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6 Mar, 5 tweets, 3 min read
The GB-NI border which UK Cabinet minister @BrandonLewis, very regrettably, lied about in January (saying it didn’t exist) 👇 .... /1.
... is now, in March, such a big problem that the same @BrandonLewis, his boss @BorisJohnson & his colleague @DavidGHFrost, insist immediate, unilateral, internationally unlawful UK action is needed (blaming the EU, in the face of all evidence of UK lack of preparedness)👇.../2.
... clearly (as they acknowledge) breaking the legally binding treaty with the EU. A deal which @BorisJohnson & @DavidGHFrost specifically demanded, in particular the NI Protocol, with @BrandonLewis’s support, despite loud warnings about its highly negative consequences .../3.
... for NI, peace, & the territorial integrity of the UK. These were ignored.

What are we now to think?

Is the UK government acting in bad faith?

Is it grossly incompetent?

Both?

By all means suggest an alternative explanation. /4. End
P.S. For the avoidance of doubt, in the UK system ministers are acting illegally if they take internationally unlawful action. Whatever UK domestic legislation may say. Which is why UK domestic law must properly reflect (at least not contradict) UK international obligations.

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More from @AndrewPRLevi

Andrew Levi Profile picture
7 Mar
This is a direct attack, by @GermanAmbUK - an exceptional professional who used to head Germany’s Foreign Office - on @DavidGHFrost👇

What does it tell us?

Nothing good. For the UK.

A🧵.

For anyone willing to set aside a bit of time & sit down with a strong cup of tea./1. Image
I first entered government service under Margaret Thatcher & Geoffrey Howe. In over 30 years I can’t remember a German official doing such a thing. In public. /2.
In private, vigorous conversations would sometimes happen, of course. But that a German Ambassador in London would go on the record in this way is either completely unprecedented, or at least absolutely extraordinary. /3.
Read 43 tweets
Andrew Levi Profile picture
5 Mar
Northern Ireland. Don’t say you weren’t warned. By former PMs, before Brexit. Three troubling interviews today. @JulianBKing worried by unilateral action on NIP. @DUPleader implies NIP incompatible with NI in UK, yet likes hard Brexit👇at 1h53m, 2h33m

bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0… /1.
.@ciaranmartinoxf warns NI peace “wobbling”👇 at 14m

bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0… /2.
What’s up? Well, in large part, this is 👇/3.
Read 8 tweets
Andrew Levi Profile picture
26 Feb
From the future archives

Actually Existing Brexit - Macmillan United States of Europe (English USE Federal Dependency) Education paper, pub. 2049

“Brexit was never an ideology to serve the needs of a ‘sovereign’ population. /1. Image
Its aim was profoundly to restructure political, social and economic life. ‘Actually Existing Brexit’ was voted for by no one. During its first 30 days ‘Actually Existing Brexit’ proved its non-viability. /2.
Economic, social & political forces engendered within it immediately started to destroy it & the UK from within. And the pattern of its disastrous implosion was linked inextricably to the nature of ‘Actually Existing Brexit’./3.
Read 4 tweets
Andrew Levi Profile picture
15 Feb
Brexit “vaccine victory”. EU-UK “vaccine war”. Intra-EU squabbling. We can learn something vital. Existential. Not about vaccines. Nor pandemics. And not what Brexiters or “I-like-the-EU-but-feel-I-must-criticise-it-now” commentators claim. Join me, on a short journey & long🧵/1.
.@guyverhofstadt criticises the EU’s vaccine policy & its execution, launching a barely veiled, ferocious, personal attack on @vonderleyen. Notably, however, he concludes the strategic answer is much greater central EU power, a “Health Union”. /2.

.@quatremer defends the EU approach in an opinion piece in @guardian, much derided by @robertshrimsley (often sympathetic to the EU), & @giselastuart (a co-chair of Vote Leave), among many others. /3.

amp.theguardian.com/world/commenti…
Read 41 tweets
Andrew Levi Profile picture
13 Feb
Arbitrary removal of millions of people’s citizenship rights in the UK is a cause for national shame, not celebratory (& inaccurate) government statements.

My tweet, below, refers to it being 2021, not 1935. Some have asked why 1935?

History in a tweet™️ follows.../1. Image
History in a tweet™️: 1935 Nürnberg Race Laws

The German govt removed, & replaced with inferior status, citizenship rights of those deemed not German. Specifically “Jews”, defined by the Nazis. Oppression & industrialised murder followed.

(Tweet on current relevance next)./2.
Current relevance of 1935 Laws

2020 Immigration Act removes, & replaces with inferior status, citizenship rights in UK of millions deemed not British. Unlike 1935 it doesn’t criminalise sexual relations with those of pure “blood” & hasn’t led to killing.

(Discussion next). /3
Read 7 tweets
Andrew Levi Profile picture
7 Feb
@DAOBarry You put your finger on the crucial aspects of international law: good faith, & power. The GFA/ BA is an international agreement, with legally binding treaty force & no exit clause. /1.
@DAOBarry Voluntary recourse by both parties to arbitration is available, for genuine differences in interpretation. If both seek arbitration & accept any ruling, no one else is likely to wish to intervene. /2.
@DAOBarry However, in this case, if RoI views & those of the rest of the EU, diverged (very unlikely) it would get complicated. If the US were unhappy, that would also be tricky. But most likely a way would be found, behind the scenes, to get a result all could accept. /3.
Read 9 tweets

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