Joe Duggan (Reporter)
SPAIN has issued a humiliating rebuke to Nicola Sturgeon’s Brexit plan for Scotland.
Jorge Toledo, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, rejected the First Minister’s plans for a diffentiated deal for Scotland.
In a possibly fatal blow to Sturgeon’s hopes for a differentiated deal, Toledo insisted that the Spanish government would negotiate only with Downing Street.
Toldeo said: “If the UK leaves the single market, the whole UK will leave the single market. There is only one negotiator, the UK government.”
All 27 EU member states must agree to any Brexit deal.
Toledo’s intervention comes just a day after Sturgeon spelt out her plans for Scotland.
Sturgeon had called for a ‘soft’ Brexit in a 50-page document In a 50-page document titled ‘Scotland’s Place in Europe’.
The SNP leader’s plans were welcomed by Catalan vice president, Oriol Junquera, a response likely to have angered Madrid.
It’s all in, or all out …….. & I dont think these up-coming negotiations are going to amount to much (as the UK on its own has virtually nothing to offer) ……. the UK seems to think it can pick & choose the good bits of the EU and the ‘basic principles’ of the EU can be ignored.
First of all, whatever the UK wants will need 100% support from ALL remaining 27 countries (which in itself is highly unlikely).
Secondly, the UK cannot be allowed anything that other non-member states get (as all the others around the planet will then want the same allowances).
And finally, the UK will not be allowed anything which the other 27 member states pay towards receiving …….. The UK already had the best deal of all 28 member states, so now many of the remaining countries will be only to happy to end that situation.
Some mention has been made that article-50 would be re-tractable after signing, but once invoked, the EU is more than likely going to enforce it, simply to show that the EU cannot be ‘played with’ in such a way > The EU itself needs to be very firm so as to show others what happens when the boat is rocked.
There are just dark days ahead for the UK …….. & unless they change their mind very soon, this particular runaway train is going to be un-stoppable (with UK prices already rising, inflation starting to rise within the UK, stacks of UK companies making contingency plans to depart the UK with the subsequent job losses etc and the UK pound about to fall off a very big cliff-edge just as soon as article-50 is actually signed, dated & delivered).
Ray. Spoken like a true remainder. Pity you can’t see the reasons why there is a Brexit and to name the reasons why, but are quite willing to give reasons why Brexit should remain after such a lengthy comment. But one of your comments I find most amusing, such as,
“the UK will not be allowed anything which the other 27 member states pay towards receiving …….. The UK already had the best deal of all 28 member states, so now many of the remaining countries will be only to happy to end that situation”.
For a start you forgot to mention that Germany had a better deal than anyone including the UK which the UK is being the second largest contributor towards the coffers after Germany, and of late over a period of 40 years, five EU members now have the privilege of paying in more than they receive bringing in a total of 23 other of states living on paybacks from the EU, not forgetting that 5 poorer nations are waiting in the wing to join the gravy train.
So basically Raymond, I can’t really see how the remaining countries will be only to happy to end that situation.
Have you in all your calculations allowed the possibility of other country’s wishing to leave the EU which is already on a path to collapse, such as France, Germany, the Northern country’s or even Italy or are you just blowing in the wind. I’m pleased to see you agree with everything the EU stands for which makes life easier for people to vote “leave” to the corrupt bunch running the EU.
carlos: Spain takes far more than it gives …. always has done, but it will still block the UK because of the ridiculous situation in Gibraltar (over which, they have nothing they can do), together with the independence rumblings in Catalonia (which will be firmly stamped on).
The EU will use the UK as an example, showing just what happens when you decide not to keep together. I presume your simply anti-EU, but if the EU were to fail, then Spain will loose far more than most – it isn’t a rich country by any means and apart from the climate, has very little going for it economically etc ……..
