https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/22/theresa-may-asks-eu-for-two-year-brexit-transition-period
As Mr Davies would frequently remind boys during his Physics lectures, "Empty vessels make the most noise". In Florence yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May demonstrated this ancient proverb to perfection with her keynote speech on Brexit. Plenty of noise but very little, if any, substance. If the British people are seeking guidance and leadership through the negotiations and though the post Brexit period and beyond, we shall have to look elsewhere than to Thersa May and this splintered government. At one point, she actually stated that membership of the European Union had "never sat particularly well with the British people". After 40 years, that is quite a remarkable comment. During what seemed like hours of her speech, full of historical snippets some of which were inaccurate in any case, the Prime Minister managed to convey her vision that would in any case last at least 5 years and that during an unspecified time period of transition, the United Kingdom would continue to pay normal contributions into the EU budgets, reamain part of the single market and customs union, still be subject to the European Court of Justice and guarantee EU citizens rights and free movement. However, the United Kingdom would not be party to any decisions taken by the 27 EU members and would not have any voice in the EU decision making process.
Philip Hammond speaking immediately after Theresa May's rambling oratory, said, "This was a magnificent speech showing great leadership". He was clearly listening to another woman in a different room to that which I and millions of others were watching. Todays press and media generally, are less than enthusiastic in their endorsement of the Prime Minister,s vision of the futre and her attempt to restart the stalled Brexit negotiation in Brussels due to econvene next week.
The EU member states were also reticent in their responses but with the general consensus that the speech lacked any detail and completely ignored the question of the United Kingdom's exit settlement and the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and Eire.
It seems that for the next few days at least, the temporary truce between the warring factions within the cabinet appears to remain in place, but other MP's from the two sides are already squaring up for the next round as comments fly about accusing the government of betraying the British people by delaying implementation of the Referendum result by at least another 5 years. They see this latest government "remain" faction tactic as just another ploy to kick the whole subject into the long grass and hang on until the people change their minds on the question of EU membership. Speaking later, Nigel Farage stated that,"Today is a victory for Westminster and the political class. They are giving a big two fingers-up to 17.4 million people.” There are many conservative MP's who would wholeheartedly agree with him.
Today, little has changed since before the Florence speech. We are no futher forward in reaching an agreement with EU on United Kingdom exit and there are still numerous matters to be resolved. The problem is that time is now not on our side, and there is a distinct possibility that the deadline will arrive and that this country will have left the European Union wth no agreement and will have "fallen off the cliff edge". No deal is better than a bad deal some say. Perhaps the government's intention is to prevaricate long enough to fall off the edge without any agreement. I do not believe that this is what the British people who voted leave in the referendum actually had in mind on 23 June 2016.
Theresa May's Florence speech highlighted all of her weaknesses
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The EU member states were also reticent in their responses but with the general consensus that the speech lacked any detail and completely ignored the question of the United Kingdom's exit settlement and the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and Eire.
It seems that for the next few days at least, the temporary truce between the warring factions within the cabinet appears to remain in place, but other MP's from the two sides are already squaring up for the next round as comments fly about accusing the government of betraying the British people by delaying implementation of the Referendum result by at least another 5 years. They see this latest government "remain" faction tactic as just another ploy to kick the whole subject into the long grass and hang on until the people change their minds on the question of EU membership. Speaking later, Nigel Farage stated that,"Today is a victory for Westminster and the political class. They are giving a big two fingers-up to 17.4 million people.” There are many conservative MP's who would wholeheartedly agree with him.
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