Brexit: UK not standing up to Brussels bullies, says Raab

[♥ Lily ♥]

Brexit: UK not standing up to Brussels bullies, says Raab

18/11/18


Dominic Raab says he quit the cabinet over "fatal flaws" in the draft Brexit agreement with the EU

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has criticised the government's "lack of political will and resolve" in dealing with the European Union.

Mr Raab, who quit on Thursday over the Brexit deal, told the Sunday Times the UK should not allow itself to be "bullied", and must be prepared to walk away from negotiations if necessary.

There has been widespread criticism of the PM's draft withdrawal agreement.

However, Theresa May dismissed suggestions the deal could be amended.

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, believed to be one of five cabinet ministers hoping to persuade the prime minister to rethink her plan, has said there is "still the potential to improve" the agreement.

But Mrs May, writing in the Sun on Sunday, insisted again it was the only deal that would work.

"There is no alternative plan on the table. There is no different approach that we could agree with the EU," she said.

The publication of the draft withdrawal agreement on Wednesday prompted the start of a tumultuous few days for Mrs May, with two senior ministers and several other junior ministers and aides resigning.

Some Conservative Brexiteers who are unhappy with it have also been submitting letters of no-confidence in Mrs May.

'Afraid of our shadow'

Mr Raab said if a deal could not be closed "on reasonable terms we need to be very honest with the country that we will not be bribed and blackmailed or bullied, and we will walk away".

He also warned against looking "like we're afraid of our own shadow".

"I think there is one thing that is missing and that is political will and resolve," he said. "I am not sure that message has ever landed."

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Mr Raab was careful not to attack the PM directly in his newspaper interview.

The 585-page draft document sets out the terms of the UK's departure, including details such as how much money will be paid to the EU, details of the transition period and citizens' rights.

Both the UK and the EU want to avoid a hard Northern Ireland border so they agreed to include in the deal a "backstop" - or back-up plan - in case they cannot reach a long-term trade agreement which does this.

This would mean Northern Ireland would stay more closely aligned to some EU rules, which critics say is unacceptable.

And the UK would not be able to leave the backstop without the EU's consent.

The former Brexit secretary is not one of the Conservative Brexiteers to have submitted a letter of no-confidence in Mrs May.

If 48 letters are sent, then a vote will be triggered and she could face a challenge to her leadership.

Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, the party's London mayoral candidate in 2016, has revealed he has sent a letter.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Brexiteer said that under the PM's plan "in effect, Britain would remain in the EU, but without having any say".

He added: "Had that been the choice, I personally would have voted to remain."

MPs will get the chance to vote on the deal in Parliament, after it is approved by the EU next Sunday, 25 November.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46250607

[♥ Lily ♥]

Brexit: A guide to where we are: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46192884

[♥ Lily ♥]

Reality Check: What does the draft agreement reveal? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46212838

[♥ Lily ♥]

Rules for any challenge to Theresa May: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45953182

[♥ Lily ♥]

Danger has not passed for Theresa May: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46242217

[♥ Lily ♥]

Brexit: Where we are in eight charts: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46234602

[Grace O'Malley]

How are you going to satisfy everyone though? Brexiteers want a hard Brexit which would be disaster. A hard Brexit would mean a hard border in Northern Ireland for starters and even Unionists don't want that. Britain will have to look for trade agreements with the rest of the world and they aren't going to get any favours from other countries. I know you are a Brexiteer but it is something I don't understand. A lot of British (& some others think the EU isn't democratic) but it gives everyone representation. Countries have more clout being part of a bigger block like the EU than on their own. It's a bit delusional to think you can go it alone and be as successful. Even Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are part of the Custom's Union which I think is Britain's best bet but Brexiteers don't even want that.

People need to be a bit more pragmatic and not be swayed by delusional thinking. Where is Britain going to get nurses and doctors to keep the hospitals staffed? A lot came from the EU previously and I was reading they are looking to the Philippines for nurses because already some of EU staff have left. They don't have enough doctors and nurses in the UK to staff the hospitals. That's just focusing on one example.

The UK was already divided with the Brexit vote i.e. Scotland and NI voting remain and England and Wales voting leave. I'd like to see what happens if things don't turn out as rosy as people think? I can see Scotland calling for another referendum. With the backstop it guarantees no hard border between NI and Ireland so whether people like it or not that means NI will have to stay in some kind of customs union. How else can it be done?

As I've said I just don't understand what people want or expect from Brexit? Do they even know themselves?

Everyone has a choice but I like people to explain to me what advantages they see here?

[♥ Lily ♥]

How are you going to satisfy everyone though? Brexiteers want a hard Brexit which would be disaster. A hard Brexit would mean a hard border in Northern Ireland for starters and even Unionists don't want that. Britain will have to look for trade agreements with the rest of the world and they aren't going to get any favours from other countries. I know you are a Brexiteer but it is something I don't understand. A lot of British (& some others think the EU isn't democratic) but it gives everyone representation. Countries have more clout being part of a bigger block like the EU than on their own. It's a bit delusional to think you can go it alone and be as successful. Even Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are part of the Custom's Union which I think is Britain's best bet but Brexiteers don't even want that.

