No it hasnt

"At a closed-door meeting in Brussels, Michel Barnier outlined his negotiating strategy to EU government officials for the first time.

the discussion in Brussels shows the EU has not ruled out a transition deal

He has not reached conclusions on the EU stance on any of these points

EU leaders are sticking firmly to the mantra of “no negotiations without notification”, insisting talks cannot begin until article 50 is triggered.

The European commission declined to comment after the meeting. One informed source said participants had been sworn to secrecy.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-single-market

More evidence that people are confusing opinion and speculation with facts:

"Deloitte apologises for Brexit memo

A consultancy firm has apologised to the government for the "disruption" caused by a leaked memo that suggested ministers had no plan for Brexit.
Deloitte said it regretted the publication, adding it had proposed a plan "to put this matter behind us".

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38390147

You need to open your eyes.....

Brexit will provide very lucrative contracts to companies such as Deloitte, they aren't saying they will withdraw from existing contracts on which the 'internal' memo was based.

There plan is to get their hands on taxpayers money in six months time, when they will provide reports that provide a continuous stream of contracts for years to come.

I suspect Ms May is hoping her hubby buys her a waffle maker for Christmas in which she can cook up a speech for Brexit early next year.

All of this explains why May is so evasive and keeps repeating her "We will be seeking the best possible deal for the UK" mantra. Start answering questions in detail and the whole thing would be at risk of being exposed.

Manchester United are playing Sunderland on Boxing Day

Why don't people demand that Jose Mourinho publish his game plan with all the set pieces he plans to use and with what variants and in what order?

Makes as much sense as publishing the Brexit strategy 3 months in advance of Article 50.

I'm sure May is profoundly grateful there are people like you around who are so easy to please. You are happy for the most important negotiation for generations, the outcome of which will range from relatively benign to catastrophic, to be totally in the hands of May and her incompetents AFTER invoking an irrevocable withdrawal notice. An outcome she is not even prepared to put to Parliament.

This is not some trivial football match.

Publishing it? She was being asked some very straightforward questions yesterday that required one sentence answers and even then she was very evasive. The idea that EU negotiators were watching this with notebooks at the ready is laughable.

And I'm glad that the negotiations are in the hands of professional diplomats and not left to people like you who just sit on the sidelines and criticize everything.

It's always easier to ask awkward qustions than answer them.

Theresa May's Conservative party leadership speech gives us some policy insights. She wants immigration control and the supremacy of UK courts. She can achieve both of these objectives by confirming that the UK is leaving the Single Market. A UK government policy of leaving the Single Market will please voters and her own backbenchers, but it will unsettle UK business and spook the financial markets (yet again).

Liam Fox's suggestion of partial EU Customs Union membership is either tricky or unworkable. It falls foul of the World Trade Organisation's 'Most Favoured Nation' rules. The Turkish membership of the EU Customs Union serves as a poor blueprint, because it doesn't cover agriculture (see more below). To voters, Tory backbenchers and some of the press, staying in the EU Customs Union sounds like staying in the EU. Staying in the Customs Union may make economic sense, but it's politically risky.

Mrs May could commit the UK to leaving both the Customs Union and the Single Market. This could lead to UK business panic and, in turn, voter anxiety. And she will have to be sure that Dr Fox's UK trade schedules are ready and agreed for WTO membership. This brings us to the messy business of UK's extraction of agricultural quotas from the EU.

So Mrs May is left with a UK/EU free trade deal. Two years is not enough time to negotiate, agree and ratify a free trade deal with other 27 EU member states. Agriculture will be a stumbling block. And you can expect the Australian and New Zealand agricultural ministers to sense and exploit an opportunity. An FTA deal will need to be ratified by all 27 EU member states and some regional parliaments. And Mrs May will struggle to keep this Free Trade Deal agreement away from an awkward UK parliamentary vote. Nevertheless, a Free Trade Deal sounds nice and Mrs May will be able to sell that to her toughest audience: 'leave' voters and Tory backbenchers. If she wants an UK/EU FTA, she might be able to cut & paste a temporary deal from the current EFTA/EU arrangements.

EFTA membership is out. They have a supranational court which would trump the supremacy of UK courts. So you can forget that.

I reckon Mrs May is looking at a temporary FTA with the EU or the more difficult sell of continued (temporary) EU customs union membership. This explains why Dr Fox has been throwing cocktail parties for his new friends at the WTO Geneva HQ. I think she's also going to take the UK out of the Single Market. But at least she can waive the EU divorce papers at voters before the May 2020 general election.

