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[cormack12]

The EU is set to inflict a double humiliation on Theresa May, stripping Britain of its European agencies within weeks, while formally rejecting the prime minister's calls for early trade talks.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Britain failed to secure the backing of any of the 27 countries for its case that trade talks should start early in the two years of negotiations allowed by article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. The position will be announced at a Brussels summit on 29 April.

Senior EU sources claimed that Britain's aggressive approach to the talks, including threats of becoming a low-tax, low-regulation state unless it was given a good deal, had backfired. ”However realistic the threats were, or not, they were noticed," one senior EU source said. ”The future prosperity of the single market was challenged. That had an impact – it pushed people together."

Another senior diplomat said initial sympathy with Britain had fallen away in many capitals, due to the approach of Theresa May's government. ”Of course, we want to protect trade with Britain, but maintaining the single market, keeping trade flowing there, is the priority, and so we will work through [the EU's chief negotiator] Michel Barnier," the source said. ”Britain used to be pragmatic. That doesn't seem to be the case any more, and we need to protect our interests."

”The prime minister should have spent the last nine months building alliances across Europe, not pandering to those in her cabinet and her party who want to sever all links with the EU and retreat from our closest allies and most important trading partners."

More at The Guardian.


I wonder when the gravity of this will actually make a dent into the entrenched, fingers in their ears collective. Surely, there is no one left now who even thinks this will have anything but a very grave effect on us?

Edit: Actually just realised was posted at the end of the EU thread so mods can merge if they want.

 

[Saya]

 

[StayDead]

A lot of our clients (I work in IT Support) are EU agencies in the UK. Ugh, this sucks so much.

 

[Vivalaraza]

Well...this seems like a sensible thing for the EU to do.

The term 'crown jewels' seems like a bit of a stretch...but confess I don't know too much about them.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Let's threaten the large organization we need to make a good agreement with. That won't backfire at all! British politics is a mess.

 

[Dishwalla]

Huh. It's like voting has consequences. Who knew.

 

[Betty]

I wonder when the gravity of this will actually make a dent into the entrenched, fingers in their ears collective. Surely, there is no one left now who even thinks this will have anything but a very grave effect on us?

There needs to be tangible, obvious, panic driven repercussions for those who support leaving the EU to actually rethink things.

All the news is about is how spending is up, places are making more money, business's have faith in the UK, etc, etc.

I'm still waiting for that "maybe we've gone too far" moment that all of GAF and the analysts promised last year because it's really insufferable having nothing simple to point out to people and show how things are going to turn out bad.

 

[GasProblem]

Hope there still will be an EU after the French elections.

 

[Bleepey]

The U.K. Is Billy Duke

Schwarzenegger is the EU

 

[Bold One]

That British exceptionalism needs to be curb stomped into a bloody pulp.

It is a nation with warped delusions of grandeur and needs a massive reality check.

As a Brit who voted remain - watching the fish and chip silos who thought getting out will make them a Superpower again suffer deeper will have to do.

Self-sabotage on a historic scale.

 

[witchedwiz]

whelp, EMA bailing out was already a sign
as of now i think the runner up are
Italy (because we only have efsa, and we are the 2nd country when considering number of medical product produced)
Germany (because they have a shitload of pharma companies, and they are the 1stcountry when considering number of medical product produced)

but also Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and Spain have tried to make a bid for it

also the EBA is bailing london, but i'm not overly informed on who made a bit for hosting it :X I think sweden made a move, but I'm not overly sure :X

and lol @uk government.. selecting an option always has consequences.. what did they expect? that leaving eu would leave their trade agreement as they are? that eu agencies would stay there? that investors wouldn't be shaken? ahah :X

 

[oti]

Let me present you the Greek lobbying effort:

Greece has nice weather.

AND GIVE BACK THE ELGIN MARBLES

 

[shira]

]

 

[RumblingRosco]

That British exceptionalism needs to be curb stomped into a bloody pulp.

It is a nation with warped delusions of grandeur and needs a massive reality check.

As a Brit who voted remain - watching the fish and chip silos who thought getting out will make them a Superpower again suffer deeper will have to do.

