Thanks for the summaries everyone, saved me the pain of having to watch it data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Your noble sacrifice is noted //static.avforums.com/styles/avf/smilies/clap.gif
A good point....
As Laura Kuenssberg data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 of the BBC says..
The 20bn euro offer is meant to ensure no EU countries are left out of pocket by Britain's departure.
But it is not part of the "divorce bill" covering the UK's outstanding debts and liabilities to the EU, which will still have to be agreed with EU negotiators, meaning the final bill for Brexit could be far higher data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I'm sure TB will furnish you with a much more detailed summary in due course........
I'll put aside Sunday afternoon for that read.... (sorry TBdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
She did a mighty fine goldilocks routine though.
The Canadian model is too distant
The Norwegian model is too close
The enigmatic British model will be just right
Are you really that surprised, I'm baffled why anyone from Brexit side of the debate would believe May would want deliver anything different.By her own admission she is evidence based politician.The ambiguous nature of self determination law making comes a distant second to fiscal responsibility.This hard Brexit and its very debatable length of fiscal down turn in, she heads up the party of big business, your asking for a leopard to change spots.
The art of negotiation is starting with a certain figure/offer and then bargain until you either get an acceptable deal or you walk away.
She's not got the authority to do that, she's a fatally wounded Prime Minister. The only thing she cares about is staying in Number 10 for as long as she can. The minute she starts making rash decisions that makes one side of the Tory Party happy and the other fuming is the moment the political knives will come out for her. I think her speech was less about trying to kick start the Article 50 negotiations and more to do with getting herself safely through the party conference. Though as I recall IDS and Thatcher made it through Party Conferences and were booted from the leadership within 6 or 7 weeks.
It seems aimed at making it look like the cabinet is united to get her through the Tory Party conference and maybe an attempt to redirect anger at the EU (and away from her) when they inevitably say "More detail and that's not enough to cover promised monies". Though I don't think the Tory Party is daft enough to fall for that one.....
It's either the opening offer with the intent of getting the EU to settle on a figure that's around £40 or £45 billion. "Hey look I negotiated the exit bill cost down, I'm so clever". Or she knows the EU will laugh at the offer and it's designed to stoke up the Party Faithful against the EU and not at her at the Party conference. It was a classic May speech. A lot of waffle and slogans with hardly any substance. Most of it, we've heard before and a transitional period is a sensible plan to ease our way out with a small bump, rather than taking a running jump over a cliff into the murky waters of the unknown. An acceptable Brexit Deal is one that protects the Economy as much as possible, yes we are leaving. But we don't have to pig headed about it.
For minute I thought we were back in the General Election campaign. I almost lost the will to stay awake at various points.
I think you are being too hard on Theresa May. To date, Brexit has been everything to everyone. Whilst it lacked form it could be a soft Brexit to appeal to remainers, a 'no deal' to appeal to the hardliner Brexiteers or anything in between. But we are now in the stage where we need to start pinning things down. May's approach, i.e. seeking stability and continuity for a period beyond the core Brexit date, is sound. If she can broker the deal, the challenge for all - remainers and Brexiteers - will then be to shape the post-2021 package and sell it to the electorate either in General Election or a new referendum.
Sorry its time for 2 things to happen, stick the middle finger up at the EU and tell them we're off now and TM needs to be removed along with PH and 2 Tory MP's who stood for Brexit need to be PM and Chancellor.
I’ve heard her actual speech now. Oh dear oh dear. This is sending such mixed messages. Staying in longer, paying more, agreeing to not argue against their rules, and giving a blank cheque to ensure the other member states aren’t out of pocket.
Hold on and on the mean time “my” money is used to prop up other countries and we have to tighten our belts. What on Earth is this woman on. I feel severely betrayed. This is not Brexit.