Dear EU,

[original PM]

They're going to do the things that are in the best interests of the EU.

They don't _have_ to offer the UK anything, why can't you whiny snowflake Brexiters understand that, instead of getting all pouty?

Just man up and leave.

I am not asking them to not make it in the best interest of the EU - but they need to realise we can just leave and ignore what they say.

So make something useful for both parties.

[PurpleGorilla]

Dear EU,

It would be up to the sovereign UK parliament, I would think, to decide whether another referendum is needed, or whether a simple act of parliament is required. It might be sensible given that there will be a deal on the table to define what Leave means.

I don't think we will get another referendum, but it's a possibility.

But I would simply say that we would have ZERO credibility if we revoke A50. We would have to take the whole EU project in our milk bottle, stick the teet in our mouths and suck it up.

"He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."

[sasguru]

but they need to realise we can just leave .

I so want us to "just leave"
The resulting chaos in the UK will be good for the soul. And the education of the masses.
And for a small minority of us, the pocket.

[northernladyuk]

I don't think we will get another referendum, but it's a possibility.

But I would simply say that we would have ZERO credibility if we revoke A50. We would have to take the whole EU project in our milk bottle, stick the teet in our mouths and suck it up.

"He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."

The UK is probably past the point of worrying about credibility.

But whether through act of parliament or referendum, it would be a good thing to have a choice between remaining or a defined post-Leave settlement. I might even vote Leave myself. I don't have any great affection for the EU, always taking the Tony Benn view of an unaccountable European Commission, but I wasn't prepared to vote for an unknown alternative, which would IMO probably lead to a hard-right Tory unwinding of employment rights and other protections.

Let's see what comes out of the negotiations and then take a mature considered decision between two known alternatives.

[BlasterBates]

I so want us to "just leave"
The resulting chaos in the UK will be good for the soul. And the education of the masses.
And for a small minority of us, the pocket.

I have a hobby chasing economic storms, I think this would be one hell of a "Twister".

[BlasterBates]

I am not asking them to not make it in the best interest of the EU - but they need to realise we can just leave and ignore what they say.

So make something useful for both parties.

.....and of course vice versa.

[Lost It]

Money talks Bul$$$ walks.

The French will be difficult until we threaten to buy more Japanese cars and less French ones. Same with Germany.

How many french cars have the UK bought recently. Same with Germany. I reckon we must be one of there biggest markets.

No big loss as Renault/Peugeout etc are all aload of cr$$ anyway.

Didn't they Frenchies just buy Vauxhall? Wouldn't that kind of pre-empt the thinking that they will be soon producing Vauxhalls with rather more French content than before to get around any trade tarrifs that the EU might try to impose do you think?

I've seen the Mini plant at Oxford. They make next to nothing there, they assemble from parts but all the bits that make a Mini do come in by truck. Which are mainly LHD ones with driver's whose first language isn't English.... Except the steel body shells.

We are a net importer of car parts, a net exporter of the completed assembled vehicles. And all of those goods would have been purchased so the logistics trail is already in place.

Way I see it, should the rest of the EU decide to impose tarriffs (or be forced to due to the WTF agreement) it will not be to our disadvantage because the tarrifs should balance out. With a bit either way...

I think from that perspective, if we build more vehicles for export than the other EU countries build to send here for us to buy then once all the bits that have to be imported to make the cars we export to the EU balance out, it may be easier to simply buy Japanese... Or any other country that isn't part of the EU.

Construction wise,well many world projects use British knowhow, are staffed by British Engineers and many Brit companies have fingers in many foreign projects one way or another. I don't see this being a problem either.
We are still net exporters on the Infrastructure side.

It's going to be an interesting few years. I hopemy c stays away long enough to enjoy it.

[northernladyuk]

.....and of course vice versa.

No. The UK must have everything it wants or it's not 'fair'.

[original PM]

No. The UK must have everything it wants or it's not 'fair'.

Ok so do individual countries in the EU want to continue to trade with the UK in a mutually beneficial way? Yes

Does the EU want their members to do trade with the UK in a mutually beneficial way? well it appears the answer is no.

Now does that distill one of the challenges to a level which makes it clear?

[Lost It]

The UK is probably past the point of worrying about credibility.

But whether through act of parliament or referendum, it would be a good thing to have a choice between remaining or a defined post-Leave settlement. I might even vote Leave myself. I don't have any great affection for the EU, always taking the Tony Benn view of an unaccountable European Commission, but I wasn't prepared to vote for an unknown alternative, which would IMO probably lead to a hard-right Tory unwinding of employment rights and other protections.

Let's see what comes out of the negotiations and then take a mature considered decision between two known alternatives.

Pretty sure the Tories, using their instrument the HMRC are already doing a fair job of eroding some of those "rights" depending on how you view it.

I'm sure we'll be fine. We survived quite well before the EEC. Don't see any reason why we cannot do this again. There won't be an alternative. We are out bar the shouting. The EU cannot afford to give us an alternative, they really don't want any other country following our lead...