The sooner Mrs May confirms that the UK is leaving the Single Market, the sooner we can all start preparing.

There's three domestic decisions which she cannot avoid. They're nothing to do with EU membership and decision for her and and her government alone. Those are: the residency rights of EU citizens living in the UK, post-EU immigration policy and a parliamentary vote on the Article 50 Brexit deal. Painful choices are unavoidable and she will have to deal with the consequences.

Fear of voters and her own backbenchers drives her current indecision. But she cannot put the entire UK economy and population on hold much longer.

^^ If the UK remains in the EU customs union Fox is out of a job as the UK will be unable to negotiate its own trade deals.

A UK/EU trade deal doesn't have to be ratified by all 27 member states as the EU negotiates trade agreements on behalf of member states unless it covers areas which are not solely within the EU's competencies. As the UK would be an ex-member of the EU it should be the easiest trade deal for both to negotiate as the same standards and rules etc are already in place.

Agreed.


Good point. You may know more than me.

Yes, the EU can ratify trade agreements on behalf of all member states. However, 'mixed agreements' require ratification by all members states. The EU trade deal with Canada was a 'mixed agreement', which is why the Wallonian Parliament made the news in October. 'Mixed agreements' cover areas of member states' competence. As far as I can tell, 'mixed agreements' are decided after discussion between the EU Commission, the Council of Minister and the members states. But I'm keen to learn more.

The EU's competencies are defined in the treaties. Mixed agreements by definition don't fall within all the EU's competencies so that requires member states to ratify them too in accordance with their own consitutional requirements which usually means their parliaments and not by discussions with the EU Commission or the Council of Ministers.

That could only occur if we didn't leave.

Thank you for the update. I'm learning as a go along.

I was using this to help me.
https://www.iisd.org/itn/2016/08/10/...ng-in-october/

Agreed.

Theresa May wanted to become prime minister. Her reward was power. Her price was scrutiny.

May handled it quite well actually. The vitriol from the loathsome Yvette Cooper was palpable. Maybe she should consider doing Strictly next year,, considering that the Labour Party under Corbyn have evolved into an unelectable laughing stock.

Yes I noticed that as well. It was also clear TM had no time for the SNP guy who she shoved back in his box. I thought she did a good job overall

Really...strange how you turn a blind eye to the nature of the questions put to May by Tory MPs, two of whom are ardent Leavers. She was publicly humiliated by the Tory Chair of the committee, when she couldn't confirm if she agreed or disagreed with what her Transexit Minister told the committee.

If you toss in what Liam Fox said on the Andrew Marr Show then this isn't a government speaking as one, in fact it's not a party speaking as one.

It will be interesting see if the shite hits the fan in March or during the negotiations.

This is why the EU referendum was held. To give a vote to people who were on the sidelines and criticised everything.

That's the only part of your post that I agree with

The negotiators on the EU team are all sworn to secrecy
No-one is calling for an open debate in the EU parliament about Brexit
So why would you expect Theresa May to open the kimono

So did I.

She gave 'no running commentary' and she did not 'reveal her hand'. Best of all, after she finished giving evidence, the pound didn't fall (unlike after her Conservative Party speech).

May's line is what all logic dictates must happen. Its naive to think otherwise. Or a ploy to stop brexit, or a bid to win seats in 2020, by suggesting the impossible was possible.

She can't negotiate with her position debated in parliament , let alone decided by votes there. She will then, just end up paying more for what she can get , and being committed to the unachievable.

She can't get anything useful from the opposition parties - who are all wrangling for their party interest . Labour wants to claim it could make 2 and 2 equal 5, and to blame her when it equals 4 at best. Labour is also divided - with all positions adopted - from Remainers. at all costs , to Corbyn and his clique who don't really want to have anything ot do with any capitalist club . The SNP want something new to grumble about, about the English - while avoiding a second referendum like the plague. The Liberals think they now might not completely die in 2020. And UKIP needs to shout betrayal - if it it is to survive at all.

And there's no point in putting the settlement to Parliament, or anyone else. Some will want more, or less, or disagree on detail. But there's no alternative available if they don't vote for it - Europe will just tell us where to go, if we say no, rather than engage in endless talks. Its a debate that can only have two answers - take it, or get nothing.