Current Affairs Irish Border and Brexit

[Eggs]

Indeed.

It beggars belief that the government of this country has got itself in hock to the most socially backward and economically sleazy political party in these islands.

Back in Belfast right now, the DUP finds itself in the midst of a public inquiry into incompetence and fraud over an energy scam which literally saw taxpayer’s money go up in flames

..yes, I’m aware of that scandal.

 

[Carl O'Ancelotti]

Foster warns against Irish sea border after Barnier meeting

DUP leader Arlene Foster has repeated her insistence that there should be no customs or regulatory barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and said she had made this clear to the British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Speaking in the European Parliament following a meeting with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, Mrs Foster said the Brexit talks were entering a "critical phase".

She told reporters: "There cannot be barriers to trade in the UK internal market. It would damage the economic well being of Northern Ireland. Therefore we could not support any arrangement which would give rise to either customs or regulatory barriers within the UK internal market.

"The Prime Minister understands that position and I expect her to respect that position."

Speaking alongside DUP MEP Diane Dodds, Mrs Foster said she had not yet seen a fresh text on the Irish backstop, a guarantee of no hard border on the island of Ireland, from the British government.

Pressed if the DUP would veto any EU-UK agreement on the backstop, Mrs Foster said she would have to wait to see the detail of any text, and would not comment "in a vacuum".

But she appeared to reinforce the party's red line on checks along the Irish Sea in the event of the backstop taking effect.

"The whole point about checks is that there is a difference" she said. "Why would we need checks between Northern Ireland and GB, or between GB and Northern Ireland, if we were an integral part of the single market of the United Kingdom?"

Mrs Dodds said that Northern Ireland sold more goods to the GB market than the Republic of Ireland, the EU and the rest of the world "combined".

To put up tariff or non-tariff barriers would be "economically disastrous," she said.

She said regulatory checks as part of the backstop could mean Northern Irish milk being processed in England and turned into yoghurt or protein drinks facing checks when they came back into Northern Ireland.

Mrs Foster added: "If there was a border down the Irish Sea then NI would not be able to benefit from any future trade deals that the United Kingdom government would pull together. That's certainly not where I want to be. I want to be part of a 'global UK'."

Still not budging an inch then and has May dancing to the DUP tune. What a terrible mess.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

its all very murky over there, wouldnt surprise me if a Centrist party came through if they truly were centrist to pull in the votes from the less hardline SF and DUP voters

i think anything to get stormont back in power would be considered its ludicrous the littlest of things cant be dealt with over there at the moment because of it

yet over here in england no one seems to really care, its baffling, i cant imagine the welsh or scottish assembly would receive the same apathy tbh

There has been no centrist support of any voting significance for generations. Post Brexit there is zero possibility of it happening now that the border has again become central to our politics.

 

[davek]

Foster warns against Irish sea border after Barnier meeting

DUP leader Arlene Foster has repeated her insistence that there should be no customs or regulatory barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and said she had made this clear to the British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Speaking in the European Parliament following a meeting with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, Mrs Foster said the Brexit talks were entering a "critical phase".

She told reporters: "There cannot be barriers to trade in the UK internal market. It would damage the economic well being of Northern Ireland. Therefore we could not support any arrangement which would give rise to either customs or regulatory barriers within the UK internal market.

"The Prime Minister understands that position and I expect her to respect that position."

Speaking alongside DUP MEP Diane Dodds, Mrs Foster said she had not yet seen a fresh text on the Irish backstop, a guarantee of no hard border on the island of Ireland, from the British government.

Pressed if the DUP would veto any EU-UK agreement on the backstop, Mrs Foster said she would have to wait to see the detail of any text, and would not comment "in a vacuum".

But she appeared to reinforce the party's red line on checks along the Irish Sea in the event of the backstop taking effect.

"The whole point about checks is that there is a difference" she said. "Why would we need checks between Northern Ireland and GB, or between GB and Northern Ireland, if we were an integral part of the single market of the United Kingdom?"

Mrs Dodds said that Northern Ireland sold more goods to the GB market than the Republic of Ireland, the EU and the rest of the world "combined".

To put up tariff or non-tariff barriers would be "economically disastrous," she said.

She said regulatory checks as part of the backstop could mean Northern Irish milk being processed in England and turned into yoghurt or protein drinks facing checks when they came back into Northern Ireland.

Mrs Foster added: "If there was a border down the Irish Sea then NI would not be able to benefit from any future trade deals that the United Kingdom government would pull together. That's certainly not where I want to be. I want to be part of a 'global UK'."

Still not budging an inch then and has May dancing to the DUP tune. What a terrible mess.

Listening to that flunky Dominic Raab in the Commons today, he makes use of the words 'no intention' (of a sea border / customs union for N.I. etc.)

They are woolly words and it's little wonder the DUP flat earth society are on their mettle about the advancing talks with the EU.

 

[Caolam]

i like the whisky!

Coleraine whisky is rough, Bushmills is the one

 

[summerisle]

 

[bigbadjeff]

Coleraine whisky is rough, Bushmills is the one

Black Bush or 10 yr old single malt my friend

 

[Carl O'Ancelotti]

Good news, it sounds like the DUP are prepared to bring down the government. Wish they would hurry up and get on with it.