Self-sabotage on a historic scale.

You are the Brit version of me, as an American who voted for Hillary over Trump. I hate to say it, but a part of me thinks suffering under Trump might be what it takes to help get our egos in-check.

 

[freeofgreed]

Senior EU sources claimed that Britain’s aggressive approach to the talks, including threats of becoming a low-tax, low-regulation state unless it was given a good deal, had backfired. “However realistic the threats were, or not, they were noticed,” one senior EU source said. “The future prosperity of the single market was challenged. That had an impact – it pushed people together.”

Another senior diplomat said initial sympathy with Britain had fallen away in many capitals, due to the approach of Theresa May’s government. “Of course, we want to protect trade with Britain, but maintaining the single market, keeping trade flowing there, is the priority, and so we will work through [the EU’s chief negotiator] Michel Barnier,” the source said. “Britain used to be pragmatic. That doesn’t seem to be the case any more, and we need to protect our interests.”

Goddamn!

Get fucked May.

 

[Dishwalla]

You are the Brit version of me, as an American who voted for Hillary over Trump. I hate to say it, but a part of me thinks suffering under Trump might be what it takes to help get our egos in-check.

Well lots of us had this train of thought during Bush's second term. Worked for 8 years I guess.

 

[StrawberryJam]

That British exceptionalism needs to be curb stomped into a bloody pulp.

It is a nation with warped delusions of grandeur and needs a massive reality check.

As a Brit who voted remain - watching the fish and chip silos who thought getting out will make them a Superpower again suffer deeper will have to do.

Self-sabotage on a historic scale.

But don't you remember the Empire? All that sweet, sweet colonialism? The Commonwealth? What about Churchill? What about when there was no brown people eh? Thats the Britain I remember!

Spoiler

Fuck Britain

 

[Soph]

I can't wait for the rotten fruits of May her labour.

 

[Bold One]

You are the Brit version of me, as an American who voted for Hillary over Trump. I hate to say it, but a part of me thinks suffering under Trump might be what it takes to help get our egos in-check.

The majority of the people who vote this way are reprehensibly stupid though,

Here is a comment from the Guardian section which illustrates why -

May was persuaded by paranoid Europhopes like the almost literally swivel-eyed John Redwood to take her tough line, and now it's backfiring spectacularly. Fortunately for their mental health, the Brexiteers have almost limitless capacity to blame others for their misfortunes

 

[RumblingRosco]

Well lots of us had this train of thought during Bush's second term. Worked for 8 years I guess.

I wasn't old enough to vote then, so this is my first chance to experience a feeling if hopefulness followed by the harsh crush of reality.

The majority of the people who vote this way are reprehensibly stupid though,

Here is a comment from the Guardian section which illustrates why -

JUST LET ME BELIEVE. But for real, I don't have high expectations. I'm not sure what else I can do besides vote and try and open constructive dialogues with Trump voters, though.

 

[Pyramid head]

Having read more than I'd like of leave voter's comments on every Brexit related story over the last year, I've reached the tragic conclusion that there is absolutely no news of catastrophic self harm that would be capable of swaying them from their position that they've won some glorious prize. Nothing.
They are joyously happy to sacrifice anything if they believe that 'foreigners' will be denied it too, or that their actions in any way provoke a 'whinging' response from the 'loony left'.

They are completely fucking lost.

 

[blazinglord]

Well duh, leaving the EU is going to have consequences like this.

Did anyone honestly think that we could vote to leave the EU and still host EU agencies? I think most people who voted to leave accepted that trade-off. Indeed, I remember all the campaign literature about areas that will lose EU funding etc.

However, what remoaners don't seem to realise is that for most leavers - the positive (restoring decision-making back to Westminster) outweigh the negatives (the rebalancing of the UK economy and job market). It's all about the bigger picture and the long term.

 

[chromatic9]

I don't think many would expect the EU to keep these agencies in Britain after it's voted to leave. Mostly been expected by the leave side to be fair.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Well duh, leaving the EU is going to have consequences like this.

Did anyone honestly think that we could vote to leave the EU and still host EU agencies? I think most people who voted to leave accepted that trade-off. Indeed, I remember all the campaign literature about areas that will lose EU funding etc.

