Fri 31st March. After over a week of inability to connect to the internet, finally caught up with the diary for the day! An early start off to the A14 network for tea and conversation. Afterwards, photography at the Norris Museum in the Town Hall of some paintings and photographs that needed archiving.
The St Ives Wetherspoons was running a training day as part of its opening and the Norris staff, volunteers and town hall staff were invited for a free meal and drink. I stayed on for an excellent chicken, bacon and avocado salad. The exterior of the new Wetherspoons looked great and the interior was enhanced by copies of pictures from the Norris collection and paintings by a local artist.
In the afternoon, spent a couple of hours back in Milton planning the interview with a local resident who will be our speaker for the Milton Local History Group next Tuesday.
My replacement phone and sim card arrived. Because they were backed up, the loss of apps, information and contacts was minimal - Hurrah for the Cloud!
I had a chance at last to look at the full text of PM Theresa May's letter initiating Article 50 - the full text is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prime-ministers-letter-to-donald-tusk-triggering-article-50
The conversation yesterday on the text was all about having the Brexit negotiations running in parallel with the negotiations for the new trade agreements. There was an element in the letter taken out of all proportion and seen as a potential threat - security cooperation is dependent on a good relationship.
What the media did not mention at all, is that the letter also links the exit from EURATOM, the regulatory framework for nuclear power stations and waste. The consequences could be delays in current nuclear power projects progressing and issues with waste management that could affect the quarter of our energy provision from nuclear. I bet it also impacts on nuclear research collaboration.
EU President Donald Tusk gave his recommendations to the remaining 27 leaders today. The two key elements are that a) divorce first followed by trade negotiations second and b) With UK exiting EU, EU takes Spain's side in concerns about Gibralter and this may be part of negotiations.
Whilst both sides are beginning to flex their muscle, I'm not sure that the realisation has yet sunk in with the government that the 27 EU states are in a stronger negotiation and ability to dictate terms and pace of Brext negotiations that UK is.
And whilst the UK is dependent on the EU to set the negotiation and likely to bewail the fact in this instance, the government is not afraid to use the same attitude of a larger partner controlling a negotiation wit regards to Scotland and the desire for another referendum
It is also ironic that the next highest item on the UK news agenda is the National Health Service, which is suffering increasing financial pressures - since more money for the NHS was a promise made by the Brexiteers.
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