It feels to me that he wants a piece of the same cake to eat as the tories. Any custom union on the scale we will want is going to come with free movement, ECJ primacy and a restriction on unilateral trade deals - the EU has been consistent about that through out.
I suspect that this is more about short term political opportunism that a viable long term Brexit strategy. They are trying to woo the tory rebels to defeat the government and bring about an election.
Good to see a bit of pragmatism and grown up behaviour from the leader of the opposition, taking the initiative and highlighting what we all know anyway, that May is totally incapable of doing the job she is paid for. Great to see the right wingers frothing at the mouth too. And of course the âwogs begin at Doverâ brigade, who make up the majority of the so called working class brexiters would have been choking on their sausage and chips at Wetherspoons today.
And our esteemed Foreign Secretary is quick off the mark after accusing Corbyn of political opportunitism, by calling for British airstrikes on Syria. Nothing like a good old military campaign as a distraction eh! Maybe we should drop Boris on them, that will surely have the jihadist terrorists we are supporting coming out with their hands up!
Funniest of all though, was the DUP Brexit spokesman, Sammy Wilson accusing Corbyn of âcheap political opportunismâ. Haha. From the party who took a 2 billion quid bribe to prop up our pathetic useless government that is a bit rich. Still, at least he canât be accused of being cheap!
Customs Union doesnât come with free movement. Thatâs the ruled out Single Market.
Plus as I said, the EU might say no, which I suspect it will, which will give Corbyn greater freedom of agency after folk realise the EU arenât interested in dealing with anybody.
When did the EU say they arenât interested in dealing with anybody?
Apologies if Iâve missed something vital, have been away for a few days.
Surely he has done no more that the conservatives. Custom Union / comprehensive free trade deal, both without freedom of move,ent and ECJ primacy? Same thing , different label
Pretty much any time they say something is impossible.
The Conservatives have been banging on about a bespoke deal without specifying what that deal is. We know more about their supposed red lines than what theyâre actually looking to get out of it. Nothing theyâre asking for solves one of the biggest apparent sticking points, the Irish border issue, which Corbs plan most certainly does.
The EU have made great capital out of the Irish border issue during the negotiating period, trying to pitch themselves as the only people able to be responsible about it.
While Iâd certainly have no problem describing the Conservative approach on Ireland as potentially disastrous, Corbs plan for _a _customs union does address the problem of a hard border, and is similar enough to _the _customs union so that the EU cannot claim they donât understand it, brand it impossible, term it fantasy or some kind of dream they both had.
Their only point of contention would be that theyâd have to be a partner in this arrangement, not a rule-maker. Theyâre not going to look good if they contend that point.
Small thanks to @cb-saint for inspiring the latest medium deposit.
@goatboy usual typo detection service would be appreciated thanks. I donât care how much rum youâve taken.
No typos. This sentence:
âIf it refuses, it imperils the project, because it will have rejected solutions to some of the most pressing problems of Brexit, because of one little difference. Not having total control.â
is a bit woolly though 
Iâm leaving it in.
The Welsh will love it, and the majority of them voted Leave.
It is a very good way of checking your health mr @btripz you need to notice its texture, constuency, colour, does it sink or float?did it rip your piles apart when exiting?
With regards to this hard border conundrum
What would happen if the British govt said, regardless of what Brexit we have we are not putting a hard border in place. Then what?
Will Ireland build a wall?
Will the EU stop all trade via NI?
What is the worst that can happen?
So the EUâs draft proposal for post-Brexit arrangements were a load of shit, werenât they?
I canât complain too much. The Medium article I did has done some very decent business as a result, but who are they kidding when they say they are concerned about the Irish border and the GFA while using the whole question as a pretext for total control?
The EU became a Social Democrat machine.
And when âofferedâ the opportunity to give some concessions (ie start to change) by Camoron they laughed in his face.
So you voted for Brexit which you mainly worry about.
Meanwhile, the rest of Europeâs populations ârevoltâ in their own way by voting in more âright leaningâ politicians. Poland, Hungary, almost in Germany, Austria, almost in France and now in Italy.
The article is interesting, but the graphic is more telling
Les fiddles while we burn.
Juncker fiddles while the Treay of Rome burns
Though no party will be able to rule alone based on latest results, the surge of support for populist parties has been compared with Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the US.
The right-wing coalition, which includes the League, Mr Berlusconiâs Forza Italia (Go Italy!) party and the far-right Brothers of Italy, is tipped to get 248-268 seats - below the 316 needed for a majority.
But Five Star, which has insisted on going it alone without forming a coalition, is expected to emerge as the largest single party in Italyâs lower house, with 216-236 seats.
Founded in 2009 by comedian Beppe Grillo, who denounced cronyism in Italian politics, Five Star is now led by Luigi Di Maio, 31. It has captured new voters in the poorer regions of southern Italy, feeding off anger over institutional corruption, economic hardship and immigration.
There could be a whole thread on Italian politics. It was part of my first degree and I have been interested in what happens as I have family there. Some of the wider family I believe have worked for Berlusconi. Heâs not my cup of tea at all and I cannot beleive heâs still involved. He was pretty much the Italian Trump.
I watched this the other day.
In lighter news, I have just pitched a Patreon idea to the youngest. She is not impressed. I am not surprised. The plan was so cunning it was worthy of Baldrick, not my role model Blackadder (hey, single parent families, init).
It involves me changing my name, by deed poll, to Cliff Edge-Brexit. I would then tour the country for a year meeting people, doing the overactive pap in person thing, but introducing myself as Cliff Edge-Brexit.
My original thought would be that the masses would think âhey, this Cliff Edge-Brexit isnât so badâ.
After Young Adult #2âs feedback, Iâm concerned people would end up thinking âfuck, itâs scarier and more chaotic than I ever imagined!â.
On a related note, I do not understand why British people should be so scared of cliff edges. We have plenty of them. We normally just look out from them at the sea and try not to fall off them. I imagine this innate national quality will continue.
Our hard right are laughably amatuer compared to the friendly continent over the ditch, they have long established fascist parties in nearly every nation, theyâll become more apparent when nations have to take more migrants in as they have to under EU law.
May and the Brexit corner she painted herself into.
The comment on making speeches not semi legal documents is just so damning, as is the âLook at me I done an Article 50â moment.
The EU have issued their guidelines today. This bit made me laugh
âthere can be no âcherry pickingâ through participation based on a sector-by-sector approach, that would undermine the integrity and proper functioning of the single marketâ
Particularly when followed by
The draft guidelines say existing fishing rights for EU vessels in UK waters will continue.
No hyprocrisy here, nosiree.