Brexit back foot
David Davis and his Brexit team need to improve their performance if they wish to achieve any kind of deal that meets the UK’S aspirations.
Mr Barnier keeps asking us for clarification on minor matters, before he is even prepared to discuss the important ones, which are trade and border control.
We then make a tentative offer of £20 billion to settle the “divorce bill” and almost immediately increase it to £40bn with absolutely no response from the EU team.
That is not the way to negotiate. Our Brexit team are continually put on the back foot, and David Davis would do well to remember that you should never sit down at a negotiating table from which you are not prepared to walk away.
Our stance must be clear, we want access to the EU market with control of our borders, and we will pay for these, but as a bargaining point we will then stop all subscriptions to the EU until we get assurance on these matters.
That should give Monsieur Barnier a few sleepless nights.
JAMES MACINTYRE Clarendon Road, Linlithgow “Brexit means Brexit”, said Michel Barnier on Monday. However, he added another small word pregnant with meaning and significance: “everywhere”. At a stroke, he took Theresa May’s much spouted dictum, which had had additions such as “red, white and blue”, and turned it back on itself showing the true logical interpretation of the intention behind Theresa May’s utterances. It applies everywhere. Out of the single market and out of the customs union, then there can be no cherry picking.
His position was clearly stated after Article 50 was activated and the logical outcome was obvious, but No 10 and the Brexiteers chose to shut their ears to the message ever since.
Everywhere means everywhere. As a Scot would say: “Ye ken noo?”
JOHN EDGAR Merrygreen Place, Stewarton When we voted to leave the EU in June 2016 the SNP Government predicted unemployment would rise by 80,000 in Scotland as a result of Brexit. This was to encourage Scots to adopt a more pro-european stance despite almost four out of 10 voting Leave. Since then unemployment has fallen from 5.3 per cent to approximately 4 per cent of the workforce and shows no sign of rising to any great extent.
JACK WATT Strome, St Ola, Orkney My understanding of business practice is that in seeking a payment from a debtor you should send an invoice for the goods or services you have provided. The debtor examines the invoice and if they agree to the sum due, pays for it in 28 days. I think we would understand the EU demands if we could see the invoice for goods delivered and pay accordingly. Perhaps a monthly invoice which would spread the costs over some time. We would not therefore be paying for any crazy projects planned by the EU.
ALASTAIR PAISLEY Baberton Crescent, Edinburgh
Our politicians are totally preoccupied with Brexit negotiations and can think of nothing else. They seem paralysed.
Is it not time to accept these negotiations are just a colossal waste of time? I was deeply shocked when both Nigel Farage and David Cameron resigned within 48 hours of the referendum on 23 June 2016. I felt utterly betrayed. I had met each of them at different times. I genuinely thought I knew them and they were both better than that.
If we are going to Brexit shouldn’t we just accept we are going to be members of the EEA and be done with it?
There are only two options. We either stay in, or we accept the“one size fits all” option iceland and Norway have.
Bringing negotiations to an end and accepting EEA status will at least restore clarity and certainty to international relations. Then perhaps our politicians can get on and address some of our other massive problems. There certainly is no evidence that either the political class or Whitehall can multi-task at the moment.
NIGEL BODDY Fife Road, Darlington