New Agenda on Sunday. is out! Edition of 10th December 2017

https://paper.li/f-1346065353#/

Good morning everyone.

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, is a very dangerous man. Made all the more dangerous by his irrational policy decisions and his vitriolic outbursts against any who criticise or oppose him. His domestic policies in respect of scrapping Obamacare, withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement and other measures, coupled with his foreign policy decisions in connection with Syria, North Korea, Iran demonstrate a man who has no grasp of the subject and no plan or intention to resolve the issues. His latest miscalculation in recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, undermines and contradicts 70 years of United Nations efforts and defies International law and opinion. Perhaps even worse, his action totally destroy any prospect of a "Two State Solution", and condemn the region and its people to bloody conflict for years to come.

Read the full comment at: https://new-agenda2012.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/recognising-jerusalem-as-capital-of.html (copy and paste link)

Peeling away the euphoria of Friday morning's news from Brussels and the sketchy reports of late night or early morning meetings involving Theresa May, Arlene Foster, Jean Claude Junker,  Leo Varadkar, Donald Tusk et al, there seems to me at least,  to be a number of issues which remain outstanding and have perhaps been "kicked into the long grass" for resolution at a later date, if ever. The most contentious of these is the question of the border between Ulster and the Irish republic. Arlene Foster has said within the last few minutes that "there are still issues which need to be clarified".

It seems to me that the statements, "no hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland" and "no border down the Irish Sea", certainly implies that Northern Ireland will remain as part of the single market and  customs Union which is certainly contradictory to the position held by Theresa May and the hard line Brexit wing of her cabinet and party. I do not believe  that the majority of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the European Union on the 23rd June 2016, actually agreed with a "Hard Brexit" departure, since so many issues not least of all the Irish border question, remained unresolved. From today's "Agreement" it is not possible to draw any other conclusion than Northern Ireland will remain part of the single market and customs union after March 2018. If this is in fact the intention of today's agreement, how does this reconcile with the "Hard Brexit" scenario which has become the objective of many conservative MP's and cabinet members over recent months. "Brexit means Brexit" has been the standard response to any question on customs union, workers rights, EU nationals, single market and all the other issues associated with leaving the EU. The problem facing Theresa May is the fact that if special arrangements are granted to Northern Ireland to resolve the Irish border problem, then the rest of the United Kingdom such Scotland and even London would have compelling arguments for demanding that they too should have their own arrangements for remaining at least in part as members of the single market and customs union. The hardline Brexiteers in government and cabinet, and also certain parts of the United Kingdom media, would never accept this as a part of a solution.
What is abundantly clear, is that any solution must be the same for all parts on the United Kingdom. To have one area treated differently from another area is completely unacceptable and therein lies the problem. On the one hand there are those who demand a complete withdrawal from the EU seeking to rely on creating some form of trading agreement at a later date, and on the other, those demanding that issues regarding customs union, single market, workers rights, EU nationals and all other issues should be resolved before we depart the EU.
Theresa May has a huge problem. It will be interesting to see her soulutions.

You may read further comments on the "Brexit" chaos at:

https://new-agenda2012.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/euphoria-in-brussels-but-devil-is-in.html

https://new-agenda2012.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/after-only-48-hours-it-is-clear-that.html

Meanwhile, back in Jersey, In 1824 Isaac Coutanche of St Martin scoffed 18 raw eggs and some raw pork, before washing it down with ten glasses of gin and a couple of brandies.Not surprisingly, he was taken very ill and, within two days, the poor chap was dead.

That short tale is one of several fascinating insights into Jersey’s relationship with alcohol over the years, all of which are revealed in a new book written by Alasdair Crosby – Cheers! Drinks and Drinking in Jersey Through the Ages.

A little light reading for after Christmas diner, if there is nothing on television. 

Finally, an absurd outburst from the Sunday Express (who else) but not this time, primarily concerned with the weather."After Theresa May's triumph in Brussels, we've got the EU over a barrel", screams the headline. Perhaps they should stay with weather forecasting and leave the grown ups to report the news.

Again, with appologies for the continued brevity,

Have a nice week

John