A time limit might be enough on the Irish issue. But the Irish and the EU are determined that it must last until the end of time
Do you really think the Germans call us Tommies Ubes? I think that and Rosbifs are what we have assumed we are called based on the contents of the Victor and Battle comics of the 1960s and 70s. They are not intended as insults after all (we invented Tommy ourselves), though I think Kraut is intended to be, usually. Inselaffe (Island apes) is probably a more common reference to the Brits in Germany. But I imagine the French and Germans use the same type of stereotypes talking about us as we do talking about them - in our case referring to binge drinking, bad teeth, hooliganism, the class system, bad food etc. As you say it’s all **** and simply perpetuates and entrenches lazy thinking and division. But to suggest we use other terms or none at all is of course an affront to free speech. I’m generally in favour of people being free to use whatever language they want whenever they want and in turn I’m free to draw my own conclusions about them from the way they use this freedom. Win win!* *now that’s a **** phrase which really should be banned.
See my reply to Watford. The EU had Theresa May on her back, tickling her tummy and were under no pressure whatsoever to compromise on anything. So far, and it is early days, Boris is not showing himself to be the clown you think he is.
But if the deal was to the benefit of the country (which it wasn't) it shouldn't make any difference - unless you think your Mr Corbyn should put party before country
Really? Was it not because a deal had already been agreed? And as for Boris, we all know what a hypocrite and liar he is. Time will tell, if he has time. Depends what the USA instruct him to do.
Anyway, I’ve got a solution to all this. We stay in the EU until we have negotiated a trade deal with them. When this is in place and ready to be implemented we honour the Withdrawal Agreement re the cash and citizens rights, and the Irish backstop is irrelevant because we have a new framework for EU -UK trade. Done.
The withdrawal agreement was always subject to Parliamentary approval. What I accept is that now, dealing with Boris, the EU has to know he can deliver in Parliament what they agree with him. If he has the ERG, DUP and Leave Labour MP's, he should be able to convince the EU he can get it over the line. If he's wise, he'll sound out the aforementioned, before he takes any amended deal back to Parliament
This sounds like a good compromise - the major problem is that there has to be a time limit attached to this process, because as long as we are in there then we have to send MEPs to Brussels who have no real function there other than to cause disruption. The EU wants you in or out - it does not want an unlimited halfway situation which drags on into eternity.