General Brexit discussion thread

[Thomas]

Macron Calls for EU Free Movement Reform After Attacks

French President Emmanuel Macron is urging the European Union to reanalyze the free movement in the EU, insisting that the EU's Schengen Area needs reformation.

Macron once again called for the reorganization of the way Schengen works, while announcing that France would double police numbers from 2,400 to 4,800, in order to tighten control of France's borders, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

He also stressed that he would make a proposal regarding strengthening border security within the EU, in December, during the next EU summit. The request would include "intensifying joint border protection with a real security force at the external borders".

France head of state' comments came during his visit to France's border with Spain and followed last week's attack, which is the second one that takes place in France in just one month.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/macron-calls-for-eu-free-movement-reform/

[Thomas]

Oh Carole: Admits Russia Claims Untrue, Agrees to Pay Banks's Costs

Late last night with the Banks v Cadwalladr hearing scheduled for 10:30 this morning, Carole Cadwalladr finally admitted what we all knew, there was no evidence to back up her claims that the Russians financed the Brexit campaign or that Arron Banks was involved in shady deals with the Russians. Why she left it to the eve of the hearing to admit it was all bollocks defies belief, cynics might note she still has two crowdfunders running. One to fund this hopeless case and another to fund her "investigative journalism" – which produced the Russia nonsense.

Cadwalladr now has to pay £62,000 of costs on account this morning as a down payment, expect that figure to go higher. Cadwalladr has avoided the humiliation of appearing in court this morning by submitting in writing an amended defence which

    "... removes the Truth Defence and the Limitation Defence"

Which is legalese for "it was all complete cock 'n bull".

She has not stopped milking the crowdfunding mugs yet, Carole has learnt there are plenty of gullible idiots who still want to believe her fairy tales. She intends to continue battling Banks by trying to mitigate her costs with the argument that, despite there being no truth to the allegations, she has being making around the world to much acclaim, they were made in the public interest. So she will run up her crowdfunded legal bill to argue that her disinformation was in the public interest. Guido admires the novelty of that argument.

Cadwalladr has tried to portray this legal case as some kind of freedom of the press battle, it wasn't. She has for years made unchallenged allegations, which were motivated out of political malice. Finally she has had to admit they were untrue. A lucrative, prize winning, journalistic hoax...

https://order-order.com/2020/11/26/exclusive-oh-carole-admits-russia-claims-untrue-agrees-to-pay-banks-costs/#comments


patman will be fecking gutted.

I thought brexit was all the work of those nasty russian bots he assured me?

[Thomas]

Poor little sod. Let us hope that the British team aren't too horrid for him.

to be honest borkie , i was more interested in the article in barrys link about starmers latest wheeze on brexit.

Starmer prepares to reopen old Labour wounds over Brexit deal vote

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/28/starmer-prepares-to-reopen-old-labour-wounds-over-brexit-deal-vote

That man really is one prize arsehole.

I hope he backs any deal the tories bring back. It will help the tories in future tar labour with the same brush if brexit does go tits up , and help the snp.

Cant see it making folk in the north of england trust labour any more..... , so it s a win win no matter what starmer does.

[Borchester]

Barnier urged not to be intimidated as Brexit talks enter 'final few days'

Poor little sod. Let us hope that the British team aren't too horrid for him.

[Barry]

Sure, I did, just like I made up the connections we do have and UK fishing rights are not on the table, I don't much care what the anti-democrats want and don't want, they only want to bypass democracy, which no populist is ever going to accept.

Barnier urged not to be intimidated as Brexit talks enter 'final few days'

[Sheepy]

I see, so you made it up.

Sure, I did, just like I made up the connections we do have and UK fishing rights are not on the table, I don't much care what the anti-democrats want and don't want, they only want to bypass democracy, which no populist is ever going to accept.

[GerryT]

LOL what so you can say, well from an EU perspective, blah, blah, blah. They know they are doing it.

I see, so you made it up.

[Sheepy]

Is that so, care to give an example

LOL what so you can say, well from an EU perspective, blah, blah, blah. They know they are doing it.

[GerryT]

Not if there aren't any persistent clauses.

The only think persistent here is you talking nonsense.

[Nick]

Yes any changes to the WA need to be agreed by both parties, otherwise they stay as they are.

Not if there aren't any persistent clauses.

[GerryT]

I was just reading some of the anti-democratic media, they are besides themselves trying to sink the UK.

Is that so, care to give an example

[GerryT]

All amendments have to be ratified by both sides.
When the EU made amendements to the WA earlier, they did not do so unilaterally. We agreed them.

The WA arbitration process is governed by.....

The Joint Committee

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8996/

Yes any changes to the WA need to be agreed by both parties, otherwise they stay as they are. The Joint committee does NOT govern the dispute process, that is done by an arbitration panel. If either the UK or EU don't agree with anything they can ask the joint committee to setup the arbitration panel (art170).
There is a panel of 25 people 10 nominated from the UK, 10 from the EU and 5 jointly selected by the EU/UK. These people are named as part of the process, if the arbitration panel is being setup the UK picks two from its list, the EU does the same and those four pick from the list of five to nominate a chair (art171).
Any issue that arises that questions EU law is not dealt by the arbitration panel, the EU court of justice deals with this.(art174).
The arbitration panel decisions are binding.(art175)
Failure to comply can incur a financial penalty and the other party doesn't have to abide by the clauses in the WA and any other treaty with the offending party if this is specified in that other treaty. (art178)

Article 178 is interesting in that if the UK did breach the WA and the EU/UK had a trade deal then the EU legally could ignore both the WA and FTA and impose all sorts of tariffs/restrictions legally without recourse. This applies for any agreement between the EU/UK if the clause is part of that agreement. This of course goes the other way also if the EU breached the WA.

That's how disputes are settled. There is a lot more detail in there to catch any sneaky acts like not complying or trying to frustrate the process, like not naming your 2 people for the arbitration panel, its all covered to stop that sort of gamesmanship the likes of Johnson likes to play, brings to mind his proroguing parliament trick and subsequent court decision.

[Sheepy]

I was just reading some of the anti-democratic media, they are besides themselves trying to sink the UK.

[Sheepy]

Did you see Gerry aka a certain Irish politician on Twitter today promoting Barnier's idea of offering us , was it 17% of our own fish.

Went down like a lead balloon.

Tip to EU negotiators the line should be:
Please could we have 10% of your fish after 1st Jan and we will pay you handsomely.

LOL you either need a very large network or eyes in the back of your head in politics ain't that so Barry.

[Barry]

Did you see Gerry aka a certain Irish politician on Twitter today promoting Barnier's idea of offering us , was it 17% of our own fish.

Went down like a lead balloon.

Tip to EU negotiators the line should be:
Please could we have 10% of your fish after 1st Jan and we will pay you handsomely.