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Originally posted by Shaql:
Hes pretty young in that pic. Probably a Friends episode.

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Originally posted by Shaql:
Friends episode.

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Originally posted by PASig:
Friends episode

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Originally posted by RogueJSK:

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Originally posted by PASig:
Video of the UK's Union Flag being removed at Brussels

28 EU member flags on the wall
28 EU member flags
You take the UK's down
And pass it around
27 EU member flags on the wall


27 EU member flags on the wall
27 EU member flags
You take...

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Boris Johnson plans to impose full customs and border checks on European goods

The move is a radical departure from pre-election planning

By Peter Foster, Europe Editor

31 January 2020 • 10:00pm

Boris Johnson is preparing to impose full customs and border checks on all European goods entering the UK after Brexit, in a ramping up of pressure on the coming EU-UK trade talks, the Telegraph has learned.

In a radical departure from pre-election ‘no deal’ planning that prioritised the smooth flow of goods into the UK from Europe, Whitehall departments have been told to prepare for imposing the full panoply of checks on EU imports to the UK.

The toughened approach, which is designed to give UK negotiators greater leverage against Brussels, came as Mr Johnson promised that Brexit would open an exciting new chapter “in our great national drama”.

[...]

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Boris Johnson 'infuriated' as EU reneges on free trade deal

The Prime Minister believes Brussels has unilaterally been 'changing the terms' of the deal he agreed last year

By Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent

1 February 2020 • 10:00pm

Boris Johnson has become "privately infuriated" with what he sees as the EU's attempts to frustrate a comprehensive free trade deal, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

The Prime Minister believes Brussels has unilaterally been "changing the terms" of the deal he agreed last year, when both sides set out to work towards an ambitious and deep trade agreement.

As a result the UK is no longer wedded to a Canada-style agreement, in what would be a major hardening in the Government's Brexit strategy.

Downing Street negotiators are now willing to pursue a much "looser" trade deal while simultaneously signing agreements with countries that make up 13 per cent of the world's GDP.

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Johnson Ready to Walk Away From EU Talks Without Formal Deal

By James Ludden and Brian Swint

1. Februar 2020, 23:03 MEZ Updated on 2. Februar 2020, 20:24 MEZ

Boris Johnson plans to say he’s prepared to quit talks over the U.K.’s future trade relationship with the European Union if he doesn’t get what he wants.

In his first speech since Britain formally left the EU, the prime minister will spell out to business leaders and diplomats on Monday his aims for negotiating the future trade terms with the bloc. Brussels negotiators are set to publish their own mandate the same day.

Johnson will say he wants a comprehensive trade deal at least as good as Canada’s agreement, but will be ready to take a looser arrangement like Australia’s if talks fail, according to a U.K. official.

It suggests Johnson’s team is effectively threatening to walk away without a formal trade deal. That would force the U.K. and EU to do business on World Trade Organization terms in most areas, with tariffs on goods, while processes would be agreed to reduce some regulatory barriers.

Downing Street’s hardball tactics gave traders in Asia a reason to mark down sterling after last week’s 1% gain.. The pound weakened as much as 0.2% against the dollar in early trading Monday.

The prime minister will again emphasize that in brokering a Canada-style free-trade accord, there’ll be no alignment with EU standards, European law courts will have no jurisdiction over the U.K. and he’ll make no concessions, the official said. He’ll also make clear that the National Health Service is not up for grabs in any trade talks.

Tough Talk

Johnson’s speech is set to fire the starting gun on what will be 11 months of hard bargaining. After three years of bad-tempered talks on the U.K.’s political withdrawal, the early signs indicate that the parties could struggle to avoid a cliff-edge change in their trading arrangement come 2021. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has previously said it will be “impossible” to sign off on a full deal before Johnson’s hard year-end deadline.

[...]

The EU and Canada negotiated for seven years before signing their trade deal, known as CETA, in October 2016. It took almost another year before its provisional application began.

Also Friday, BMW AG served a reminder that Britain’s formal exit from the EU didn’t necessarily mean that “Brexit was done.” Citing uncertainties over Britain’s future trade relations, the German car company said it was putting work on the next version of a Mini model on hold. The Mini is currently built in England and the Netherlands.

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Brexit day one: Johnson goes for broke with hardline trade deal

Prime minister pledges to make no concessions to EU as he salutes ‘a turning point in the life of our nation’

Toby Helm, Michael Savage and Daniel Boffey

Sat 1 Feb 2020 22.05 GMT

No sooner had the union jacks been lowered in Brussels and Strasbourg, after 47 years of tortured British membership, than Boris Johnson was preparing to launch the UK into yet another uncompromising battle with the remaining 27 nations of the European Union.

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There now begins an 11-month transition period during which the prime minister and his government will face the herculean task of securing a future trading and security relationship with the EU. If there is no deal by 31 December, the UK will face a cliff-edge descent into the economic unknown.

Before phase two of the process, No 10 went out of its way yesterday to make clear that Johnson – emboldened at having achieved Brexit where Theresa May had failed – will give not an inch when the fight resumes.

The prime minister will make a speech on Monday saying the UK will be seeking to make a hardline trade deal in less than a year that is “at least as ambitious” as that struck by Canada with the EU in 2017, after seven years of very difficult negotiations. And he will make no concessions to ease an agreement into being.

