Originally Posted by
shropshiregirl
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OMG, where does one start! I’ve been going cross-eyed trying to get even the gist of that 500 odd page draft agreement. Below is the little of what I have gleaned. I’m sure someone will correct me if it is wrong, There is such a lot to try and take in with what little infornation we plebs have been given.
Little wonder Arleen and her colleagues are spitting with fury with the blow they have been dealt by Theresa May’s betrayal. What I find hard to believe is how she could ever have agreed to the temporary backstop entrapping Northern Ireland and the UK to ever be put into place, knowing that if we are unhappy with how things are progressing, we have no right,(even though we have already left the EU), to be independent enough to say, “it is not working for us”. Instead, the decision of whether or not we will even be allowed to leave will be in the hands of an “Independent Panel” to determine whether we will be able to leave!! I cannot also believe that even though we will be out of the EU, we will still in some cases, have to make checks on goods leaving the mainland destined for another part of the UK - namely, Northern Ireland??? How the hell did that come about? I could understand if it was destined for Southern Ireland, but this should be unacceptable as it is basically a border in the middle of the sea!.
The backstop will also come under the jurisdiction of the “European Court of Justice,” again, another red line. So there are two to begin with. Keeping us in a Customs Union and still being under the ruling of the ECJ..
Just one mention of Immigration control in the draft agreement,
“The UK will “take back control” of migration from the EU, but it will happen slowly.
Fishing Rights - In the small print amongst all the jargon, there will be no conclusion until 2021 but it has been worded in such a way that French and Spanish fishermen will have the same rights as British Fishermen.
British and Scottish fishermen are said to be absolutely furious and betrayed by the government after the announcement of the implementation period effectively keeping the industry under the control of the CFP until 2020.
Fishing for Leave said: “The transition means obeying all EU law, allowing the EU to enforce detrimental laws to massacre what’s left of the British fleet. This would allow the EU to cite international law to claim the “surplus” resources Britain would no longer have the fleet to catch. If Mrs May has capitulated to EU demands to sacrifice fishing for this deal it is even more reprehensible. MP’s in coastal constituencies and beyond will be massacred.
Being a free, sovereign nation after the short term of separation is a far bigger boom than staying shackled as a vassal state to a failed EU that we voted to leave”.
Economy - Brussels has demanded “dynamic alignment” on state aid, which basically means the UK is only allowed to “cut and paste” EU regulations as they are issued. Britain must also transfer three EU tax directives into law - on the exchange of tax information, reporting on investment firms and the EU’s code of conduct on taxation.
“Non-Regression clauses” will also prevent the UK from bringing in lower standards on social, environmental and labour regulations such as working hours.
Many of these requirements would also be anathema to Conservative Brexiteers, for whom leaving the EU represented an opportunity to head towards a low-tax, light-regulation economy such as that seen in Singapore.
Well, that is as much as I have been able to digest so far, what with the spectacle of so many MP’s and PPS’s resigning and listening to the pummelling Theresa May is receiving in the House.
Just heard on the news that Jacob RM has put forward a letter for a leadership challenge!!!