I'm going to bet 99% of people did not even think about this when voting leave.

However, what remoaners don't seem to realise is that for most leavers - the positive (restoring decision-making back to Westminster) outweigh the negatives (the rebalancing of the UK economy and job market). It's all about the bigger picture and the long term.

"Remoaners?" Ok...

Anyway, the bigger picture for the long term would have been Eastern Europe catching up in economic terms with Western Europe, thus limiting immigration from that area anyway, while Britain would remain to have direct access to their markets and profit from it, and get talent from there easily they could use at home (skilled labor, nurses, etc). This is already happening, with farmers in Holland complaining they get less cheap labor from there these years for example.

The decision making also never left Westminster, but I am so tired of arguing that point I'm not even going to bother anymore.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I still can't believe how dense Britain (politicians and voters) was to expect leaving the EU would be a good thing and wouldn't come at a cost.

 

[stuminus3]

remoaners

The pinnacle of intelligent debate in the UK.

So glad I don't live there anymore.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

Theresa May is a fucking tool.

 

[Bold One]

I still can't believe how dense Britain (politicians and voters) was to expect leaving the EU would be a good thing and wouldn't come at a cost.

A lot of people here think being British makes them special. I am not even joking.

 

[oti]

I still can't believe how dense Britain (politicians and voters) was to expect leaving the EU would be a good thing and wouldn't come at a cost.

Ironic how the the nation with the biggest and utterly misplaced superiority complex fell for such stupidity. Farage, the garbage press, that goddamn bus.

 

[timberger]

Britain is so screwed.

I honestly thought no one could be a shittier PM than Cameron, but May has managed it in record time.

However, what remoaners don't seem to realise is that for most leavers - the positive (restoring decision-making back to Westminster) outweigh the negatives (the rebalancing of the UK economy and job market). It's all about the bigger picture and the long term.

Your only positive is actually a negative tho. Especially with the tories in charge.

 

[8bit]

 

[Pyramid head]

Well duh, leaving the EU is going to have consequences like this.

Did anyone honestly think that we could vote to leave the EU and still host EU agencies? I think most people who voted to leave accepted that trade-off. Indeed, I remember all the campaign literature about areas that will lose EU funding etc.

However, what remoaners don't seem to realise is that for most leavers - the positive (restoring decision-making back to Westminster) outweigh the negatives (the rebalancing of the UK economy and job market). It's all about the bigger picture and the long term.

It's funny how you attempt to use empty platitudes like "outweigh the negatives" and "bigger picture and the long term" in an attempt to add a sort of weight to your position you probably think works in the type of cesspool comment sections overflowing with the kind of slime which uses the term 'remoaners'.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

I'm going to bet 99% of people did not even think about this when voting leave.


"Remoaners?" Ok...

Anyway, the bigger picture for the long term would have been Eastern Europe catching up in economic terms with Western Europe, thus limiting immigration from that area anyway, while Britain would remain to have direct access to their markets and profit from it, and get talent from there easily they could use at home (skilled labor, nurses, etc). This is already happening, with farmers in Holland complaining they get less cheap labor from there these years for example.

The decision making also never left Westminster, but I am so tired of arguing that point I'm not even going to bother anymore.

You're arguing with a brick wall. It's pointless, he's as gone as the other idiots who voted leave because they fell for the lie that we can't make our own decisions and are routinely told what to do by Brussels.

Just look at the banana fiasco, I still hear morons parroting that shit. They are gone, they are incapable of critical thinking, their children will be the same, the country is fucked. Get out while you can...

 

[Dryk]

I'm curious to learn what the bigger picture benefit of deliberately antagonising the EU is

 

[blazinglord]

I'm going to bet 99% of people did not even think about this when voting leave.


"Remoaners?" Ok...

Anyway, the bigger picture for the long term would have been Eastern Europe catching up in economic terms with Western Europe, thus limiting immigration from that area anyway, while Britain would remain to have direct access to their markets and profit from it, and get talent from there easily they could use at home (skilled labor, nurses, etc). This is already happening, with farmers in Holland complaining they get less cheap labor from there these years for example.