The EU is making clear its bottom lines. It insists that the UK must accept alignment with its rules on workers’ rights, the environment and state aid, as the price for a deal (fearing that otherwise the UK will steal a competitive advantage). But Johnson will say that his government will make no such concessions, under any circumstances. There will be no alignment whatsoever.

The EU is also insisting that its members should be allowed access to UK fishing waters before any trade deal can be reached, and that it wants a future role for the European court of justice in any disputes with the UK. Again Johnson will resist.

Downing Street also did nothing to knock down reports that the UK is preparing to impose full customs and border checks on all European goods entering Britain, to try to increase pressure on the bloc to give way in the negotiations, which are due to start next month.

Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, warned that UK companies would pay a heavy price for delays caused by such checks. “Both importers and exporters need the UK government to take practical steps to ensure the flow of goods through our ports from 31 December,” he said. “Costs add up with every additional procedure or delay – and every pound spent on new compliance measures would be a pound less for training, equipment or securing new customers.”

A government source said last night: “There are only two likely outcomes in negotiation, a free trade deal like Canada or a looser arrangement like Australia – and we are happy to pursue both.”

EU sources responded by saying that if the British government sought an Australian-style deal involving tariffs on some goods, it would be “impossible” to reach an agreement by the end of 2020.

“Given No 10’s timeline of 11 months – in practice, only eight [for a deal to be ratified] – for negotiations, the only possible outcomes by the end of the year are a zero-tariffs, zero-quotas free trade agreement or no deal and World Trade Organisation terms,” the source said. “It isn’t serious to suggest that a line-by-line tariff negotiation can take place in that timeframe. It would be materially and politically impossible.”

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UK will refuse close alignment with EU rules, Johnson to say

Prime minister’s vision on future trading relationship will clash with that of EU leaders

Rajeev Syal, Jennifer Rankin and Daniel Boffey

Sun 2 Feb 2020 19.48 GMT

Boris Johnson will issue a direct warning on Monday that the UK will refuse close alignment of rules and reject the jurisdiction of the European courts in any trade deal as EU leaders prepare to give his plans a frosty reception.

In a bullish speech setting out the government’s negotiating position, the prime minister will set out his vision for future relations with the trading bloc and reject accepting similar rules over competition, welfare spending and environmental standards.

“There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules on competition policy, subsidies, social protection, the environment, or anything similar any more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules,” he will say.

His vision clashes with the mandate of EU leaders, which is due to be set out on the same day and is expected to aim at maintaining a level playing field.

Labour has accused the government of indulging in “sabre-rattling” as both sides set out their initial negotiating positions and embark upon 11 months of intense talks.

In the speech, to be delivered to ambassadors and businesspeople on Monday morning, Johnson will argue in favour of either a Canada-style or Australia-style agreement that will respect the autonomy of the UK courts.

“The choice is emphatically not ‘deal or no deal’. The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada’s – or more like Australia’s. In either case, I have no doubt that Britain will prosper. And of course our new relationship with our closest neighbours will range far beyond trade.

“We will seek a pragmatic agreement on security, protecting our citizens without trespassing on the autonomy of our respective legal systems,” he will say.

Senior government sources concede that the stakes are high if they fail. If there is no deal by 31 December, the UK will face a “cliff-edge” no-deal Brexit.

References by Johnson’s government to “the Australian model” in briefings to journalists have bemused EU officials because no deal has yet been agreed with the Canberra government.

An EU source said the government appeared to have decided that Australia “sounds much more popular than the WTO”, but “there is no such thing as an Australia-style agreement”.

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Originally posted by thunderson:

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Originally posted by BansheeOne:

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Forget staying close to EU after Brexit, chancellor tells business

Sajid Javid sets out his vision for UK economy in interview with the FT

January 17, 2020 9:27 pm by Roula Khalaf , George Parker and Chris Giles in London

Sajid Javid, the UK chancellor, has delivered a tough message to business leaders to end their campaign for Britain to stay in lock-step with Brussels rules after Brexit, telling them they have already had three years to prepare for a new trading relationship.

[...]

The chancellor is the only cabinet minister publicly assured by Mr Johnson that he or she will still be in their job after a February reshuffle.

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https://www.ft.com/content/18d...ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4

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Cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid resigns as chancellor

13 February 2020

Sajid Javid has resigned as chancellor as Boris Johnson carries out a post-Brexit cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Javid rejected an order to fire his team of aides, saying "no self-respecting minister" could accept such a condition.

He has been replaced as chancellor by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak - who just seven months ago was a junior housing minister.

Mr Javid had been due to deliver his first Budget in four weeks' time.

The former home secretary was appointed chancellor by Mr Johnson when he became prime minister in July.

His resignation follows rumours of tensions between Mr Javid and the prime minister's senior adviser Dominic Cummings.

[...]

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Originally posted by PASig:
Video of the UK's Union Flag being removed at Brussels:

This may be the greatest video in internet in history:

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EU leaders were facing budget chaos today at a bruising first summit since Brexit as four wealthy nations refused to fill the gap left by Britain's departure.

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Germany wants to spend more on climate change while France is seeking more money for a joint defence, with poorer nations determined to keep their generous EU payouts.