We’re highlighting discussions on the latest political developments of the day, including ministers agreeing to set a Brexit date and the IMF warnings about our ambitious Brexit timeframe.
To join in you can click on the links in the comments below to expand and add your thoughts. We’ll continue to highlight more comments worth reading as the day goes on.
May says she would delay Brexit for short time in ‘exceptional circumstances’ - Politics live
You have been offering your thoughts on the political coverage of the day, with May saying Brexit would only be delayed in ‘exceptional circumstances’.
‘If Brexit ruins the Tories, they’ll only have themselves to blame’
What is the point of leaving? Brexit is a complete shambles. The point of leaving, it would appear now, is for the Conservatives to appear less attractive to the business community than Jeremy Corbyn. If it ruins the Tories, they’ll only have themselves to blame in pursuing this irrational, insane, to-the-death Brexit orthodoxy. Shame the country has to suffer with it.
Change your mind – it’s a sign of strength not weakness
Lots of you have been talking about the power of changing your mind, after reading this piece by Mark-Rice Oxley.
‘Reforming your opinion can be a sign of intellectual strength’
There is a lot of sense in this. Life experiences mould us over time into different people. To stick resolutely to standpoints throughout life shows inflexibility of the mind which I see as a problem. As he says, reforming your opinion can be a sign of intellectual strength, not weakness. Check out the excellent BBC Radio 4 series ‘Why I Changed My Mind’ on iPlayer. Some dramatic examples. My favourite is that of Edzard Ernst.
Brexit transition should end 31 December 2020, says European commission - Politics live
You have been discussing the rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen.
‘Davis and co seem like kids in the back seat’
I am continuously amazed by the huge apparent difference in the attitudes of the UK and EU negotiators.
Barnier & Co seem like the adult driving the car with a view to reaching an end destination in a timely and orderly manner. Davis & Co seem like children in the back seat, who continuously have hissy fits without any clear idea of or concern over where they are going.
Once again it is up to Barnier to develop a comprehensive agenda, structure the process, and lay down the timetable for reaching a withdrawal agreement. If this were left to Davis, the negotiations might just focus on some narrow UK interests, be conducted chaotically, and not lead to any implementable conclusion.
IMF welcomes Brexit progress but cautions timeframe is ambitious
Sticking with the Brexit theme, Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, is in London to present the annual review of the UK economy. The Fund welcomed progress on Brexit talks but warned the timeframe was ambitious. You shared your views on this.
‘The best deal we could get is a Canada type deal’
Looks like the IMF is going to say, in as many words that a roundabout way requires, that the UK should look to get the best damage limitation deal it can with the EU. Sadly, quite a few of the better options have been scuppered by the current red line conditions the UK government is currently unwilling to accept. In that respect I’m with Michel Barnier that the best deal the UK could get given it’s current position would be a Canada type deal. A Canada+++ deal could harm trade deals the EU already has with many other partners, as it would look like favouritism, and as such I think it’s not even near being a possibility. Sadly many in the UK government think the UK can still get a one off special deal as a non member partner of the EU which I think will only delay any new deal, if not actually scupper any deal at all.
The expert whose children gatecrashed his TV interview: ‘I thought I’d blown it in front of the whole world’
There were lots of very funny comments under the article about professor Robert Kelly, whose children interrupted a live broadcast with him explaining South Korean politics.
‘I was once on a teleconference and my child came in and shouted: I did a wee’
I loved this clip.. All too real for me. Brings to mind the occasion when I was on a teleconference at home trying to fix a problem with one of our IT systems and my 3-year-old, who up until then had been resisting attempts to potty train her. She came into the room with a potty, did a very loud wee and then proceeded to shout over and over ‘I did a wee wee’. It was memorable.
