Re: Deal before Year End?

As yet another "nudge"for the EU, today the continuity agreements with Norway and Iceland have been signed!
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/u...uity-agreement

"Brexit Britain secures £20billion agreement with Norway and Iceland as EU talks on brink"
says The Expess though nowhere else is reporting it yet.

'Ms Truss tweeted: "Today we have secured continuity for businesses trading goods with Norway and Iceland, worth over £20 billion last year. "We're looking forward to a more comprehensive FTA with Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein that will come into force in 2021." '

Re: Deal before Year End?

This is more great news. Not just for trade but also for fishing and marine conservation.

Thanks for posting Zaphod !

Re: Deal before Year End?

Here's another interesting bit that UK media probably won't cover.

"Spain’s foreign minister on Brexit: ‘We need a deal’ "
"Spain's desire for an agreement reflects the shades of differences on Brexit among the EU27. While all of the EU national leaders have said that a bad deal would be worse than no deal, some capitals clearly dread the prospect of a no-deal scenario more than others. "
https://www.politico.eu/article/spai...SS_Syndication

Have a read.
It confirms what I have said all along, which is that some EU members know they will suffer hugely if the EU continues being unreasonable and forces a no deal Brexit.

Re: Deal before Year End?

The Spanish need to shut up about Gibraltar first.

Re: Deal before Year End?

I noticed she chose her words carefully when talking about sovreignty
Zaphod? She said we need to MANAGE sovreignty carefully !!
what does that mean??
She is obviously aware how much Spain will be affected!!
But they all make the mistake thinking trade will stop dead in
january ?? I suppose because they have been preaching armageddon
to us for 4yrs that they believe it themselves ??
Armageddon will only happen if the commission wish it to??

Donkeyman! 👍😁👍

Re: Deal before Year End?

What Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya actually said was " ... and this is why we need a deal, because we need to manage our interdependence."

She does indeed realise how badly Spain will be affected and as such she mentions this interdependence a few times, like:
"We know what it will mean for shipments of fruits and vegetables. We know what it will mean for the activities of banks and automobile factories. And because we know all of this — it's called interdependence — our obligation is to find a deal. Now that's not a deal at any cost".

The last there IMHO is a nod towards the EU's official stance - but of course the UK's request for a basic trade deal is not asking for anything beyond what any other EU trade deal has already provided.
Without any EU demands to cede sovereignty, either.

It's a pragmatic approach from her recognizing that Spain and the UK rely upon each other in some areas.
Reading between the lines I think she understands what I have suggested many times before, which is that the UK can buy fruit & veg. from where we want and holiday where we want to if the EU's stance makes buying Spanish fruit & veg and holidays more expensive in the future.
It would however (as we know) be difficult for Spain to make up for the possibly very significant loss of so much UK-sourced income because of EU policies.

HTH

Re: Deal before Year End?

Thanks for your explanation and correction of what she said Zaphod!
But l still believe her statement is open to two interpretations,( not
unusual for eu officials?)
One where the eu needs to realise they also rely on uk trade etc??
And one where uk needs to manage its sovreignty ambitions to
accomodate eu's co-operation ,( supposedly?) ambitions??
So l dont put too much into what she said yet??
Overall lnthink we are now on the front foot !! Lets hope it keeps
that way !

Donkeyman! 👍😁👍

Re: Deal before Year End?

Spains only been a democracy for about 50 years. They are still figuring out how to do it

Re: Deal before Year End?

Oh absolutely; it's just like our own media where every bit of positivity absolutely has to include a "but".

None of the EU countries, Spain included, can be blatant yet and openly go against the EU stance.
Mutty would not be pleased, and it is she that is determining Barmier's (and vdLeyen's) hardline stance.


As The Times says:
' In the Bundestag Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said that as British and EU laws diverged, it was imperative that Brussels could prevent unfair competition. “We need to have a level playing field not only for today, but for tomorrow, and the day after that,” she said. '
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/n...sels-scsr5ppw5


Why do they need this "level playing field"?
Not a single deal anywhere in the world has such onerous conditions attatched which makes the real reason patently obvious; the two EU leaders (France and Germany) are trying their darndest to assert control over the UK where otherwise they have not been able to do so for centuries.
They know we are better than them, and they are scared witless.
That might be blunt but it is absolutely true.


https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2020/1...an-a-bad-deal/

Re: Deal before Year End?

I agree.
To be honest, I think this is to be expected of the Germans, going by their previous performances, but France?

When Germany threatened and then invaded France, they were our big buddies. They needed our help.
After their country was conquered, the Vichy French realised the best way to preserve their nation in some sort of form was to make an alliance with their conquerors.

I believe that this is happening again.

Deep down, the Frogs would like to rule Europe or, better still, the world. They'd love to have been able to do what we once did and rule a quarter of the entire world, but they never managed it. Although they don't rule the whole of Europe, they have settled for being joint rulers of the EU and, until recently, that included the one country they were most jealous of - us!

That, quite simply, is why they are so determined to keep us under their thumb, even if they have to share the prize with Germany.

What I'm getting round to saying is that with the Germans you know exactly where you stand.
With France, you don't really know whether they are your friends or your enemies.
I know which of those is the true situation.

Never trust the Frogs!