Brexit: UK could quit EU without paying a penny, say Lords

[Uncle Siggy]

Brexit: UK could quit EU without paying a penny, say Lords

Report says British government has no legal obligation to pay for Brexit or outstanding payments into EU budget




The European commission headquarters in Brussels. Photograph: pbombaert/Getty Images



Saturday 4 March 2017 06.53 EST First published on Friday 3 March 2017 19.01 EST

The UK could walk away from the European Union in 2019 without paying a penny, the House of Lords has said, in a report bound to raise tensions with Brussels in the run-up to Brexit talks.

The British government would have no legal obligation to either pay a €60bn (£52bn) Brexit bill mooted by the European commission or honour payments into the EU budget promised by the former prime minister David Cameron, according to analysis by the House of Lords EU financial affairs sub-committee.

In a report published on Saturday, the committee argues that the British government would be on strong legal ground if it chose to leave the EU without paying anything, adding that Brussels would have no realistic chance of getting any money.

The peers stress, however, that if the government wants goodwill from EU countries and a deal on access to European markets, agreement on the budget will be important.

“The UK appears to have a strong legal position in respect of the EU budget post-Brexit and this provides important context to the article 50 negotiations,” said Lady Falkner of Margravine, the Liberal Democrat peer who chairs the sub-committee.

Rest of the article is at the link: Brexit: UK could quit EU without paying a penny, say Lords

 

[LinguaIgnota]

The bilateral trade agreements are probably going to cost UK businesses a lot more.

 

[mindlight]

The bilateral trade agreements are probably going to cost UK businesses a lot more.

The UK has a large trade deficit with Europe. Europe has much more to lose from playing hard ball in these than does the UK.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Brexit: UK could quit EU without paying a penny, say Lords

Report says British government has no legal obligation to pay for Brexit or outstanding payments into EU budget




The European commission headquarters in Brussels. Photograph: pbombaert/Getty Images



Saturday 4 March 2017 06.53 EST First published on Friday 3 March 2017 19.01 EST

The UK could walk away from the European Union in 2019 without paying a penny, the House of Lords has said, in a report bound to raise tensions with Brussels in the run-up to Brexit talks.

The British government would have no legal obligation to either pay a €60bn (£52bn) Brexit bill mooted by the European commission or honour payments into the EU budget promised by the former prime minister David Cameron, according to analysis by the House of Lords EU financial affairs sub-committee.

In a report published on Saturday, the committee argues that the British government would be on strong legal ground if it chose to leave the EU without paying anything, adding that Brussels would have no realistic chance of getting any money.

The peers stress, however, that if the government wants goodwill from EU countries and a deal on access to European markets, agreement on the budget will be important.

“The UK appears to have a strong legal position in respect of the EU budget post-Brexit and this provides important context to the article 50 negotiations,” said Lady Falkner of Margravine, the Liberal Democrat peer who chairs the sub-committee.

Rest of the article is at the link: Brexit: UK could quit EU without paying a penny, say Lords

If the UK expects to get some kind of good deal with the EU concerning travel, migration, trade, etc while also not paying a penny, then it is completely delusional.

 

[LionL]

Brexit it the worst disaster my country has faced since World War II. We’re already beginning to see the financial cost (ask Wales and Cornwall) and could well see Scotland and Northern Ireland leave the 300-year-old Union. Well over half of us want to remain in the EU (sadly, not all of us voted in the referendum – but the result has woken the non-voters up). We need another vote to stop this calamity destroying our country, otherwise England and Wales will become a tiny country off the coast of Europe with a right-wing majority whist Scotland and Northern Ireland abandon us.

 

[Nithavela]

The UK has a large trade deficit with Europe. Europe has much more to lose from playing hard ball in these than does the UK.

If politicians acted 100% rational and on what is objectively best, the world would be a very different place. As it is, they have to consider their public image and approval ratings, as well as their party line. So they might just favor to play hard ball, just so that they appear strong in the eyes of their supporters (like the mexican president when he stood up to Trump). He got a huge surge of approval ratings out of that stunt.

 

[Nithavela]

Brexit it the worst disaster my country has faced since World War II. We’re already beginning to see the financial cost (ask Wales and Cornwall) and could well see Scotland and Northern Ireland leave the 300-year-old Union. Well over half of us want to remain in the EU (sadly, not all of us voted in the referendum – but the result has woken the non-voters up). We need another vote to stop this calamity destroying our country, otherwise England and Wales will become a tiny country off the coast of Europe with a right-wing majority whist Scotland and Northern Ireland abandon us.

Honestly, I think that the UK should go through with the Brexit, just that the entire world can watch and see that voting because you want to give the "rulers" a slap with your ballot has consequences.

A lesson, if you will. I'm sorry that your country is the object of the lesson, but in the end, it chose this role itself, eh?

 

[mark46]

Scotland and Northern Ireland want to be part of Europe, not part of a country ruled by rural England. Is that so hard to understand?

Brexit it the worst disaster my country has faced since World War II. We’re already beginning to see the financial cost (ask Wales and Cornwall) and could well see Scotland and Northern Ireland leave the 300-year-old Union. Well over half of us want to remain in the EU (sadly, not all of us voted in the referendum – but the result has woken the non-voters up). We need another vote to stop this calamity destroying our country, otherwise England and Wales will become a tiny country off the coast of Europe with a right-wing majority whist Scotland and Northern Ireland abandon us.

 

[mark46]

Honestly, I think that the UK should go through with the Brexit, just that the entire world can watch and see that voting because you want to give the "rulers" a slap with your ballot has consequences.

A lesson, if you will. I'm sorry that your country is the object of the lesson, but in the end, it chose this role itself, eh?

You will learn what Americans understand: elections have consequences. The BREXIT vote will affect England for decades.

 

[LionL]

Scotland and Northern Ireland want to be part of Europe, not part of a country ruled by rural England. Is that so hard to understand?

It is very easy to understand, and I sympathise with them. But, as a Liberal Englishman, their departure would leave me in a much worse country. So, of course, I want to stop Brexit and keep the UK intact.

 

[Nithavela]

It is very easy to understand, and I sympathise with them. But, as a Liberal Englishman, their departure would leave me in a much worse country. So, of course, I want to stop Brexit and keep the UK intact.

You're free to hop skip over to the euro-friendly parts of your country at any time (yet).