses
It was Boris Johnson’s choice to prioritise “sovereignty” over the economy – and Britain is already paying the price.
The idea of ‘sovereignty’ is nonsense – let’s give up the obsession and break the Brexit deadlock
08/12/2020
The fact that intelligent people are going round and round in circles unable to solve solvable problems suggests that there is a deeper problem.
Now that it’s a reality, can an esteemed historian produce convincing arguments for the UK’s departure from the EU?
The three remaining arguments for Brexit
26/06/2023
And why none of them actually stack up.
The Tories are upping their attack on our democracy, under cover of the leadership contest
19/07/2022
Deep within the Northern Ireland protocol bill, ministers are making a sinister grab for yet more unchecked powers.
Martin Wolf: Britain’s demands for its negotiations with the EU are unrealistic.
The UK–Australia trade deal is not really about economic gain – it’s about demonstrating post-Brexit sovereignty
18/06/2021
As expected, the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, and his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, have now agreed “in principle” to a free trade agreement. The fine details are still not out in the open, but the political and economic significance of the deal is becoming clearer.
We have traded real influence for an empty husk of sovereignty.
In the years since the referendum, it has become a myth that the impetus behind Brexit was a demand for pure sovereignty, with any economic effects being irrelevant. It’s not true, because many of the Vote Leave arguments were economic, whilst the effort put in to discrediting ‘Project Fear’ shows that Brexiters realised that ‘sovereignty at any cost’ would not have enough appeal to win the vote.
No-deal looms as deadline little more than a month away.
Trading the orchard for an apple
03/03/2021
So far, in the first two months of Brexit, the following industries have indicated that they have been harmed: Aerospace; Airlines; Architecture; Art and Antiques; Beer; Bees; Cattle and horse breeding; Charities; Cheese; Chemicals; Cars; Classic Cars; Construction; Cosmetics and Perfume; e-Commerce; Fabrics; Fashion; Ferry services; Film and TV production; Financial Services; ...
However, disenchantment with Brexit has been one of the most notable trends of 2022 with a feeling that it has not lived up to the promises made at the time of the referendum. / Two thirds or 65% of British people think Brexit has gone badly compared to just 21% who think it has gone well according to an Opinium survey in early December.
The EU committee said the single market and cross-border travel were vital to the territory's economy, and warned the UK government not to let Spain use trade talks to claim sovereignty.
Report by the European Council on Foreign Relations says that more people see bloc as a key partner than the US.
A deal for joint sovereignty over Gibraltar between Spain and Britain should be revived as Brexit looms, former Europe minister Peter Hain has said.
Judges advise Britain that separating archipelago from Mauritius in 1960s was wrong.
If not, and the vote is to exit, it will be no good saying afterwards that “we didn’t understand what we were voting for” – the repeated complaint made by eurosceptics about the 1975 Referendum. By then it will be too late.
We could end up with tonnes of fish that Brits don't even like and no way of selling them to the EU before they rot.
‘You all talk rubbish’: BBC Newsnight descends into chaos during fiery clash on Brexit [1 min]
12/05/2023
Last night's episode of Newsnight (11 May), left viewers open-mouthed after Alastair Campbell and Victoria Derbyshire seemingly got into a stand-off over Brexit. / “Sorry, you bring these people on, you never challenge them, you let them talk utter rubbish about Brexit and it’s happened on the BBC for year after year after year”, blasted.
The term doesn’t mean it doesn’t meet EU standards. Just that Brexiters want to insist they have the right to diverge, even if it were madness to do so.
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