The Adventures of Arganoid and Bongle Twonker

"The UK gov't is being thoroughly dishonest on the Irish border issue in four fundamental ways.

First, this issue hasn't "only now emerged". It was one of the key direct effects of leaving the EU. Entirely predictably so.

Second, refusal to go on to trade negotiations is reasonable. A month after the UK's Art. 50 notification, on 29 April 2017, the Council agreed a phased approach: Progress would have to be made in key areas, one of them being the Irish border, in order to move on to trade. On 19 June 2017, on the very first day of negotiations, the UK formally agreed to this phased approach (having, incidentally, prepared no counter-proposal). “It’s not how it starts, it’s how it finishes that matters,” declared glibly David Davis.

Third, progress to trade talks is not witheld lightly. The member state whose trade most depends on a good deal with the UK is the RoI. The idea they are holding up trade talks only to somehow vex the UK is fanciful. The stakes are as high for them as for the UK.

Fourth, Liam Fox's protest that "we can’t come to a final answer to the Irish question until we get an idea of the end state" is bogus. Nobody is asking the UK to "come to a final answer". What is required -and what the UK agreed to- is progress on the issue. What would represent "progress" on the Irish border issue? Very simple.

There are only four basic scenarios: 1. UK stays in both SM and CU; 2. UK stays in CU but not SM; 3. UK stays in SM but not CU; 4. UK out of both with a bespoke deal; 5. UK out of both with no deal. All the UK would need to do is submit broad proposals on what their plan would be for the Irish border under each of those five scenarios. It's really very, very simple.

There is also a very simple reason the UK gov't hasn't done this: because they know they have no answer for scenarios 3, 4, 5 that keeps their "invisible border" promise, does not threaten to bust their 'Confidence and Supply" deal with the DUP, expose Brexit for the clusterfuck it really is and, probably, cause an election.

These are the sorts of issues that were blithely waved away by Leave before the referendum with an "it'll be alright". I had foolishly assumed this was because they were difficult issues for them. It turns out that they had genuinely not given a thought to them. In a negotiation where your declared aim is to maximise your global advantage, protect your citizens and strengthen your border, it is entirely reasonable for the other side to do the same. The idea of a border that is airtight one way but permeable the other way is inane.

British exceptionalism is not a serious, adult negotiating stance. It hasn't been for many decades. It's encumbent upon the UK to solve its own problems caused by its own leaving. This gov't decided to notify under Art. 50 having done no preparatory work WHATSOEVER. It, alone, is the architect of this mess."

"On #bbcdp, Kate Hoey MP simply cannot understand why Brexit threatens the Good Friday Agreement. It *could* be because it's an international treaty, in which the UK and RoI are signatories and co-guarantors and their status as EU members is explicitly written into the Agreement, but I'm no expert.

"We're not putting up a border. If you want a border, you pay for it." she said to Irish Senator Neale Richmond. "Won't be long before the Irish will want to leave the EU", she added. He, INCREDIBLY patiently, explained to her than in the latest poll, Irish support for EU membership was just under 90% and that she really shouldn't comment on things she knows so little about. He is a saint for not responding to such provocatively rude behaviour. Made all the more sickening by the fact she represents a safe Labour constituency which voted to Remain by the HIGHEST margin in the entire country.

This is how the UK behaves to its closest partners and allies, with absolute conviction that THEY LOVE US. America loves us, Commonwealth love us, EU love us, RoI loves us, Australia loves us, all former colonies love us, really THE WORLD loves us.

The entire Brexit plan basically boils down to: If we get our cock out and stick it in other countries' mouths they will have to suck it, because BRITAIN. Well, life comes at you fast. Prepare for a valuable corrective, involving teeth."