The European Union has a certain problem with the concept of sovereignty. A sovereign nation is sovereign within its own borders, that’s the definition and that’s how the system works. Or should perhaps. In the vernacular we would call this our gaff, our rules. Which isn’t as we all will note, quite how the modern world does work. For example, we’re not allowed to do that in deciding upon smoking or not on private property, are we?
The EU is insisting that we should be subject to their rule even after we leave:
Brussels has demanded that EU customs officers are allowed to operate in the UK in what would be an unprecedented arrangement for a sovereign country.
European Union plans to prevent an Irish hard border after Brexit will mean customs checks on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Britain, Michel Barnier admitted in Brussels.
No matey. How goods circulate inside an independent and sovereign country is up to that place, not you.
Do note that this isn’t an absolute ban on cooperation into smuggling and the like. This is not just akin to but exactly the same issue as all those arguments we see on the American cop shows. Who has jurisdiction, the FBI, Cook County or the Podunk City traffic cops? The reason the cop shows make so much of it is not just for dramatic tension, it’s because the American legal system thinks it important, something to make much of. Who has the power to investigate, arrest, in a geographic area is an important matter.
Sure, assume Podunk is just outside Cook County, the two forces might well agree to work together on a case involving transit of the border. That’s fine. But CC doesn’t having roaming powers in PC and nor vice versa.
The reason for all this is that the authorities have power over us but it’s also rather a basic building block of any form of democracy that we have power over the authorities. Something we obviously don’t have for any power emerging from outside the area we get to vote for nor influence through civil society.
So, no, the EU’s Gauleiters don’t get to ravage Ulster.
Don’t we have French officials of various sorts inside St Pancras station already?
May has already sold Britain out by agreeing however many millions who want to move here in the next few years can stay after we leave. I expect she will eventually sign an agreement that neither Charles or William can be crowned unless the President of the EU puts the thing on their head.
This Lady is for turning
Typical attitude of the EU – they are so used to rail-roading stuff through in the EU parliament over the heads of EU citizens that they think they can do it to us. Sadly May is so craven and pathetic she’ll probably roll over for them.
Heartily sick of the way this gets reported, especially on the BBC, as gospel truth just cos it emanates from Brussels. We have every right to tell them to piss of if we don’t like it – and in this case we should.
I’ve got something I’ll happily put on Charlie’s head, from a great height!
The UK has already made it clear that this proposal is unacceptable and May’s describing as a betrayal any British leader acquiescing to such an arrangement makes it impossible for her to let this or anything like it pass. The bigger point, though, is the apparent collusion between the EU and the Labour party in advancing this line contemporaneously to the extent that both deferred their announcements to coincide this week. Bruno Waterfield in Brussels and Sam Coates both of The Times tweeted this yesterday so rather than warming over stories of treachery from the Cold War – important though… Read more »
IDS was on the BBC news earlier and rather spoiled the annoying woman’s questions by having some idea of how borders work nowadays, including the existing NI/Eire border. Summary: not really a problem and the EU is stirring it.
T&S charges all round for any ZaNu trash –or any of the Traitors–Bliar, Adonis, Fondleboysbum, –any of them–who meet with an EU official in future. It is a giant miscall on Corbog’s part. He now looks like a Remainiac stooge selling out Brexit voters. Momentum is what the cunts call themselves because the longer the fight goes on the less steam they have left. Two/three years to think about the shite ZaNu talks is doubleplusungood for the Senile Lad and his Scummy men. This is the best news in ages. Esp with the Grey Dick and Bliar helping us out… Read more »
It’s as though the Opium Wars, the Concession Outrages, and the Boxer Rebellion just went past unnoticed.
I am Canadian watching from other side of ocean but stuff I read in papers make it seem EU does not want a deal and make negotiating process as painful as possible. EU negotiator is ragging the puck with delays, obfuscation and inane proposals about borders. Negotiations should be over by now if they were being conducted in good faith.
Good faith and the EU don’t really go together. The project is everything and nothing must stand in its way. The sooner we are out the better.
jwl, that’s how it looks to anyone sensible in the UK as well.
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