copydude

Nor, apparently, Prosecco. What will the Government ration first in 2019?

Too funny. 🤔

No. It was formerly an autonomous region and part of the Soviet Union.

Of course, I am sure there are plenty of practical solutions that no-one wishes to discuss. The Benelux was virtually borderless even before the EU. Sealed international freight has been going even longer. (I think 1917)

2006, when Saakashvili was put up to trying to annex S. Ossetia by the US

I'm rather sceptical of either happening - a sensible course or a majority for 'something'. For some reason, our most vociferous Remainers in this debate have been absent lately. But I would like to ask them. With something like 4 to 1 Remainer MPs, why doesn't just one of them stand up and restate the case? Maybe a considered and well-articulated argument is beyond the intelligence of some, but certainly there's a reasonable case to be made. Ever since 2016, untold dosh has been piled into lobbyists, spin doctors, Blairs and assorted criminals to thwart the vote. Just one MP with the courage of his convictions to stand up and be counted would do it for me. And preferably a Tory, who would own up that it was never a serious offer in the first place, it was a Cameron con and had never been thought through . . . which is why we're here.

Kaliningrad wasn't seized. It was the result of a map of Europe re-drawn by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. It was a completely forgotten backwater of the Soviet Union until Bush decided to deploy the missile shield in Czech and Poland. Its inhabitants moved freely between neighbouring countries for 60 years, right up the point where the Baltics became full members of Schengen.

Sure. You can take the view that this is something of an imposition by the EU, quite beyond any legal entitlement. As I understand it, the ROI is not in Schengen. Borderless internal Schengen does require EU countries with an external country border to have almost a fortress wall. The exclave of Kaliningrad is a virtual European prison. Some double standards here.

Again, you are largely correct . . . it should be called WTO only Brexit. Therefore, there is nothing to stop anyone tabling an amendment in the House to propose a WTO only Brexit. If it enjoys majority support, it will be implemented. If not, Article 50 should logically be revoked, since it also happens to be the default. Why isn't this happening? Because nobody wants to take the blame for failing Brexit. Instead, we get small parties daring Corbyn to call it, and Corbyn daring May to rule it out . . . just timewasting games of chicken. Meanwhile, those who genuinely believe WTO is the way to go won't propose it because it will be shot down and by shooting down everything else their solution stands more chance. Total farce.

Excellent post. In fact we should call it 'No Clue'. In a way, it has already been implemented.

I think last time around it was 20,000 troops and a bit of barbed wire. That should fix it.

Steven Baker - Wycombe Maria Caulfield - Lewes Rehman Chishti - Gillingham and Rainham Robert Courts - Witney David Davis - Haltemprice and Howden Suella Fernandes - Fareham Chris Green - Bolton West Ranil Jayawardena - Hampshire North East Andrea Jenkyns - Morley and Outwood Boris Johnson – Uxbridge and South Ruislip Esther McVey – Tatton Scott Mann - Cornwall North Will Quince - Colchester Dominic Raab - Esher and Walton Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Berwick-upon-Tweed Shailesh Vara – Cambridgeshire North West Crispin Blunt - Reigate Peter Bone – Wellingborough Ben Bradley - Mansfield Andrew Bridgen - Leicestershire North West Bill Cash – Stone Simon Clarke – Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Philip Davies - Shipley Nadine Dorries - Bedfordshire Mid James Duddridge - Rochford and Southend East Mark Francois - Rayleigh and Wickford Marcus Fysh - Yeovil Zac Goldsmith - Richmond Park and North Kingston Philip Hollobone - Kettering Bernard Jenkin - Harwich and Essex North David Jones - Clwyd West Andrew Lewer – Northampton South Anne-Marie Morris - Newton Abbot Sheryll Murray - Cornwall South East Owen Paterson - Shropshire North Jacob Rees-Mogg - Somerset North East Laurence Robertson – Tewkesbury Lee Rowley – North East Derbyshire Henry Smith - Crawley Martin Vickers - Cleethorpes John Whittingdale - Maldon Lucy Allan - Telford David Amess - Southend West Richard Bacon - Norfolk South John Baron - Basildon and Billericay Fiona Bruce – Congleton Conor Burns - Bournemouth West Christopher Chope – Christchurch Tracey Crouch – Chatham and Aylesford Steve Double - St Austell and Newquay Richard Drax - Dorset South Iain Duncan Smith - Chingford and Wood Green Charlie Elphicke - Dover and Deal David Evennett – Bexleyheath and Crayford Nigel Evans - Ribble Valley Michael Fabricant – Lichfield Michael Fallon – Sevenoaks James Gray - Wiltshire North Robert Halfon – Harlow Mark Harper – Forest of Dean John Hayes - South Holland and The Deepings Gordon Henderson - Sittingbourne and Sheppey Adam Holloway - Gravesham Daniel Kawczynski - Shrewsbury and Atcham Greg Knight - Yorkshire East Pauline Latham - Mid Derbyshire John Lamont – Roxburgh and Selkirk Julian Lewis - New Forest East Julia Lopez – Hornchurch and Upminster Tim Loughton - Worthing East and Shoreham Craig Mackinlay - Thanet South Stephen McPartland – Stevenage Anne Main - St Albans Johnny Mercer – Plymouth Moor View Stephen Metcalfe - Basildon South and Thurrock East Nigel Mills - Amber Valley Damien Moore - Southport Matthew Offord - Hendon Neil Parish – Tiverton and Honiton Priti Patel - Witham Mike Penning - Hemel Hempstead Mark Pritchard – The Wrekin John Redwood - Wokingham Andrew Rosindell – Romford Douglas Ross – Moray Grant Shapps – Welwyn Hatfield Royston Smith - Southampton Itchen Bob Stewart - Beckenham Desmond Swayne - New Forest West Hugo Swire – East Devon Robert Syms - Poole Derek Thomas - St Ives Ross Thomson – Aberdeen South Michael Tomlinson - Mid Dorset and North Poole Craig Tracey – North Warwickshire Theresa Villiers – Chipping Barnet Giles Watling - Clacton Bill Wiggin - Herefordshire North Mike Wood - Dudley South William Wragg - Hazel Grove

Good comment. But we can learn from this. Next time that Nicola Sturgeon comes knocking we want the 39bn devolution fee up front and no messing.

April Fools! However, I have seen business people (non politicians) argue that anything is better than continuing chaos and uncertainty. TM doesn't do concensus politics, even within her own party, and her WA could be an eternal transition to nowhere. Of course she is using it at as threat and will leave it on the table until the last minute, then blame everyone else when it happens. Which it could . . maybe out of incompetence and unintended consequences as much as anything else. Needless to say, our EU friends are simply dumbstruck that she is still asking for the same things and doesn't appear to have taken on board the thumping defeat for her plan. My personal view is that Mrs May is the biggest block to concensus, leave or remain, GE or Ref 2, and only a palace revolution by the Tories will move things along. Meanwhile we can watch all the little tugs and dredgers go about their business in Ramsgate. I was wondering, maybe . we could also get those hovercraft out of mothballs. We will need some craft to pick up our army of stranded expats from the beaches of Dunkirk.