Profile picture
Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
, 3 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
The EU is not offering a unilateral exit on the entire backstop.

Michel Barnier has offered a unilateral exit from the UK-wide backstop, so back to backstop - the EC's original NI-only proposal.
The UK "wanted the UK-wide backstop and now they don't like it anymore. It's a strange situation," says one EU diplomat.
"But there is nothing that should surprise us in British politics."
Context to PM's remark on workers' rights.

May attended Gothenburg Social Summit in Nov' 17 when EU agreed 'pillar of social rights' . Non-binding, but aim is to strengthen rights not dilute them.

ec.europa.eu/commission/pri…
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Jennifer Rankin
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @JenniferMerode see all

Profile picture
Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
Rumours of meaningful vote 3 on Friday. That’s important because of the two-track extension.

If no vote in favour of WA by the end of the week - i.e. 11pm UK time 29 March - the UK falls into the 12 April deadline track.

Although reality could be messier /1
Goodbye 22 May extension?

Hard to say anything so black and white - the UK could still get an extension until 22 May if the vote passes early next week 2/
The EU really wants clarity in coming days about whether WA will pass or not, meaning a long extension, or no-deal.

So the UK will have to make its mind up about European elections very soon, if no WA /3
Read 6 tweets
Profile picture
Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
Easy to miss on a day like this....

The gov has infuriated northern European allies by (as they see it) abandoning hardline stance on export of unemployment benefits - key demand of David Cameron renegotiation (remember that?)

theguardian.com/world/2019/mar…
The British ambassador is expected to vote in favour of an update to the EU’s social security regulation that would allow EU job seekers to export unemployment benefit for six months, compared with three months now.

Vote happening very soon.
Northern European countries are stunned and very disappointed:

“You could have been the ringleader of our like-minded group and that’s what makes it so awkward that you are in the company of Italy and Spain and people who love free money.”
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
“I was consciously reminding myself that worse things happen all the time. People lose their jobs, factories go out of business … On the other hand it felt like a kick in the guts.”
Being a British EU official in the time of Brexit.

gu.com/p/atdq7/stw
Since 2016, the number of British officials working at the European commission has fallen by 21% to 917 people.
That is partly b/c some have taken new nationalities, but obvs numbers will continue to go down.
British were under-represented in top EU civil service jobs - something the coalition government wanted to change.

“Almost everyone has been saying that the senior level [British] officials are for the chop.”
Read 4 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
Mark Durkan
@markdurkan
As one involved in negotiation of #GFA (dealing with all parties not just one) I have to refute this misconstrued "Fundamental" @TomMcTague & L Bew. Anxious about "top-down imposition" & GFA's delicacy? Why blindly uphold imposing convulsive Brexit on NI that voted Remain? /1
I would not pretend the backstop fully protects #GFA. (It is mitigation/insurance & wouldn't make up existing GFA deficits eg Rights). But given the impulses & ignorance shown in London's chaotic approaches to date noone should pretend that GFA would be upheld without it. /2
I am disappointed that Lord Bew invokes "all parties" in such a tendentious appraisal. His own top-down imposition on us? Other parties have shown more consistent adherence to letter & spirit of GFA than L Trimble & have well-founded different views on Brexit & backstop. /3
Read 10 tweets
Profile picture
Katy Hayward
@hayward_katy
Today UK govt published its unilateral 'commitments to Northern Ireland & its integral place in the UK'.
I'd read it not just as an effort to get unionists on board #WithdrawalAgmt but a nod towards post-Brexit governance.
Here’s an ‘essentials’ guide..
1/
 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…
It comes on the 2nd anniversary of the collapse of the NI Executive.
I really hope that isn’t a coincidence.
& if it isn't, it's a pointed reminder to those who claim to be concerned abt the representation of NI that they cd put more effort into getting Stormont up & running.
2/
The DUP came out quickly to reject it, underwhelmed & unconvinced.
Others will be too, but we cdn’t expect detail or substance on commitments at this stage.
(Besides, perhaps it's a duty of politicians in NI to bring forward proposals re: enhancing representation of NI..?)
3/
Read 12 tweets
Profile picture
Tony Connelly
@tconnellyRTE
Here’s a brief take on the leaked letter from Theresa May to the DUP courtesy of the @SamCoatesTimes story.
The opening is a bit confusing: “A Brussels plan to put a customs border in the Irish Sea if there is no Brexit agreement will be included in a divorce deal”.
The idea of a No Brexit Agreement usually means No Divorce Deal, so it sounds contradictory: ie, if there’s no divorce deal we’ll have this in the divorce deal.
Read 25 tweets
Profile picture
Penny Midas Rollo
@PennyMidasRollo
001/ [article content in this tweet series 001-180 reproduced with permission from Martin Howe QC of Lawyers for Britain @lawyers4britain]
#quote "Leaving the EU on WTO terms: pulling down the barriers to world trade
Introduction: why prices will FALL after Brexit, not rise" /002
002/ #quote "Over the past couple of weeks, the media have been full of lurid scare stories about what will happen if the UK leaves the EU on WTO terms, because negotiations with the EU do not result in a withdrawal agreement." /003
#tariffs #NoDeal #Brexit #WTO #ProjectFear #shortages #food #medicines
003/ #quote "One of the most ridiculous and UNJUSTIFIED of these absurd scare stories is that it will lead to higher prices, and even shortages, of foods and medicines." /004
Read 180 tweets
Profile picture
Colm Ó Mongáin
@colmomongain
An EU source tells me that today's #Barnier #Brexit op-ed does not signal any shift in the EU position or offer anything new to the UK. They said reflects what has been said on previous occasions by Mr Barnier and that he had "nothing concrete in mind".
Asked about the timing, the source said the #Barnier #Brexit piece targetted the 26 EU member states other than the UK and Ireland & was "an exercise in bringing all other member states up to speed on the state of play" and "was not drafted in any way to signal a change".
EU source re. #Brexit #Barnier "We're saying we aren't intransigent, we're willing to listen, we'll consider innovative solutions w. in the clear legal limits. But if [UK] is not flexible...there's no room for flexibility".
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
Alice Stollmeyer
@StollmeyerEU
Back in Brussels 🇪🇺 after 3 weeks in DC & NYC 🇺🇸

High on my 'To do' list:

Catching up on avalanche of news on #CambridgeAnalyticaFiles.
Starting here:

‘I made Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare tool.’

Meet @chrisinsilico, the data war whistleblower.

#CambridgeAnalyticaFiles #CambridgeAnalytica
#InformationWarfare #BigTech #BigData

theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/…
Read & follow @carolecadwalla for outstanding reporting on the big, dark tangled web of Brexit, Trump, Russia -- and how Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, WikiLeaks, Bannon, the Mercers, are involved.

#CambridgeAnalyticaFiles #BigTech #BigData

theguardian.com/news/series/ca…
Read 19 tweets

Trending hashtags

#NoDeal #Brexit #Lebanon #PAMFAM #Article7 #employment #BigData #France #price #Trump #Japan #textiles #producers #GDPR #economy #jeans #profiles #Iran #DataProtection #October #EURef #importation #ImogenCunninghamF64 #Japanese #EC
Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!