The UK would vote to stay in the EU if a new ‘honest’ referendum were to take place, but following the ridiculous negotiations that are due to happen, then the UK population should be given another chance whether to accept what is then a reality (instead of the lies they were fed before), or to remain within the EU ….. If that were to happen, declaring that it is a legally binding vote that will be acted upon, then i’m fairly sure that many of the 27% of the population that initially voted to leave would change their mind, the 26.5% of the population that voted to remain would vote the same way and many of the remaining 46.5% of the population (who failed to vote either way) will now be a little more aware of how important their vote actually is. Yes, at that point, the UK would vote to remain in the EU, which if it were to happen, would strengthen the entire EU, together with weakening all of the extreme far right wing extremists who seem to be trying to destroy the EU from within. Europe is and always will be stronger as a single entity ….. but alone, its a collection of very small, weak countries with virtually no defence from the religious extremists, left wing extremists, right wing extremists etc…..
Ray, not quite sure who you are trying to convince. It sound very clearly yourself. You still have not mentioned the reasons the Brexit movement came to exist. One part was for it’s own democracy. Have you ever stood on a box in Hyde park on a Sunday morning and allowed your thoughts to drift to for discussion. I have been there and listened to a load of crap being preached and regardless of a political motive, color, religion or in-fact anything one had the right to stand up and speak one’s mind even to criticize the Crown. That’s called democracy and the freedom of speech unlike the police officer in Germany that is being sued for slander because he thought Merkel was insane.
Is that the kind of democracy and free speech you are advocating by remaining in the EU and can you imagine with it’s own army how the dictators will react if people reject any laws being passed. I could go through every point you made including the financial reason which was not part of the lies by Brexit but the countless lies of the remainders who employed the services of so called experts which have all been proven wrong even to the extent of the IMF.
I have said before on this forum that remaining in the EU does have it’s merits but that was purely from a personal point of view but afraid not the merits for the UK.
Your arguments have all been debated before even up to the referendum and the vote was still to leave. I’m all for free trade as what the common market stood for and the movement of people, but controlled movement of people which was available prior to the common market providing you had a job to go to but not the current political agenda which the EU has slowly become which basically is alien to the British public, but the EU has perhaps realized too late just like Blair with it’s opened gates. Could go on, but pointless.
This is all about Catalunya and nothing else. She could of course threaten to boycott all Spanish produce and stop all direct flights to and from Scotland. Scotland buys a lot from plasticland, lots of Spanish wine, it won’t miss selilng whisky to them as it’s market is growing worldwide.
OK, Scotland boycotts Spain, but thats going to happen anyway (in reverse) post-brexit as they wont be able to afford to import anything anyhow. Scotch is available from many other sources as well, and is far cheaper. Scotland (& the entire UK) has no power over Spain whatsoever, as Spain will simply sell its fresh produxe elsewhere. I admire sturgeon for trying, but she is ultimatly bound by the useless UK government decisions & will be sinking right alongside the rest of the UK.
The European Union is a club constituited by states. One of them is UK. If UK abandones the EU and Scotland don´t want to do It, the solution is very easy. Scotland must abandon the UK, recover his status of intependent state, and begin the negotiations for to be a new member in the EU. There is no another posibility of become a member of the UE. And I Think that in the case of Scotland will be not difficult to run this process in a very short time .
Correct Anselmo, “The European Union is a club constituted by states”. The problem is that Scotland being a part of the UK is the same as Catalan being part of Spain and would need the British Government to agree to a referendum and as we have see by the high courts in the UK a referendum will not be binding and Scotland has no Article in the British constitution to push the button. BTW, I suppose with your idea the “Catalan independence” would also be okay if a referendum was called. Besides Spain has already stated that they would veto Scotland from joining the EU. So what other idea can you come up with.
Eire will continue to be a member of the EU after Northern Ireland bleeds to death with the rest of the UK ,When Britain commits Hara-Kiri in March. Can’t see a problem with Scotland adopting the same strategy as Eire, following a successful second independence referendum. Geographically and politically speaking, they occupy similar positions.
Spain, with it’s unelected government, is in no position to lay down the law to anyone. They will, when push comes to shove, keep their lips firmly buttoned and carry on flaunting the begging bowl.