Thought I'd start a new thread as this is going to be a major talking point this year...have not made up my mind yet...(unlike bucksfizz)....but thinking of voting for an exit as Europe is not doing Britain any good at all it seems....

They don't like it up em you know .

And first in the queue line for a Boris apology: President Obama

:-)

A bit of a strange appointment really, IMHO. I remember her saying about two weeks ago, something about how the last time Boris went to Germany he came back with some nearly-new water cannon. A bit indicative of, well, not exactly the highest amount of regard for him.

Perhaps she has now got him close at hand so as to use his excellent brain and very wide take on things to get some apt advice from time to time.

Payback.

BREXIT: THE TIMETABLE

0-6 months: EU politicians insist there will be no negotiations until after Britain leaves. Secret negotiations begin at brand-new EU-funded E3 billion "Brexitorium" in Slovenia. British PM warns of "looming economic crisis" - puts extra 10p tax on cigarettes. UK economy unexpectedlly picks up on strength of travel industry bringing in EU citizens to collect benefits while opportunity lasts. Immigration to UK doubles.

6-12 months: Secret negotiations founder on French insistence that English cannot be spoken as it is no longer an official EU language. Trade tariff talks get underway at E17 billion "Brexitorium 2" in Slovakia. Citing "new era of austerity in post-Brexit Europe", Brussels cancels E51 billion motorway and high-speed rail link between Brexitoria, plus hundreds of proposed construction projects. British economy strengthens as business takes on thousands of highly-qualified EU graduates arriving for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a job. PM warns of "overheated economy" and puts extra 10p tax on cigarettes. UK unemployment rate falls to lowest on record despite immigration doubling..

12-18 months: Breakthrough at Brexitorium: "English" renamed "Irish" and negotiations commence. Commentators note "a subtle change in mood" amongst several previously-hostile EU leaders whose families, close friends and political backers coincidentally own construction companies. Tariff talks get bogged down in discussion over whether widgets made in Italy for a Franco-German conglomerate based in Luxemburg with a gizmo assembly plant in Latvia which sends the finished product to Britain for labelling and is then warehoused in Spain before being shipped to Holland should be subject to a tariff or a subsidy. British economy booms as manufacturers lease Lithuania to store all the goods they've produced to beat the imposition of trade tariffs. After being told not to bother planting any crops as Britain won't be buying next year, French farmers burn down Paris. UK Independence Party invokes European Human Rights Act when calling for more EU workers to be brought in as UK employees are having to work 12 hours overtime a day to keep up with orders. In widely-applauded "firm but fair" response, PM puts extra 10p tax on cigarettes. Immigration to Britain doubles.

18-24 months: After casually reading the Treaty Of Rome, German Chancellor notices that "free movement of people" does not in fact mean the right of one country to dump their unemployed citizens on another in order to avoid shelling out unemployment pay. Blames "error in translation" and announces breakthrough. British Prime Minister discovers serious mistake in calculation of UK immigration figures: new "100 per cent accurate" figures prove conclusively that immigration to the UK has in fact halved every year since Britain joined the EU. Blames "computer glitch" and announces breakthrough...plus another 10p tax on cigarettes.

24 months-next time: Britain becomes first "Super-Associate Five-Star Triple-A (Class One)" member of EU, which allows it to do pretty much what it wants as long as it keeps paying the bills. At moving ceremony in new French capital of Versailles (fully restored at EU expense) emotional French President Marie Antoinette Le Pen talks of "new era of peace and harmony in Europe" as fight breaks out between Spanish and British delegations over Gibraltar. Tariff talks switch seamlessly to arguing over exactly how many pips an apple must have to qualify for a farm subsidy. British economy slumps, exchange rate falls, house prices rise, Conservative MPs start muttering about Brexit 2, extra 10p tax on cigarettes, Germany beat England on penalties in football tournament, immigration to UK doubles etc etc ad nauseam.

(4480), Yes it might be amusing on a stag night, but when you're representing the
country it doesn't look professional on the tv screens..

I hear that Boris's brief to negotiate with the USA for England to become its 51state?

We're already in a state now .

Labour Party in a serious state.

Boris could be President one day as he was born in the US.

As they were querying his actual potential for having good relationships with foreign governments, Boris told Sky News how he has already had a nice letter from his French Foreign Secretary counterpart.

Looks like the EU might really want to be on very good terms with us. Let's hope so.

Boris has an advantage over previous Minsters of the FO. He speaks several languages very well.

As I type, there is stuff on TV about the people of Zimbabwe going absolutely crackers and saying "We've had enough! We are not taking anymore of it!"

A pastor seems to be in charge of the rebellion.

"And the best of luck to all Zimbabweans!" I say.

He is mixed Turkish, French and English and a descendant of George II.

Don't fancy the chances of Zimbabweans any more than Venezuelans.

The Spectator an a competition for the most offensive poem about the Turish President. Boris won the prize of £1,000 with

“There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer.

“Till he sowed his wild oats, With the help of a goat,

But he didn’t even stop to thankera.”

The David Davis Brexit Blueprint


Britain would start the process of leaving the European Union by the end of this year, after consulting with administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and other business groups and unions
Britain to leave the European Union finally by December 2018
UK should seek to strike a deal with the EU based on a “liberalised” existing trade arrangement with Canada to eliminate all customs duties and not allow uncontrolled immigration into the UK
Britain should seek new free trade agreements with “the biggest prospective markets as fast as possible”
The UK should “accelerate” the agreement of the controversial Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership deal with the US
Britain should prioritise trade deals with the rest of the world focusing initially on China, USA, Canada and Hong Kong then others like Australia, Brazil, India, South Korea, Japan, Mexico and South Africa
Britain should start to wean itself off grants from Brussels well before the UK finally severs its links to the EU and instead pay grants directly to farmers and fishermen

It seems May has played this very well. She has appointed the 'Three Brexiteers' to do the Brexit work. Basically, "you caused it, then fix it". If they come back and say we can't get an EU deal without some type of free movement then she is home clear. She has appointed Leavers and they will get the blame. She doesn't have the time to do it, so has organised her alibis in advance. If the Leavers can't get a non free movement deal then we may have to take what there is.

MILITARY COUP UNDERWAY IN tURKEY

What a defeatist way of looking at things Haystack ,how about they get the job done ? you really think the EU has us over a barrel ,well it does not .
Some years from now the UK will be strong and out of the EU and what's more the EU is crumbling ,i believe it won't exist in it's current form 10 years from now.
You really have faith in your Tory party don't you.