Brexit still means Brexit

All this week, Raab has been meeting with Michel Barnier, and at the end of yesterday, they held a joint news conference.

It came as no surprise that Barnier rejected, in principle, that a 3rd country might be able to collect the EU's taxes, blowing a major hole in May's White paper, meaning that one of the ERG's amendments caused this to be rejected; almost like they planned it.

It was announced that the UK had put forward a new solution to the NI/Irish border, although no details on what that might be have been released.

The most striking thing really was the tone and words used by the two men: Raab was upbeat and issued a rallying cry to Barnier, c'mon, we have work to do. But Barnier stated that UK voted to leave to take control of it's laws, money and borders. And that is what the EU wants too, control of it's laws, money and borders. It goes both ways.

I talked to my friend Rob yesterday; and he asked me what i saw happening. Well, unless there is a seismic change in Westminster and either A50 is delayed or cancelled, the UK will leave the EU on 29th March next year. I can't see any way how both main parties can survive the Brexit process. The Conservatives hare split down the middle, but are being ruled by the 60 members of the ERG, and the silent majority have just gone along with it, much to their shame. And Labour have been lead by another ideology, one that sees the EU as a bar to some kind of socialist garden of eden. When both parties are ruled by their extreme wings, where does leave the rest of the country, who are social democrats?

If Brexit happens, and is as much of a disaster as expected, or it doesn't happen for whatever reason, the country will not just shrug and get on with life. Anger and repercussions will explode, maybe not in armed insurrection, but things can never go back to how they were.

In the long term, I would like to see a return to evidence based decision making, looking at facts and risks and reaching a consensus before a way forward is decided upon.

That, and the 4th estate taking back their role of holding the executive to account. That would be nice, rather than just be the mouthpiece of extremist policies, the ERG and their owner's tax-avoiding desires.

That would be nice.

I just want to be able to work for the next six or so years, pay the mortgage off, retire and hunt orchids and butterflies all day, every day. And forget about his dreadful world we have all created.