It’s not my country, these are not my own political concerns, not my people, etc., etc., so please excuse my ignorance in not understanding why this “Brexit” business requires any sort of “deal” to be made. After all, what could be easier than leaving? In Paul Simon’s words:
“You just slip out the back, Jack.
Make a new plan, Stan.
You don’t need to be coy, Roy.
Just get yourself free.
Hop on the bus, Gus.
You don’t need to discuss much.
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free.”
Or, to recall Douglas Adams on the dolphins leaving Earth, just say: “So long and thanks for all the fish.”
Unless, of course, someone in Brussels is trying to sprout something that, to me, looks suspiciously like a misguided attempt at blackmail. Why can such feeble arguments not be safely ignored? Disruption of trade? If you have something other people want, they will come. If you want something they have badly enough, you’ll probably expect to pay more. The same applies even within Britain’s own borders, after all, and, when I lived there, treated certain kinds of cheese as a rare luxury. Difficulty of travel? Who needs those other people anyway? What need is there for any of our type to visit them in their own lairs – which immigration has, unfortunately, rendered no longer the pleasant enough places they once were. The last time I checked, the UK still issued its own passports. Anyone with a serious enough reason to visit the continent should consider the minor inconvenience of having them examined by a Frog as part of the travel price.
Those who stand to make money from such things may fear that the Channel tunnel may fall into disuse, but how about this alternative scheme: use it as an exhaust duct, blowing Britain’s homegrown noxious gases, not least political speeches, eastward.
Elvis has left the building.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Good, simple logic.
I have the same opinion. Why all the fuss?
Just shake hands, offer friendship, and leave graciously.
Today, business is calling most of the shots, but what most people forget, is that one of the main jobs of business is to adapt to new situation and reduce risk. It’s what they do.
Hi, gaz! You are right. Big Biz will weather any storm and come through profitably. There will be no mass (bre)exit of factories and offices. With luck the only crush will be the sinking rats leaving Westminster.
It isn’t only immigration that has ruined many places in Europe. It’s an emotive topic, but it’s not the only thing that makes holidaying in much of Europe not be worth the effort any more. It is mass tourism and vulgar commercialisation. Waikiki, Times Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, etc. are much the same. They’ve lost any sense of what they once were and are now tourist dumps that most locals and long-term visitors would prefer to avoid. It doesn’t matter where you are, you see the same scams and the same gypoes playing the same covers whether you want to hear it or not. Better to stay in the boondocks and leave well enough alone.
Some long time ago a canny Scot said to me that mostly life was pretty simple – it was just that people liked to make it complicated… How right she was!
The question that was asked in the 1975 referendum was very simple: should Britain stay in the Common Market which it had joined in 1973… It was a straight forward Yes /No referendum. We were all promised on the lives of every politicians’ mother / grandmother / Uncle Tom Cobley an’ all who urged us to vote “Yes” that it was an economic union and would have no political implications whatsoever… and like lemmings rushing over the cliff, we all believed our pollies and voted “Yes”…
… and bit, by bit the right of Britain to set its own laws, deal with its own problems, to prefer its own industries and even to fish in its own waters were delivered into the hands of people who didn’t give a damn about Britain – other than the fact that Britain was the second largest contributor to the Great “United European Dream” (begun by the Romans, the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon, and Germany) alive and viable…
The fact that Britain opted out of the Holy Roman Empire, fought Napoleon, and various other German would-be-over-lords was totally overlooked…
The referendum of 2016 was also very simple – Stay in / Get Out. And Britain voted “OUT”. The biggest problem is that no one expected that answer – and not one person had made any plans about how to deal with that answer.
I don’t think there is a simple answer as to why Britain voted “Out”. But Britain voted “Out” and “Out” it should be. No “ifs”; “buts” – out!
But, that’s not the point – the point is why is Britain making such a dog’s dinner about getting out…
“So Long – and Thanks for the Fish” sounds pretty good – except of course the EU has nicked most of Britain’s fish…
Quite apart from Multi-National Companies who are using the EU to make huge (and obscene) profits, and individuals who are making huge (and obscene) profits from Britain’s membership of the EU, I suspect that there are a multitude of ‘private’ treaties’ etc that are not in the public eye that also have to be dealt with.
Gazoopi – I agree “Just shake hands, offer friendship, and leave graciously.” – but the EU does not want friendship – it wants Britain’s money.
I blame Nigel Farage., innit?
Absolutely it’s down to Nigel.
He is the most successful politician in recent times.
I can see no point in wasting anymore time in trying to negotiate a better deal with the EU.
I believe that the attitude of the EU has very little to do with the UK deciding to leave. This more about sending a warning to potentially wavering voters in Italy, Hungary and to the supporters of people like Marine La Penn to make it clear that any future attempt by any of them to leave the EU will be made as expensive, time consuming and punitive as they can possibly make it.
The EU negotiates only on behalf of the EU, as opposed negotiating for the people of Europe. Who would gain from giving the UK free trade deal? Everybody employed in manufacturing, agriculture or even just living in Europe and the UK. Who would lose? The EU. Their aim of a federal European superstate would be seen to be for what it is, a totally unnecessary level of government at ever increasing expense.
They will not renegotiate any deal with the UK because they fear it will send the wrong message across Europe and others will try to go down the same route and attempt to leave. So it’s pointless to even attempt to get a better deal, it’s time to just walk away. It doesn’t matter how long we talk, it won’t get any better. If Teresa May, (who they knew really wanted to stay in) couldn’t get a good enough deal to be able to come back and sell to the the British electorate, the likes of a real Brexiteers, such as JRM or Boris will have no chance of being offered anything remotely realistic.
They don’t want a deal, they want us as an example how teacher treats naughty children.
The only light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel is that the Europrats fear one thing more than a ‘fair deal’ – and that is no deal at all. The individual trading nations unlucky enough to be members of the EU will suffer mutiny from the traders themselves and the EU’s rules will go out of the window. If the UK Cabinet strong-arms the PM not to proceed with the draft deal, that is where we will end up.
jhleck – I think you have it in a nutshell. Just occasionally someone from the EU has let it slip that the whole idea is to ‘punish’ Britain …
What amazes me is why the British Government ever thought they could get a a ‘reasonable’ deal from the EU.
I don’t know about you guys, but I feel as though I am slowly losing the plot.
After watching the whole thing in Parliament on Thursday and wading through the deal, I had almost convinced myself that all three options were awful, but the deal being slightly less awful that remain or no deal, despite the incredible “no way out” clause.
Today, after diving into the real detail of a potential no deal, I am changing my mind again. There is not really such a thing as no deal. The politicians will scramble around making ad hoc deals all over the place if we simply wave goodbye.
I do keep asking myself why TM is pushing for a deal that we can never sign up to. It is simply to demonstrate to the EU that they need to compromise? Is it to force another referendum, with the hope of remaining?
What’s going on?
Talking of departure, Boadicea (and Bearsy).
Thanks for all the fun over the years. Good luck in the future.
Thanks a muckle Mr Mackie, Sir, and similar reciprocal wishes, but I wasn’t aware that we were departing just yet. 😊
Or do you refer to your own presence? If that’s the case Quo vadis? or Whither goest thou? or even Ble wyt ti’n mynd? We’d rather you stayed. 😎
Bearsy’s comment seconded.
JM, why not just drop in occasionally – as you have done for some time? No call for a flounce!
Get ye back here, castle-dweller and none of your snash.
John: Why would you want to leave?
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