Profile picture
, 3 tweets, 1 min read
The PM has just said that under the Brexit deal being negotiated, the "whole of the UK" - ie including Northern Ireland - would be able "to take full advantage of Brexit". Which means that NI would remain in the UK's customs territory AND not in the EU's customs union. But...
absolutely no one in Dublin, Brussels or London is denying that there would be a de facto customs border between GB and the whole island of Ireland in the Irish Sea. So Northern Ireland would be inside the EU's customs union as a matter of practice but not of law. Just...
thinking about both the practical and philosophical issues this would raise is giving me a headache. So I am going to stop now.
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh.

Enjoying this thread?

Keep Current with Robert Peston

Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread 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 @Peston see all

Profile picture
Robert Peston
@Peston
The position of most of the 21 rebel Tories is that they will support the Letwin amendment AND the prime minister’s Brexit deal. So they will vote for the Withdrawal Agreement Bill at 2nd reading on Tuesday. So that 2nd reading in effect becomes the Meaningful Vote...
And presumably if @BorisJohnson is forced by Benn Act tonight to request three-month Brexit delay, the EU will wait till that deferred meaningful vote on Tuesday before deciding how to respond to that request (which Johnson does not want to make, and will contradict in a...
second letter).
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
Robert Peston
@Peston
Since @jeremycorbyn will whip in favour of the Letwin amendment, it is now impossible for @BorisJohnson to view it as anything but inimical, hostile to his ambition of getting the UK out of the EU with his deal on 31st Oct. Because Labour, unlike Letwin himself, does not see...
a vote for Letwin’s amendment as tacit approval for Johnson’s deal. Instead Labour views it as an opportunity to 1) reinforce the requirement on Johnson to request a Brexit delay, and 2) frustrate passage of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, attaching its own Brexit...
stipulations to it, and probably pushing an amendment that would make any Brexit approval conditional on the UK holding another referendum. Johnson tonight has three choices. He could call the bluff of Tory, ex Tory and Brexity Labour supporters of the Letwin amendment, and...
Read 7 tweets
Profile picture
Robert Peston
@Peston
The Saturday vote on @BorisJohnson’s deal will be closer than people think. Around 18 or 19 of the Tory rebel exiles will vote for it, subject to a Letwin-ish amendment that the Benn Act applies till the whole of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill is law. @BorisJohnson will see...
that amendment as holding the feet to the flame of the Brexit Spartans. He won’t hate it, whatever his public position. Because the ERG Spartans will fear if they vote against the deal and the WAB, that Brexit delay and no Brexit will follow. Now, the DUP’s opposition to...
Johnson’s deal is a challenge for Johnson. But as I said earlier on @itvnews there is genuinely a chance Johnson’s deal passes - and I never ever said that about any of @theresa_may’s meaningful votes.
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
Peter Foster
@pmdfoster
So quick thoughts on @BorisJohnson @LeoVaradkar pow-wow and what we know/don't know. /1 Thread
@BorisJohnson @LeoVaradkar First thing is that something definitely happening. This is not just blame-game posturing.

Asked a very trusted source tonight (who would know) what the outline was and they replied "sorry, can't" or words to that effect.

When top people clam up, that means one thing... /2
There is finally something substantive to protect....a proposal that might be workable and no-one wants derailing with leaks.

In #Brexit the sound of silence is always the sound of deals being done - or of a potential to be done. /3
Read 21 tweets
Profile picture
Matt Bevington
@matt_bevington
Ok, a thread this morning on what I think is an increasingly overblown debate about the apparent degradation of UK public life, especially from many of our friends on the EU27 side.
1) I know many are disappointed with the UK because we are not living up to our reputation as a 'rational', 'compromising' country. But in my view it's the perception that was wrong. My experience as a UK citizen is that we are overly sentimental and irrational in many respects.
2) If #Brexit and everything that followed came as a surprise, I'd suggest it's because you didn't know us as well as you thought. Indeed, it has revealed many things to us that we should have known better, i.e. the sheer degree of disillusionment with our politics and economy.
Read 7 tweets
Profile picture
Stephen 🔶 #FreeNazanin 😪
@TheStephenRalph
Had a phone call from my friend in Belgium who watches French news channels. One channel has a daily debate & today they discussed #Brexit with two UK journalists amongst the panel.

One thing was certain. If Johnson doesn't pay the £39 Billion there won't be any trade deal. 1/4
Also, they had a really good interview with Steve Bray @snb19692 & other #Remain campaigners. Overall that part of the programme was very optimistic.

One other thing was very clear. The brinkmanship strategy that Johnson is using will fail. The #EU27 are united. 2/4
The EU Withdrawal Agreement has been painstakingly negotiated over a 2 year period. Every possibility regarding the N.I. backstop was explored. The best solution that respected the Good Friday Agreement was the version in the agreement. 3/4
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
Lord Snoutintrough #FBPE
@Rowland72James
#BREXIT craziness update so maybots deal is blown out of the water l. Similarly corbyns vote of no confidence fails and won't be backed by SNP and lib dems
Despite her #BREXIT deal being defeated by biggest margin a government has lost a vote ever maybot seeks concessions on backstop despite being told to bog off by the EU with no realistic hope of a different answer
Corbyn meanwhile refuses to talk #BREXIT without no deal being ruled out despite knowing she can't do this whilst maybot makes no concessions either.
Read 14 tweets
Profile picture
Nicolai von Ondarza
@NvOndarza
"#Brexit and EU agencies", our extensive look into third country relationships of the 36 EU agencies and how the UK might fit in.

swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/cont…

Albeit largely technical, agencies will have huge implications on Brexit.

Five points stand out in particular:
First, Agencies matter. Like the customs union, they are a technical aspect of the EU, that works and was thus hardly discussed in the UK before #Brexit.
But they are important for single market, but also justice and home affairs.

UK gov thus has already asked to continue participation in selected agencies, in particular in sectors important to the UK economy, like aviation, chemicals or pharma.
Read 10 tweets
Profile picture
Peter Foster
@pmdfoster
The Nigel Dodds interview on #Brexit and the Customs Union issue is worth reading in full...it takes us to heart of problem for May/UK. A quick thread. /1

conservativehome.com/highlights/201…
First point: Dodds is adamant there must be an 'all-UK solution' - so he threatens to bring down Govt if Northern Ireland gets left *on its own* in the Customs Union, while UK is free to diverge. BUT he doesn't totally rule all of UK staying in customs union. /2
Dodds's forceful articulation of DUP red line appears to close off one of the obvious areas of 'give' in the Customs Union conundrum - increased checks on goods between UK mainland and Northern Ireland. Unless someone calls DUP bluff. /3
Read 11 tweets

Trending hashtags

#minister #Brexit #NewClause4 #A50 #MacGill2019 #brexit #Remain #DRAM #Whips #TheresaMay #Davos #HMG #trade #Order #Taiwan #WithdrawalAgreement #GeneralElection #PM #BennAct #Noes #Clause1asAmended #BorderPoll #CooperBill #Cybersecurity #flags
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!