DUP preparing to vote against May's budget if Brexit red lines breached

DUP MPs are preparing to vote against British Prime Minister Theresa May’s budget if she breaks their Brexit red lines.

The radical move is one of the options being considered by the DUP if attempts to nail down a deal with Brussels include any proposals that would leave Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the UK, the Press Association understands.

Losing the party's support in the Commons would mean possible defeat on the budget and a no-confidence vote.

DUP leader Arlene Foster insisted yesterday that her party would not accept customs or regulatory checks on goods travelling in either direction between Northern Ireland and Britain after meeting the European Union’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Brussels.

A DUP spokesman said: "The Government is well aware of our position on this issue. Our position hasn't changed and we don't expect the Government will change its position."

The DUP has ten MPs, although Ian Paisley will not be able to vote in the Commons until 20 November after being suspended for failing to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government.

Downing Street insisted that defeat on the budget would not amount to a vote of no confidence in the Government under the terms of the legislation which provides for fixed-term, five-year parliaments.

"The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act sets out the circumstances for a confidence vote," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

 

[Khalekan]

Good news, it sounds like the DUP are prepared to bring down the government. Wish they would hurry up and get on with it.


DUP preparing to vote against May's budget if Brexit red lines breached

DUP MPs are preparing to vote against British Prime Minister Theresa May’s budget if she breaks their Brexit red lines.

The radical move is one of the options being considered by the DUP if attempts to nail down a deal with Brussels include any proposals that would leave Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the UK, the Press Association understands.

Losing the party's support in the Commons would mean possible defeat on the budget and a no-confidence vote.

DUP leader Arlene Foster insisted yesterday that her party would not accept customs or regulatory checks on goods travelling in either direction between Northern Ireland and Britain after meeting the European Union’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Brussels.

A DUP spokesman said: "The Government is well aware of our position on this issue. Our position hasn't changed and we don't expect the Government will change its position."

The DUP has ten MPs, although Ian Paisley will not be able to vote in the Commons until 20 November after being suspended for failing to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government.

Downing Street insisted that defeat on the budget would not amount to a vote of no confidence in the Government under the terms of the legislation which provides for fixed-term, five-year parliaments.

"The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act sets out the circumstances for a confidence vote," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

You really could not make this up.

This Foster woman, currently revelling in her Andy Warhol moment and threatening yer actual British government, is not even an MP.

She is a Queen without a crown.....the parliament over which she presided has long since been suspended as a direct result of her refussl to stand aside temporarily whilst her role in the RHI scandal was investigated by the Public Inquiry currently taking place in Belfast.

May should tell her to sod off....and see how she likes the prospect of Corbyn in Downing Street.

(which BTW is the reason why the DUP will not bring the Tories down....Foster’s fifteen minutes will be up)

 

[Carl O'Ancelotti]

You really could not make this up.

This Foster woman, currently revelling in her Andy Warhol moment and threatening her actual British government, is not even an MP.

She is a Queen without a crown.....the parliament over which she presided has long since been suspended on account of she refused to stand aside temporarily whilst her role in the RHI scandal was investigated by the Public Inquiry currently taking place in Belfast.

May should tell her to sod off....and see how she likes the prospect of Corbyn in Downing Street.

(which BTW is the reason why the DUP will not bring the Tories down....Foster’s fifteen minutes will be up)

The proverbial is going to hit the fan soon, so we'll know one way or the other.

 

[Emlynsqueakyvoice]

The proverbial is going to hit the fan soon, so we'll know one way or the other.

A couple of billion will grease the wheels. Arlene will 'get a guarantee' about the limited length of a customs arrangement in the Irish Sea. It will be a fudge, like Blair's side letters during the GFA, and by the time the 'guarantee' has expired the people will be used to the arrangement. Never forget, Arlene and Co love money.

Hope I'm wrong by the way!

 

[peteblue]

You really could not make this up.

This Foster woman, currently revelling in her Andy Warhol moment and threatening yer actual British government, is not even an MP.

She is a Queen without a crown.....the parliament over which she presided has long since been suspended as a direct result of her refussl to stand aside temporarily whilst her role in the RHI scandal was investigated by the Public Inquiry currently taking place in Belfast.

May should tell her to sod off....and see how she likes the prospect of Corbyn in Downing Street.

(which BTW is the reason why the DUP will not bring the Tories down....Foster’s fifteen minutes will be up)

I may be wrong, but I think you underestimate that particular woman......

 

[Alan Whittle]

I love the letters pages in the Tory papers on the Irish border subject. All the one from addresses in England say it's an EU con and easy to solve and all the ones with Irish addresses ( both sides of the border) say it's a real issue and a harbinger of further troubles.
Surely the English not bungling over Ireland again!

 

[Khalekan]

I may be wrong, but I think you underestimate that particular woman......

Which one?

 

[peteblue]

I love the letters pages in the Tory papers on the Irish border subject. All the one from addresses in England say it's an EU con and easy to solve and all the ones with Irish addresses ( both sides of the border) say it's a real issue and a harbinger of further troubles.
Surely the English not bungling over Ireland again!

You’re probably right, the EU, unlike the U.K. has suffered terribly because of the troubles and obviously fully understands the issues.......