PEM thoughts: govt working to carve out some space for accession, in part on basis that isn't against red lines of no CU/SM/FoM/EU But youth mobility also not against those, so want gives? 1/ - ThreadSky

simonusherwood.bsky.social • 41 days ago

PEM thoughts: govt working to carve out some space for accession, in part on basis that isn't against red lines of no CU/SM/FoM/EU

But youth mobility also not against those, so want gives?

1/

Comments

nialloconghaile.bsky.social•41 days ago

Excellent thread.

jmolofsson.bsky.social•41 days ago

To foreigners, the UK appears as an enigma.

And even more so the, currently, ruling Labour party.

simonpease.bsky.social•41 days ago

Agree with every word. No idea where the country is going, at the moment, because the government clearly doesn’t know either.

simonusherwood.bsky.social•41 days ago

Simplest explanation is LaAB recognition that blocking youth mobility was an overstep, caused by run-up to #GE24 and desire not to leave clear water from CON.

PEM approach ("not yes, but also not totally no") is what LAB thinks is default response in such matters

2/

simonusherwood.bsky.social•41 days ago

Of course, while this might work as a holding pattern, is does beg the question of whether there's anything more than this

Sefcovic's offer could be seen as motivated by degree of frustration with lack of UK plan on, well, any part of future relations

3/

simonusherwood.bsky.social•41 days ago

Starting from red lines can only ever really be a defensive position, where UK is always on back foot to events

A positive objective is fundamental in moving away from this, but doesn't seem to exist now or any time in immediate future

4/

simonusherwood.bsky.social•41 days ago

As several on this place will tell you at length, EU doesn't owe UK anything in sorting out the latter's impasse, even if it does have interest in closer relations

So work to move UK policy debate has to be home-grown

5/

simonusherwood.bsky.social•41 days ago

That means politicians need to start talking about what they are aiming for, and exploring ways they might achieve that (while also being cognisant of EU's own position)

Plenty of knowledgeable people out there ready to help in that, but it's a political matter at root

6/

simonusherwood.bsky.social•41 days ago

Reasons for not doing this are also clear: it's complex, divisive and not just for govt to decide

Doesn't mean it's not worth trying to do though

UK is still exposed to EU and v.versa: what happens in one impacts the other

6/

baronnessmargy.bsky.social•41 days ago

Labour is more interested in cozying up to Trump.

nuitsdeyoung.bsky.social•41 days ago

On the other hand, it wd be nice if the EU recognised that 16 million of us never wanted Brexit, marched & campaigned agst it, & continue to be hostages of hostile UK govts, whatever their political colour, who treat us as un-persons.

drpaulitious.bsky.social•41 days ago

Why do they even draw these red lines? Why don't the rest of us call them hostages to fortune?

johnnyswlondon.bsky.social•40 days ago

Possible EU proposals on 'specific topic' => await media/Tory reaction => Lab then frame response as 'has benefits/red line intact' without (public) commitment is designed to help both achieve aims already (privately) agreed?

calenhad-social.bsky.social•41 days ago

Is one of these "red lines" to do with appeasing rampant fascists making the most outrageous demands and threatening ludicrous trading penalties?

What about NATO Member States threatening to invade other NATO Member States?

almagroschool.bsky.social•41 days ago

anything that anyone might relate to FoM, however mistakenly or maliciously, is the reddest red line for them.

chillaxbcn.bsky.social•41 days ago

But youth mobility isn't FoM. It's a time-limited scheme. Once over it's back home. Labour never made the effort to explain it. All they ever do is say FoM doesn't come back. They are frankly incompetent.

almagroschool.bsky.social•41 days ago

"however mistakenly or maliciously,"

chillaxbcn.bsky.social•41 days ago

That's why Labour needs to do better. Instead it contributes.

drjaybee.bsky.social•41 days ago

It’s one million percent clear that return to the EU and the single market is what Labour wants. We know it. He EU knows it. Reform knows it. When they finally achieve this - you lot will say “oh they finally listened to us”.

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