Brexit discussion thread XIV (Please read OP before posting)

I don't believe it is, nothing in his past utterances would suggest that what he says should be taken at face value.

Why did he say those things? IMO, nothing to do with being sorry. If I am being generous he is looking at getting Ireland back to battling on their behalf and sees that the previous few months have done nothing to help that cause.

So a few nice words, buy us a pretty dress and take us out to the pub, will be enough to forget about the previous stuff and we can just move on.

With the US deal on hold for the next few years, UK knows it needs allies. And it knows that Ireland is in a challenging position. UK is really important to us and as such we will always be more willing to side with them.

Its nothing more than a rehash of the previous divide and conquer strategy that was at the heart of the beginning of Brexit, that German car manufactures and French wine producers would force the EU to agree with the UK.

I didn't say it was going to work, any more than the previous attempts to divide the EU have worked.

Just that IMO that is what they are thinking of. In terms of why did Baker say it, as you pointed out he is largely a fringe actor, only coming on when Brexit is top of the news agenda. So he gets wheeled out, says what he says, and they gauge the reaction.

The reaction from Ireland, the EU the party, ERG and DUP. If it gets serious pushback, then easy to simply claim it was an off the cuff remark said with the best intentions and while the UK government are of course eager to constantly improve and maintain relationships with all their partners, Brexit is a democratic decision etc etc.

The Tory brexit voter heartlands are all in England, so I reckon with the recent census watershed they finally see a way of fobbing off NI and its 500km EU border. If anything I can see an acceleration of a Irish border poll being pushed by brexiters to a greater degree than any Irish political party.

I think it is very simple, they are seeing the polls so are now acting reasonable again. They understand their arrogance has finally caught up with them and they are not seen in the best light by the voters so are now softening their own images to the public. This is not a Tory Party instruction but individuals within the party that is doing this.

I cannot for one moment believe that Steve Baker, hard man of Brexit, is in any way sorry about the way Brexit worked out. I think he may have an eye on the top prize so is projecting a more reasonable approach.

I think this Truss in action, as foreign minister she loved signing trade agreements, pretending they were great and riding forward again. I actually think that's her whole model of operation, always going forward and ignoring the mess behind.

If they get an agreement it will hollow out the only wing of the party that support Truss. The right wingers that support her will never be happy with any deal she gets. If she can get a deal through her own party will be the question.

Funny the DUP feel ever more redundant and side lined. BoJo only wanted to keep the pot boiling as a bolt hole when other trouble surfaced, more recently the Protocol was over ridden by visiting Ukraine in times of domestic bother.

I think this might actually make sense of Bakers appointment. At the time it seemed tone deaf and a very bad sign. However, if a strategy had been formed to ditch the protocol fight with the EU and the ERG group have come on board, then Baker being one of the original hardliners will be a perfect frontman to sell the new approach.

I wonder what Kermit will make of this, if true.

A now Catholic (albeit brexity) owned Bamford/Wrightbus would be ideal.

The really beautiful thing is that every time it happens, their own misguided, blind, tribal loyalties mean that they can never bring themselves to criticise the Tories. Instead they tie themselves up in knots so that they can, somehow, no matter how illogically, blame "Dublin", the EU and Sinn Fein. If nothing else it shows an incredible lack of self respect.

I guess it's going back to the original 'Oven Ready Deal' of 2019 which obviously was the result of negotiation in autumn of that year and required both sides giving ground. But straightaway Johnson wanted to re-negotiate it (which was clearly the plan all along). And since then it always appears to be the EU as the ones slightly giving ground, and each time that becomes the new place from which some further half-way point must be found.

It's just the impression I get, I wouldn't be an expert on every step of the process over the last few years.