People need to be a bit more pragmatic and not be swayed by delusional thinking. Where is Britain going to get nurses and doctors to keep the hospitals staffed? A lot came from the EU previously and I was reading they are looking to the Philippines for nurses because already some of EU staff have left. They don't have enough doctors and nurses in the UK to staff the hospitals. That's just focusing on one example.

The UK was already divided with the Brexit vote i.e. Scotland and NI voting remain and England and Wales voting leave. I'd like to see what happens if things don't turn out as rosy as people think? I can see Scotland calling for another referendum. With the backstop it guarantees no hard border between NI and Ireland so whether people like it or not that means NI will have to stay in some kind of customs union. How else can it be done?

As I've said I just don't understand what people want or expect from Brexit? Do they even know themselves?

Everyone has a choice but I like people to explain to me what advantages they see here?

Where is the UK going to get nurses and doctors from? Our own country. You think we don't have skilled people in our own country?

British jobs for British workers!!! People all across the UK were arrested before they have a chance to protest about British jobs for British workers after national outrage broke-out over lots of British people being turned away from job interviews as soon as the employers saw they had British nationality on their CV's... and they employed only foreign people for cheaper pay who are stealing our jobs. Why should our jobs go to foreigners when there's British people seeking jobs?! The promise of 'British Jobs for British Workers' wasn't fulfillled.

We need a hard Brexit out of the EU dictatorship. Our independence to elect the people who will make our laws rather than having unelected Eurocrats in Brussels making the vast majority of UK laws.

There's a big world to trade with (including the Commonwealth nations - our own kith & kin) outside of the EU's economic prison. They currently forbid us from being able to do more trade with our own Commonwealth nations and with the global world.

It's great for the Cornish and Scottish fishermen too.

The Irish voted NO to the Lisbon Treaty, but sadly the EU dictators forced the Irish people to have a revote until they changed their vote to suit the EUSSR dictators. When UKIP arrived in the EU parliament wearing sweaters and holding placards stating 'Respect The Irish Vote'... the arrogant EU dictators told them to 'take down those placards.' It's a dictatorship when an elected Italian government was removed and an elected Greek leader was removed and they were replaced by pro-EU puppet governments. The French and Dutch votes were arrogantly ignored by the Eurocrats (unelected EU presidents making the vast majority of laws for 500 million Europeans.)

'The EU has the worst excesses of the former soviet union.' Dimitri Medvedev, former President of the Russian Federation and a close friend to Vladimir Putin.

'Brexit is a wonderful step towards freedom for Great Britain.' President Trump.

We also get to take back control of our immigration laws and borders in the borderless EU states. We don't want the EU dishrag flag, (the UK was once fined for flying our national flag on an EU national day,) we don't want their EU nationalist 'O Sole Mio' anthem, their euro currency, their EU passports, foreign presidents we never elected making most of our laws (big government control over many nations is leading to a one world government)... we want our independence and our country back.

Our best friends in Europe at the moment are Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland... which are independent nations from the EU (Eurabia) controlled states.

The UK currently gives £400 million each week to help fund poorer EU states.... but we should be funding our own nation first.

British jobs for British workers!

Also we don't want hoardes of refugees or loads of gypsies from Eastern Europe in the UK. Once migrants are given an EU passport, they're free to move around and live in any borderless EU state they choose. They usually pick the wealthiest EU states to live... such as Germany, France, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, etc. According to dictator Merkel, each EU state is supposed to help take in a certain amount of rape-ugees... we've taken in and helped more than our fair share, and now it's time to close our borders so they'll have to go elsewhere in the EU's borderless states for free housing and free healthcare, etc, in the future.

The pro-EU media (who submit to their EU overlords) puts out scare stories about Brexit each day... claiming our NHS would collapse without economic migrants, etc. A lot of health tourists and immigrants are using and abusing our NHS system each day. Most of the staff and patients filling-up London's free hospitals aren't European people. We have plenty of British people needing jobs without employing migrants.... who jump the housing queues and steal the available jobs.... that's what's led to a lot of resentment.

[Böri]

EU is a Catholic supremacist union where the Parisian Frog sells his degenerate culture as the pinnacle level of civilization, where the German hard-workness and discipline are enslaved through Papal opiate. UK is Protestant and already broke off from that world 500 years ago to create her own brighter civilisation. Today UK has her union, with all her lands from New Zealand to Canada, with countless islands, parts of Cyprus included. Wise decision.
Other Protestants (Denmark etc) shall follow you. Norway and Iceland being already with you.

[GreentheViper]

I wonder where talks about CANZUK have gone, or a reunion of Anglo or "Empire" ties, for increased trading and a stronger military alliance.