MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UK post-Brexit customs plan “is almost laughable” says Scottish First Minister Sturgeon
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed the UK government's plans for a post-Brexit customs deal with the EU as a “daft 'have cake and eat it' approach”. UK ministers have set out plans for an “ambitious new customs arrangement” with the EU after the UK leaves. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesWhat are they on about? We want to leave the EU and trade with EU countries and other counties around the world without any tarriffs or barriers. Trouble is, the EU is a protectionist organisation and doesnt believe in free trade. Wonder woman has been scotched anyway.
Aug 16th, 2017 - 12:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Can I smell a kipper?
Does anybody take any notice of this silly woman? Even her alleged “friend” Alex Salmon made fun of her at the Edinburgh Festival.
Aug 16th, 2017 - 04:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0gordo1
Aug 17th, 2017 - 10:56 am - Link - Report abuse +1the European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, tweeted that the idea of “invisible borders” was “a fantasy”.
Isn't that what she is saying ?
TV
You are saying “we want”, probably just as many are now saying “we don't want”
@TV
Aug 17th, 2017 - 05:02 pm - Link - Report abuse +1“We want to leave the EU and trade with EU countries and other counties around the world without any tarriffs or barriers.”
Good lord, no one wants that. Barriers include things like safety regulations, eg ensuring your beef isn't full of growth hormones and your phone charger won't explode. Tariffs include anti-dumping measures and protection for vital industries. The people who complained about Eastern Europeans taking their jobs aren't going to be any happier if the factories simply move to Eastern Europe and take the jobs with them.
Brexiters wanted us to be able to make our own laws, which should include our own tariffs and consumer protection laws. They won't want to agree to the UK adopting eg American safety standards instead, will they?
@Clyde15
Yes, that's what she's saying. The government's desire for 'partnership' with no customs border is nonsensical. If we don't share tariffs with the EU there will be a border, however streamlined they can make it. The only thing they could mean is that we leave the customs union in name only, exactly what the Brexiters were fearing.
DT admit it, you are James Chapman.
Aug 17th, 2017 - 06:57 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Personally I am all for John Lennons vision of the world. Protectionist navel gazing organisations like the EU are so last century. Having designed built and exported machinery to the US you have to observe their standards and they have to abide by ours. The US ones vary from State to State too. In that respect the EU is better.
@The Voice
Aug 17th, 2017 - 08:31 pm - Link - Report abuse -1Bollocks! No Brexiter is in favour of a world with no countries. That would mean no UK, no borders, open immigration...
The problem with Brexiters is they have a completely unrealistic view of the world. They believe that when we leave the EU we will immediately have free trade, the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. They want trade deals but they also want complete control over all UK laws. Those European regulations are a great example; they remove barriers to trade, but each country has to adopt them and follow the law made by the EU. But any trade deal we can make will be like that. Each will involve giving up some sovereignty and the more useful the deal the less say the UK will have over the terms.
If the Brexiters really get their way, we will end up with a closed economy like CFK's Argentina, and exactly as prosperous.
What is so frustrating for me is that the Brexiters' choices are calculated to achieve the exact opposite of their stated goals, but they'd rather bury their heads in the sand than admit they can't have everything they want, or make the hard choices.
Yes Bollocks, you are an expert in hyperbole and misunderstanding practically everything. You have no experience of anything either. Perhaps you are David Willets? Sorry LORD David Willets who has never had a proper job - just like yourself. You make inaccurate sweeping statements putting everyone in the same little box. Sign of a small closed mind. Pointless... The EU is everything John Lennon hated.
Aug 17th, 2017 - 10:43 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Ever think we need someone to tell us how to run things?
Aug 17th, 2017 - 10:52 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Ever wonder why we need to pay a billion pounds EACH month to be a member? When 23 other countries don't?
Ever wonder why our Supreme Court is not Supreme?
Does it bother you that the EU law will ALWAYS overide that of the UK and any individual member state?
Do you think unlimited immigration to this Island from the EU and have to provide houses, healthcare and education to everyone and money to live on is not a problem? And ten million could walk in and we can do absolutely nothing?
Today its been reported that 20% of all immigrants are unemployed which means over 200,000 are on benefits? Yes its good that 80% managed to find work..But that is a lot of money to find when we have a crises in the NHS and social care..
Ever wondered why we needed to give up our fishing grounds?
The EU is hell bent on closer union, is that what you want, we already have the EU flag supreme to ours, what next?
Do you think its right that we cannot vote out the people that make our laws and hard cheese when we don't like them?
Think about all these things and weep that we gave so much away for so little....a trade deal that most countries have without any of the above..
@The Voice
Aug 18th, 2017 - 09:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0I don't have problems understanding other posters. The truth is I tend to take your statements at face value because there's usually no other option.
You make these soundbite-like comments, but can't be bothered to get into the details of what they involve. You also never defend your own ideas but instead change the subject, eg from free trade to John Lennon. I'm sorry, but it gives the strong impression that you are merely repeating something you've heard, or saying whatever sounds good, without thinking it through.
It's certainly possible that you do understand the issues around free trade, but as long as you refuse to elaborate or explain what you meant, I (and everyone else) will never know it.
@Lord Lucan
Considering that the UK is the third biggest country and the second richest, any sensible person would be wondering why we're not paying more.
EU law only overrides our laws in certain areas, and the UK is represented in the European Parliament and in the European Commission the same as other countries.
I don't like having such high levels of immigration, I don't like sharing our fishing grounds, but if you join a bigger organisation that means compromise and agreeing to things you dislike. The UK is often able to get it's way and opt out of things, but not always.
Personally I think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Other people may come to the opposite conclusion, which is fine. What bothers me is when people deny there are any disadvantages to leaving (“we can have our cake and eat it”), who dismiss contrary opinions because they don't want them to be true (“we're tired of experts”). People on here who claim they want the UK to trade more outside the EU and then complain when the government tries to increase trade links with eg Brazil or Argentina, and say we don't need them.
I'm 100% sure that what I said above is not true of all Brexit voters, but that's my impression based on observation and talks with them here and elsewhere.
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