Brexit, aka, the UK Becomes a Clown Car of the Highest Order

Scotland is more devolved than NI, but NI is a special case in very many ways.

This gives a general overview:

This really is something:

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/spring-statement-philip-hammond-austerity-brexit-deal/

Why beat around the bush? Why not vote for the government’s plan or we’ll starve you fuckers?

None of it goes to food, housing, nor healthcare. Just police (which they don’t really need) and schools. They intentionally neglect the areas that needs help the most.

This is making the rounds:

They aren’t. It’s an offer from Barnier. The ERG/DUP types hate it, which is why when it was originally offered May came up with the whole UK backstop instead.

This seems like a useful exercise:

One possibility would be to give MPs a “conditional vote”, asking them to approve the deal that Mr Cox has been seeking, rather than the one actually on the table.

https://amp.ft.com/content/dceee028-43ca-11e9-a965-23d669740bfb?__twitter_impression=true

EU: You can’t have that deal you want.
UK: Oh, yeah? Well, we will vote on it anyway.

Might have been useful, ooh, two years ago.

In theory, getting buy in by the principals to a negotiation, to a position the other side has rejected, can sometimes break an impasse.

I’ll give an example using numbers. I’m negotiating, pending authority from my client the insurance company (which makes my position a bit like May’s - I can negotiate but I need a vote of approval from the principal power holder). I say “I’m willing to recommend a max of $45,000 to my client”, and the other attorneys says “We won’t take a penny less than $50,000. Don’t even bother.” I go to the insurance company and they won’t give me $50K but they do give me $45K. I go back to the other attorney with $45K in a “hard offer” (already authorized by the approving entity) and all of a sudden a lot of the time, the “don’t even bother” goes away. This is b/c money talks and “hard offers” have a lot more weight than “This is my position pending approval by Parliament.”

So, in theory, that sort of thing can un-jam negotiations. I have no idea if that will be at all effective in this scenario but the concept of voting on a proposal already rejected by the other side is not necessarily idiotic, because there’s a difference between negotiating “Here is what I will recommend to Parliament” versus “Here is the offer authorized by Parliament”.

Seen on Facebook today:

That is hilarious.

Brexiters: Fuck the Irish and their borders and the GFA, they can all fucking starve again (to paraphrase several Brexit ministers/MPs

What could go wrong?

Cox says no change to the legal position. Hard to see how the ERG/DUP types vote for it now.

Is the vote today?

It’s kinda shocking that we’re just over two weeks from hard Brexit and we’re in this situation.

I remember when Europe transitioned to the Euro; there were years worth of transitions and milestones that were hit.

This, on the other hand, reminds me of when I blew off all my homework and assignments for a class project and had to half-ass something at the figurative last minute.

It’s supposed to be, but on May’s form it could well be delayed.

What milestones and transitions can you hit between something possible and something impossible?
The problem is the UK was going for the impossible from the start and to walk it back to the possible was an admission of weakness.

So, predictions anyone?

Today: Mays deal is defeated by a large margin
Wed: Leaving with no deal is defeated by large margin
Thurs: Extend article 50 wins by small margin

Can is kicked further down the road. Small extension is useless so an extended extension (eyeroll) is proposed. GE and new government maybe?

I thought the EU was against any extensions without a change to the impasse or dynamic that can bear fruit beyond postponement. So I’m with your prediction, but with a new referendum and/or general election, that will result in an extension while the pieces fall into place.

You ready to vote in European elections next May?