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Brexit: UK 'may consider longer transition period'

Theresa May is willing to consider extending the proposed 21-month transition period after Brexit to break the current deadlock over Northern Ireland, senior EU officials have said.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said No 10 had refused to rule out extending it during a summit in Brussels.

The PM has been addressing EU leaders in the hope of advancing the process. EU officials said insufficient progress had been made to call a special summit of leaders next month to draft a deal.

But they said talks should continue in the hope of forging an agreement as soon as possible.

After speaking to her 27 counterparts for about 20 minutes, Mrs May said she remained confident of a "good outcome" and called for "courage, trust and leadership" on both sides.

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 - but an agreement on how this will happen is proving elusive amid differences over how to prevent a hard border in Ireland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45897253

Thoughts on this? It appears then predictions that we'll end up just kicking this can down the road may soon come to fruition if this current negotiation strategy from May continues. Which it appears she is given she's still clinging to the Chequer's plan.
Reply 1
Original post by MrDystopia
Theresa May is willing to consider extending the proposed 21-month transition period after Brexit to break the current deadlock over Northern Ireland, senior EU officials have said.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said No 10 had refused to rule out extending it during a summit in Brussels.

The PM has been addressing EU leaders in the hope of advancing the process. EU officials said insufficient progress had been made to call a special summit of leaders next month to draft a deal.

But they said talks should continue in the hope of forging an agreement as soon as possible.

After speaking to her 27 counterparts for about 20 minutes, Mrs May said she remained confident of a "good outcome" and called for "courage, trust and leadership" on both sides.

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 - but an agreement on how this will happen is proving elusive amid differences over how to prevent a hard border in Ireland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45897253

Thoughts on this? It appears then predictions that we'll end up just kicking this can down the road may soon come to fruition if this current negotiation strategy from May continues. Which it appears she is given she's still clinging to the Chequer's plan.


I wonder which will happen first: the end of the (extended) transition phase or a general election... :beard:
Original post by Doonesbury
I wonder which will happen first: the end of the (extended) transition phase or a general election... :beard:


Think it all comes down to what happens in these next couple of months. The EU have reportedly shelved plans for their November meeting regarding Brexit, so really we don't know where May's Chequer's plan stands. Seems like everyone has rejected it, and any concession on the Irish backstop would automatically see the DUP pull support.
Original post by MrDystopia
Theresa May is willing to consider extending the proposed 21-month transition period after Brexit to break the current deadlock over Northern Ireland, senior EU officials have said.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said No 10 had refused to rule out extending it during a summit in Brussels.

The PM has been addressing EU leaders in the hope of advancing the process. EU officials said insufficient progress had been made to call a special summit of leaders next month to draft a deal.

But they said talks should continue in the hope of forging an agreement as soon as possible.

After speaking to her 27 counterparts for about 20 minutes, Mrs May said she remained confident of a "good outcome" and called for "courage, trust and leadership" on both sides.

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 - but an agreement on how this will happen is proving elusive amid differences over how to prevent a hard border in Ireland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45897253

Thoughts on this? It appears then predictions that we'll end up just kicking this can down the road may soon come to fruition if this current negotiation strategy from May continues. Which it appears she is given she's still clinging to the Chequer's plan.


Yep she’s trying more can kicking extending the period of uncertainties will end up doing more economic damage than just getting it over and done with.

Upheaval comes with large changes the sooner people accept that the sooner we can get on with our new choice of direction.
This could have been avoided if the doyens of Brexit had set out a viable strategy for leaving the EU prior to the referendum rather than just trying to appeal to people's emotions.
Original post by Violet Femme
This could have been avoided if the doyens of Brexit had set out a viable strategy for leaving the EU prior to the referendum rather than just trying to appeal to people's emotions.


Those brexit campaigners either want no deal and go to WTO or they want the Canada plus deal the eu has already offered us.

You can’t blame them for an indecisive PM, an election that got rid of their majority and the constant campaigning by remainers for a soft brexit causing as much hassle as possible.
Original post by paul514
Those brexit campaigners either want no deal and go to WTO or they want the Canada plus deal the eu has already offered us.


No, they made vague commitments with reference to pre-existing arrangements. But they didn't explore the details and it is the details which matter. Which is why there is still no viable proposal for the Irish border.


You can’t blame them for an indecisive PM, an election that got rid of their majority and the constant campaigning by remainers for a soft brexit causing as much hassle as possible.


Brexit supporters like to blame everyone but themselves.
@Violet Femme

You can say no but it’s still the truth that’s what they want and either option is on offer right now.
The truth is that May cannot deliver Brexit. The backbenchers won't accept the extent of the divorce bill and the DUP won't accept a hard border. Whichever way she plays it she is going to lose the majority needed. She is buying time off the rest of our backs.

