Ireland-Brexit Position Paper. Business Abandons Trump

Box of gift chocolates before mass defection by contents

The Northern Ireland Position paper by the government seemed to say the following: 'The UK and Ireland have special arrangements and agreements predating the the UK joining the EU. These include the Common Travel Agreement. So we could have free travel for all Irish, North and South when the UK leaves the EU. This would leave difficulties in terms of travel of EU citizens and of course goods. The UK wants to have an unrestricted Border as any restrictions could re-ignite the old problems of division. So , there is this wonderful idea which would solve all this once we leave the Customs Union, that novel solution of a unique EU UK negotiated Customs union

 - see our previous paper from yesterday'. You can see the position paper here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/northern-ireland-and-ireland-a-position-paper.

What I did learn today was, that there are more border crossings between the UK and Ireland that there are crossings between the EU and the East of Europe (275 crossings v 137).

The feeling is growing that a decision by the EU on progress with the existing negotiations on EU and UK citizen rights, the UK and Ireland  border and outstanding payments by the UK, could be delayed till December.

President Trump's business Manufacturing Council began to fall apart when the heads of 3M, Campbell Soup, Johnson & Johnson, and United Technologies announced their resignations on Wednesday following the earlier head of Merck. This was in response to Trump's Trump Tower press briefing yesterday, where he was interpreted as defending the Alt right, Nazis and KKK. As a result, the President disbanded the two existing business councils, before more damage was done by further resignations. POTUS seems to be the centre of ire for his own party and US business. Unusually, the two Presidents Bush also roundly condemned a divided US and race hate by right wing organisations.

It was almost a shame to be working on what was a sunny day. In the evening, I decided to go out on a longer test ride on my repaired bicycle.I sped down Fen Road to the River Cam and then continued south, looking for the new path from the river to the new Cambridge North Station. There were numerous rowing eights on the river with their trainers keeping pace on shore on bicycles , shouting instructions and encouragement. The turn off from the River was further south than I expected, almost in Chesterton. Then it was the ride back home along the new cycle path, then across the Jane Coston Bridge to Milton and home. A round trip of 7.5 km, which took 25 minutes. I need to build up a bit more stamina.

As I end the day, the weather front has finally reached Milton and rain is drumming on the windows.