Sad Day as EU Leaders sign off the UK Withdrawal Agreement

A momentous and truly sad day for anyone who believes in the benefits of the UK within the EU.

The EU Leaders and Prime Minister Theresa May signed off the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement in Brussels today. The message being a mixed one of sadness that it has come to this and pointed comments that this is the one and only withdrawal deal.

The Prime Minister now has a fortnight to persuade Parliament and the British Public to back her deal at a crucial parliamentary vote.

The view from der Spiegel is that the EU has achieved it's objectives, unity among its members for the negotiation process and avoiding letting the UK cherry pick.

The Prime minister, in contrast, is having to battle against opposition not only from the Opposition, but brexiteers AND remainers in her party.

Seeing the chaos that simply trying to agree a withdrawal agreement created, it does not bode well for any future trade negotiations with the EU after the first phase of withdrawal by the UK in March.

May, Brexit and Gibraltar. Whitehouse dismisses own climate change report

Internal politics in Spain meant that it raised concerns about Gibraltar ebing tied in to the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU, to be signed off by the Eu tomorrow, Sunday. In the past (as far back as Dec 2017) the EU had agreed that Gibraltars future was to be decided in negotiations between the UK and Spain. There was therefore frustration that the point had been raised as a potential for Spain to not agree to the EU part of the deal tomorrow.

Last minute talks between Theresa May, Juncker and  officials on both sides led to a confirmation from the UK that Gibraltar would not necessarily be covered by a future trade deal with the EU.

Politically, however, voices in the UK are arguing that the Prime Minister has caved in to demands from the EU again, putting her under pressure She continues to face considerable opposition to her withdrawal deal with the EU from all UK political corners.

So there is already talk that, whilst the EU 27 will agree to the Withdrawal agreement tomorrow, they are also preparing a plan B in case the UK parliament votes against the agreement in a fortnight. The Prime Minister is taking her call for support for the agreement directly to the public.

President Trump pardoned the traditional Turkey on thanksgiving and also comes to an agreement with the Mexicans about the caravan of thousands of refugees that are at teh Mexico-US border. They will be kept in Mexico, whist their asylum/immigration applications are processed.

All this has taken the focus away from the major part 2 of a significant federal multi-departmental report on climate change that concluded that the US would suffer significantly (shrinking the economy and costing hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century) because of climate change. Reality avoiding President Trump and the Whitehouse downplayed the report. Their strategy of burying the item appears to have worked.

Fungal Brexit - Eruption, Deliquescence, Regeneration?

Barely born and already falling apart? Missing the bus? This morning the media were waiting for more cabinet resignations, notably Michael Gove. In a radio phone in with the Prime Minister, once caller exhorts her to admit failure, give up and resign.

By this afternoon, we have new cabinet ministers, including a brexiteer and an May supporters (always trying to maintain the balance to reflect the wider divisions in the Tory party).

So far, Theresa May not only survives but appears to be regaining ground. The Withdrawal agreement is still an anathema to nearly all of parliament, but, with the EU saying there will be no new renegotiations, only minor adjustments, could it slowly inveigle itself as the only solution? It might be better than a hard brexit, but I'd still prefer to remain in the EU and have a say.

President Trump suffers a minor setback as a judge orders the reinstatement of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's White House press pass which the President had revoked. Hilariously, The President says he is looking to create "rules and regulations" for how White House reporters act. He says "you have to practice decorum" at the White House. Let's hope he follows his own advice.

I was following the situation in the morning and afternoon cycle rides to and from St Ives, but only with half an ear. My main attention was gripped by the eruption of hundreds of Shaggy Ink Cap mushrooms. This is the first time for years that an opportunity for fungal foraging came my way. While very satisfying in terms of the harvest of young fresh white caps, the reality is that Shaggy Ink Caps have a delicate flavour - that is do not taste very much alone but are used as a flavour enhancer, for example with eggs. Have created some reduced frozen boullions for future use.

UK at the Crumbling Brexit Cliff Edge

Two major cabinet ministers and several junior ministers resign. MPs in Parliament almost united in condemnation of the Prime Minister for over two hours. Jacob Rees-Mogg attempts to accelerate the cascade of letters to the chair of the Tory 1922 Committee, to reach the 48 letters to trigger a Tory leadership election.

Whatever you might think of her politics, hats off to Theresa May for remaining calm and collected on the outside as she patiently attempts to push through the withdrawal agreement with the EU.

There seems to be a lot of hot air being emitted on wanting to renegotiate a better deal. The EU sees this as the completed agreement, which they will agree to, if the UK can get its house in order. Renegotiation is not an option.

The Prime Minister sees the available choices as a trinary option, the proposed withdrawal agreement, a hard Brexit or not leaving the EU, with the emphasis on the first two. Sadly remaining is still not a major option in Parliament. So the gamble by her is - take my agreement or leap of the cliff into a hard Brexit.

We are at the edge of the crumbling Brexit cliff. Current voices seem to argue for 'Jump'.

Speculation Before the Storm? Cabinet Agrees to Draft Withdrawal Agreement -

It took five hours for the UK Cabinet to come to an agreement on accepting the Draft Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. Of the 23 ministers in the Cabinet, 11 spoke against it.

Even EU officials kept quiet, unwilling to inadvertently send the wrong signals till the cabinet reached its decision.

The withdrawal agreement includes a backstop where Northern Ireland would be treated as closer to the EU to prevent a border on the island and the UK would have to maintain custom arrangements on behalf of the EU.

There is now the speculation before the storm with three key questions:

• Can Theresa May get the Withdrawal agreement successfully through parliament?
• Will the Representatives of the other EU countries agree to the agreement  at an emergency meeting on the 25th November?
• Will the conservatives issue challenge to the Prime Minister's leadership?

More detailed evaluation of the Draft agreement will surface over the coming days as politicians and reporters work their way through the 583 page document and translate some of the issues into understandable language and concepts.

The Draft Brexit Agreement - Make or Break?

Tonight comes the news that the British Cabinet has been called in to hear the news and read the 500 page Draft Brexit Agreement, negotiated between the UK and the EU, on the transition arrangements due to come into force next March.

It engendered immediate:

• speculation from the Press
• cries of potential betrayal from the DUP of Northern Ireland who fear being the sacrificial lamb for a borderless Ireland
• reaction from hardline Brexiteers who deem it to be suffering vassalage (is that a word?) to the EU in all but name
• meeting by Remainers who see it a potential justification for a new people's vote as the promises of Brexit are shown to be tawdry lies
• Rejection from the Labour opposition - unless it meets all their demands

Both the UK Cabinet and the EU will be holding special separate meetings tomorrow at 14:00 h to seek backing from their respective cabinet members and country representatives.

The timing is particularly poignant as it is within a week of the WWI armistice centenary, which surely highlighted both the dangers of potential conflict, and the benefit of a Europe working together striving for peace.

At the same time, President Trump, who had seemed to be a more distant partner during the Armistice Centenary meeting of world leaders, and showed a luke-warm attitude to committing to commemorate the war dead of his own country, fell back to negative tweets on the host country France and it's President after he left. Perhaps the most tasteless one was:

Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!