The UK does not need a longer transitional period, it needs to decide whether it is going to pay the divorce bill and solve the border issue or not, more time isn't going to magically solve these problems. The more time spent on these problems, the less time spent on other important problems like air travel and the rights of expats and tourists.
We all knew Brexit would get fudged even before the referendum victory, and if they are sucessful in keeping us in it will prove that democracy is dead in the UK and we are truly a satellite puppet state of the EUSSR.
Crisis now or crisis later, it's hard to choose.
The crisis is everywhere in politics, the problem is we all assume we understand each other’s reasons for voting this way or that. I am a brexiteer I was sad to do it but it had to be done, because although I fervently believe that cooperation between nations is essential to mankind’s continuing growth and that the EU was a good idea in principle. However it is badly run with clunky mechanics, the system is about pleasing everyone but you can never do that the trick is to hurt everyone as little as possible so very few get exactly what they want but the majority can live with the system without to much pain. Britain is in ruins at present if we just open our eyes and see it.
Police are stretched to thier limit and seem to concentrate more on car crime than anything else.
NHS is at breaking point from underfunding and overuse.
There’s a housing crisis, an environmental crisis that been building for years with little true improvement. This is the problem with a capitalist system money becomes the end not the means. Don’t think that makes me a communist because it doesn’t work properly either, we should be looking for a middle ground where hard work and innovation are rewarded but where wealth is spread more equitably and fairly, surely nurses and soldiers and firemen deserve more and superstar footballers, actors and musicians can handle having a little less. I am not saying they shouldn’t be able to earn good money but the amounts can be staggering, some earn more in a week than I have earned so far in my life. No one needs that sort of money and the saving of such huge amounts is detrimental to society the purpose of money is to move, transactions are the lifeblood of economics and trade, politicians are too worried about looking good to make hard decisions and always react to problems with short term fixes(or not), we need a proactive approach to politics, but until a much larger percentage of the population takes an interest in politics there is little chance of change. Maybe when they start taxing O2 people will sit up and pay attention.
Original post by MrDystopia
Theresa May is willing to consider extending the proposed 21-month transition period after Brexit to break the current deadlock over Northern Ireland, senior EU officials have said.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said No 10 had refused to rule out extending it during a summit in Brussels.

The PM has been addressing EU leaders in the hope of advancing the process. EU officials said insufficient progress had been made to call a special summit of leaders next month to draft a deal.

But they said talks should continue in the hope of forging an agreement as soon as possible.

After speaking to her 27 counterparts for about 20 minutes, Mrs May said she remained confident of a "good outcome" and called for "courage, trust and leadership" on both sides.

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 - but an agreement on how this will happen is proving elusive amid differences over how to prevent a hard border in Ireland.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45897253

Thoughts on this? It appears then predictions that we'll end up just kicking this can down the road may soon come to fruition if this current negotiation strategy from May continues. Which it appears she is given she's still clinging to the Chequer's plan.

******** is what it is. A ploy to keep us in with their conniving ways. It's unacceptable. They said a
Ll but Irish Border was agreed, now they want an extension.

This'll please remoaners but it's undemocratic, we moan at Russia not having democracy (fixed) so how can UK accuse when same being done.

Leavers should take to streetsif they extend!
Original post by paul514
Yep she’s trying more can kicking extending the period of uncertainties will end up doing more economic damage than just getting it over and done with.

Upheaval comes with large changes the sooner people accept that the sooner we can get on with our new choice of direction.

Indeed. The EU will be happy to have uncertainty for longer as it will draw more businesses from us to them instead. They may not be able to move on with change either, but at least people have an idea of what the EU without Britain will be like.
An extremely stupid idea. What we need NOW is some clarity and good as well as strong leadership not an extended flip-flop period.

The entire UK is virtually closed for business as it is with the current fog and clouds.

Just get on with a HARD Brexit and we all suffer pain just this once and then we can move on as well as start doing business.

Believe it or not, Dyson won't even put their plant to build electric cars in England but in car unfriendly Singapore.
Original post by MrDystopia

Thoughts on this? It appears then predictions that we'll end up just kicking this can down the road may soon come to fruition if this current negotiation strategy from May continues. Which it appears she is given she's still clinging to the Chequer's plan.


I don't think it matters what deal is on the table, Chequers, Canada, Norway, hard Brexit. Makes no difference. NI would still be a problem. If we are not prepared to have a hard border between the UK and Europe, then what alternatives are there? Leaving with no deal in the hard Brexit scenario will not make any difference. The border has to be somewhere and the options are either between North and South Ireland (return to terrorism - this has been ruled out by all parties) or the Irish Sea (Tories lose power) in which case the next government will probably choose the Irish Sea as long as the DUP are not king makers. There is no choice. It is a border down the Irish Sea or nothing. Chequers, Canada or whatever other trade deal we negotiate has nothing to do with anything. This is pure politics and to be fair, May is doing a pretty good job given the hostility of those around her.
The extended customs union membership is not in itself an issue, what matters is that there is no end date. Without an end date the EU have no incentive to progress a free trade deal because they have Northern Ireland over a barrel.

Parliament will not tolerate a border down the Irish Sea and rightfully so (there should be a hard border) which means that May is trapped until and unless the EU agree to a date (which the Irish government don't want because they are greedy land grabbers).

We are basically in a situation where the EU could hold out and cause no deal or we could agree the deal within an hour.
Original post by Doonesbury
I wonder which will happen first: the end of the (extended) transition phase or a general election... :beard:

General election regardless.

May did not come into politics for Brexit and will want a mandate to do her own stuff. If we get a new leader, there will be pressure to hold one and they won't put up with inheriting a minority.

I have always said since the election flop that summer 2019 will likely see a new election.

Plus in theory the trade negotiations will be easier.

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