I asked a very simple question about what the EU could do to make this easier. I didn’t expect to get an answer and sure enough I didn’t get one. Credit for at least replying. Now perhaps try again and ask what the EU could do to make it easier.......again I expect no answers because you guys daren’t suggest anything that doesn’t attack the U.K.........
I don't believe the question was put to me but I'll answer as best I can anyway.
The UK voted for Brexit and the EU accepted this as the democratic will of the people. From virtually the day after the referendum vote the EU were telling the UK to get on with it and enact Article 50. For some reason only the Tory government knows they delayed nine months.
As the UK started the Brexit process it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that the EU have responded by saying "hang on okay let's all get stuck into very detailed and costly negotiations but you do just need to give us assurances on our three most important issues - Ireland, Divorce Bill and EU citizens in the UK."
The Divorce Bill was settled very quickly. Likewise the status of EU citizens in the UK is mostly settled. Both could have been done a lot quicker.
On Ireland it should never have taken until December for the UK to agree three scenarios for the Irish border. First preference of all was a trade agreement which is stage 2 of the talks. Second was the UK's high-tech solution for which there are still no proper details. I mean how is that possible? The third was the fall back of a customs union.
The three key issues all involve catastrophic impacts on the EU and its citizens caused by Brexit. Surely you'd agree its reasonable to ask for assurances on those first?
Could the EU have agreed to run trade talks in parallel? Maybe but clearly the issue there is that EU citizens either on the Irish border or living in the UK end up getting traded against fish quotas and tarrifs on cars or something.
It takes two to make goodwill work. The UK was never going to throw out its EU citizens so why the delay in agreeing their permanent residency? If you're the Polish or Irish PM you have to protect your citizens.
In summary I think the EU could have offered some kind of parallel run of trade talks but that would assume a level of intelligence and integrity that I'm unsure the UK leadership possesses in order to manage that in tandem with the current talks.
I think the very fact that we are seeing open war in the governing Tory party after a general election was called specifically in order to avoid such a mess says it all and points the finger squarely at London as the prime cause of this mess.
Going into a form of coalition with the DUP to cling on to power was a shameful move by Theresa May. They do not represent the views of Northern Ireland on Brexit (very far from it) yet have a say at the highest table. That's wrong surely?
Back on topic of the thread - if the UK government has a technological solution to the Irish border issue then a) why haven't they shared all the details? and b) why are they back peddling on an agreement already signed in December to find a way forward on the Irish border?