I do wish people stop being patronising about people who voted to leave. Why do you assume that "99% of people did not even think about this"? Perhaps leavers did consider the economic cost of leaving but still considered it a trade-off worth doing. After all, the remain campaigners kept doomsaying about the economic costs of leaving the EU every chance they got.

And out of curiosity, how long would it have taken for this effect to 'trickle down' to the low-paid workers who are being still undercut by economic migrants from Eastern Europe? Because I remember this debate was happening when I was in High School and Blair was still PM. I am now nearly 30 and we have had three PMs since then, and it still remains an issue.

The decision making also never left Westminster, but I am so tired of arguing that point I'm not even going to bother anymore.

'kay. No point arguing about it anyway as it's moot. Article 50 has been invoked.

However, I was reading an article this morning in the pro-EU newspaper which highlights how, contrary to your assertion about decision-making, things will in actual fact be run quite differently in Westminster in 2020 with regard to Britain's climate change strategy. Whether it will change for better or worse, well that remains to be seen. But undoubtedly politics will start become quite exciting in the future once the dust settles and the government of the day starts tinkering with the Great Repeal Bill. Who knows, perhaps we will actually have politicians who can start delivering what they promise.

The pinnacle of intelligent debate in the UK.

So glad I don't live there anymore.

What debate? We had it in June 2016 mate.

 

[tomwhite2004]

God I wish we had an real political alternative to the Conservatives but Labour and the Liberal Democrats are nowhere, nothing to stop them trashing the country for years to come.

 

[Vastag]

It was expected, EU institutions where not going to stay in the UK after leaving the union. I'm curious to see where the EBA ends.

 

[daviyoung]

So glad I don't live there anymore.

the pinnacle of stuminus3's opinions on the UK

 

[dh4niel]

I hope during the whole process we get to draw and quarter David Cameron, Theresa May, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson.

 

[ClosingADoor]

I do wish people stop being patronising about people who voted to leave. Why do you assume that "99% of people did not even think about this"? Perhaps leavers did consider the economic cost of leaving (after all, the remain campaigners kept doomsaying about it every chance they got), but still considered it a trade-off worth doing.

And out of curiosity, how long would it have taken for this effect to 'trickle down' to the low-paid workers who are being still undercut by economic migrants from Eastern Europe? Because I remember this debate was happening when I was in High School and Blair was still PM. I am now nearly 30 and we have had three PMs since then, and it still remains an issue.

Because a lot of people who vote Leave ignore the facts. If immigration is an issue, why didn't Britain close the door to non-EU immigration as a start? That is 50% of immigration right there they have total control over for example. But somehow, that didn't matter.

Then you have shit like this when Poland, Czech Republic, etc joined in 2004: "With the exception of the UK, Ireland and Sweden, all other pre-2004 EU member states decided to temporarily restrict labour market access to migrants from the A8 countries upon their accession to the EU in 2004."

So if immigration was a problem, why didn't the UK restrict access to their market like pretty much everyone else did back then? They were allowed to.

Those low skilled workers have to face a harsh truth: their jobs are gone. And again, this is something for the British government to fix. Instead of focusing on London, they need to fix their smaller towns and make sure people settle there again. Most of the issues people in favor of Brexit have are created by their own government, no the EU. So how leaving the EU will fix all those things is beyond me.

As for the shortages I talked about, it's things like this https://www.ft.com/content/a95ecb20-bd66-11e6-8b45-b8b81dd5d080

'kay. No point arguing about it anyway as it's moot. Article 50 has been invoked.

However, I was reading an article this morning in the pro-EU newspaper which highlights how, contrary to your assertion about decision-making, things will in actual fact be run quite differently in Westminster in 2020 with regard to Britain's climate change strategy. Whether it will change for better or worse, well that remains to be seen. But undoubtedly politics will start become quite exciting in the future once the dust settles and the government of the day starts tinkering with the Great Repeal Bill. Who knows, perhaps we will actually have politicians who can start delivering what they promise.

What debate? We had it in June 2016 mate.

