By Kendal Mint
As Jeremy Corbyn rightly said today about the Brexile “Political Declaration” document:
“…we have 26 pages of waffle.”
and:
“It’s clear from this document that NOTHING is agreed (yet!). This is the blindfold Brexit we all feared. A leap in the dark.”
Everything before paragraph 140 is really meaningless because it is pages and pages of just ‘aspirations’ for the negotiations to come AFTER the withdrawal date of 29th March next year (4 months from now!).
Actual negotiations (still to come!) could well bring completely different outcomes! …including for “…those elements related to the alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing.”
Extracts from the document (paragraphs 140 onwards):
140. The Parties will progress the development of the legal agreements giving effect to the future relationship in two stages.
I. BEFORE WITHDRAWAL (i.e. BEFORE 29th March 2019):
141. Between the approval of this declaration and the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union, the Parties will each engage in preparatory organisational work, with the aim of enabling rapid commencement of and progress in formal negotiations.
142. This work should draw up a proposed schedule to deliver the work programme required, having identified the areas likely to require the greatest consideration, such as those elements related to the alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing.
143. The Parties will also consider the logistical requirements of the formal negotiations.
II. AFTER WITHDRAWAL (i.e. AFTER 29th March 2019):
144. After the Union has taken the steps necessary to begin formal negotiations under Article 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), it is envisaged that the Parties will negotiate in parallel the agreements needed to give the future relationship legal form.
About Article 218: https://www.google.co.uk/search…
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Reproduced with permission from Kendal’s Facebook page.