Paphos People

Am I the only person who doesn't understand why the White Paper was not published a day before the Article 50 vote rather than a day after the vote?

If anyone can get their head around this logic please let me know

Article 50 has not been enacted yet ... due before the end of March.
Plenty of time to discuss before that ... Now the decision has been made to follow the democratic result of the referendum.

I'm asking why yesterday's vote (to follow the democratic result of the referendum) wasn't taken after scrutiny of the 77 page White Paper.


That would have made more sense to me. It all seems a bit arm-pit over boob

Exactly, what difference do you think it would have made ?
Any delaying tactics by the opposition will be attempted anyway.
It hasn't even gone through the House of Lords yet, prior to any possibility of Royal Assent.

Many thanks SFD.

Geoff.

Geoff, don't bother reading all of it, just skip to the Conclusion on page 77. It says 'Brexit means Brexit'

Well I did read it all - good document. It all seems to be back on track after attempts to derail the whole process (supreme court etc).
Mrs May now in Malta telling the EU leaders (the other 27) what she and Trump are now BOTH
saying - namely that the EU Countries are going to have to pay up their NATO fees, 2% of GDP.
That they cannot expect the UK + USA+ Poland + The Czeck republic to keep on
subsidizing their safety/security.
Incidentally, at the Malta meeting the other 27 EU Members will be discussing Brexit but without Mrs May being present.
What a cheek - time these EU federalists were taught a lesson.
IMO
Geoff.

Well I did read it all - good document. It all seems to be back on track after attempts to derail the whole process (supreme court etc).
Mrs May now in Malta telling the EU leaders (the other 27) what she and Trump are now BOTH
saying - namely that the EU Countries are going to have to pay up their NATO fees, 2% of GDP.
That they cannot expect the UK + USA+ Poland + The Czeck republic to keep on
subsidizing their safety/security.
Incidentally, at the Malta meeting the other 27 EU Members will be discussing Brexit but without Mrs May being present.
What a cheek - time these EU federalists were taught a lesson.
IMO
Geoff.[/quote]

May is attending the morning working section discussing the migration crisis, but she is not attending the afternoon session covering the way forward for the EU and the Treaty of Rome 60th anniversary celebrations.

May ought to be getting on with some real work back at home rather than attend a pointless (from her point of view) afternoon session.

I read it all as well. In effect, it is a wish list. What parts will be realised will be apparent as negotiations go on. There is a stated intention to pursue the rights of ex-pats in EU countries (health care is specifically mentioned), but sadly no mention of their non-EU dependants. Mention is also made of the British Overseas Territories as a group, but not individually. The SBAs are British Overseas Territories (and the only one that uses the Euro) so it will be interesting to see what changes arise there.

I guess what the document gives us is a list of the areas for negotiation the government has thought of.

_________________
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein

Mrs. May is not invited to the afternoon session ... that is partly for the other 27 members to discuss the information provided by Mrs. May. (Just as the other 27 are not privy to the meetings that UK Government MPs and committees hold).
What part of Mrs. May's attendance would you describe as not being "real work" on behalf of the UK ?

Yes, Josef K ... It is just a 'wish list'.
The opposition parties/luvvies/remoaners etc. tried to force the government to state their 'red lines' in a White Paper ( so the EU would know what they are up against and those who want to thwart negotiations could oppose such 'red lines').
They might just as well have demanded a completely blank sheet of white paper
The Brexit committee are wiser than that though .... They have produced a White Paper of facts & options only.
Negotiations will start, as they said, after Article 50 has been enacted.

I think you misunderstand me. I am suggesting that attendance at the afternoon session (given the agenda that I have outlined in my earlier post) would not be a good use of May's time and that she has more vital, non Brexit, work to do back home.