Please give me one or two examples of decision making that left Westminster that has you so upset. Because almost everything the EU does can be blocked by the UK. They just choose not to use that power but complain about it later on.

I could point to the hundreds of EU myths, the decades long propaganda the UK newspapers have run against the EU, the fact that the face of the Brexit campaign was the one spreading these lies, I could point to Farage jumping ship as soon as things go bad, to the corruption in his party, to the ways the UK government is screwing over the British people without the EU, the funds the EU has to invest in British areas its own government doesn't care for, the losing of large companies after Brexit.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

How are things looking? Pretty good?

 

[UberTag]

The rest of Europe could invade Britain tomorrow and they'd probably be better off in the long run than under their current sham of a political system.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

I do wish people stop being patronising about people who voted to leave. Why do you assume that "99% of people did not even think about this"? Perhaps leavers did consider the economic cost of leaving but still considered it a trade-off worth doing. After all, the remain campaigners kept doomsaying about the economic costs of leaving the EU every chance they got.

And out of curiosity, how long would it have taken for this effect to 'trickle down' to the low-paid workers who are being still undercut by economic migrants from Eastern Europe? Because I remember this debate was happening when I was in High School and Blair was still PM. I am now nearly 30 and we have had three PMs since then, and it still remains an issue.


'kay. No point arguing about it anyway as it's moot. Article 50 has been invoked.

However, I was reading an article this morning in the pro-EU newspaper which highlights how, contrary to your assertion about decision-making, things will in actual fact be run quite differently in Westminster in 2020 with regard to Britain's climate change strategy. Whether it will change for better or worse, well that remains to be seen. But undoubtedly politics will start become quite exciting in the future once the dust settles and the government of the day starts tinkering with the Great Repeal Bill. Who knows, perhaps we will actually have politicians who can start delivering what they promise.

What debate? We had it in June 2016 mate.

Did you not read his reply. He said that already Dutch farmers are complaining about the lack of low paid workers from that area there is. It is happening. It also feels ironic as a brit that we complain about immigration. Perhaps if we could speak another language as well as other nationalities can speak English we would actually benefit more from the free movement of people. It honestly feels a bit like cultural jealousy.


I am a brit living in Norway and I am amazed at their level of English.

 

[tomwhite2004]

I hope during the whole process we get to draw and quarter David Cameron, Theresa May, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson.

Dont forget Gove while you are at it!

 

[Captain AHat]

I am a brit living in Norway and I am amazed at their level of English.

It's cos we're lazy. Being as English is like this world wide 'default' language for talking between nationals from different countries we tend to feel like we don't need to bother. Which is stupid and arrogant. But that's the British way!

I voted remain, and it pains me, as I consider myself European and love the EU and what it stands for... but I'll admit to a beautiful case of schadenfreude watching it all go to shit right now for us here in the UK.

It does certainly make me want to slow clap almost constantly at the leavers as High Overlord May continues us down the path of self destruction with her band of merry assclowns though.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Well lots of us had this train of thought during Bush's second term. Worked for 8 years I guess.

Yep, people have short memories. And at least Trump is temporary.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

Senior EU sources claimed that Britain's aggressive approach to the talks, including threats of becoming a low-tax, low-regulation state unless it was given a good deal, had backfired.

Oh weird!
The EU didn't bow to the global superpower that is the United Kingdom in 2017? How odd!

 

[entremet]

So what are you finance folks doing? Moving to NYC?

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Well duh, leaving the EU is going to have consequences like this.

Did anyone honestly think that we could vote to leave the EU and still host EU agencies? I think most people who voted to leave accepted that trade-off. Indeed, I remember all the campaign literature about areas that will lose EU funding etc.

However, what remoaners don't seem to realise is that for most leavers - the positive (restoring decision-making back to Westminster) outweigh the negatives (the rebalancing of the UK economy and job market). It's all about the bigger picture and the long term.

Yeah sure, cos the one thing I really wanted was for the tories now to be able to make decisions completely unrestricted by a higher power.
Even then, your "positive" point utterly pales in significance to your negative point.

 

[daviyoung]

So what are you finance folks doing? Moving to NYC?

which finance folks?