We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Updated at 11am
THE UK GOVERNMENT has said that it “doesn’t recognise”a leaked memo suggesting that it has no overall plan for leaving the EU.
A Government source told the BBC this morning that the document was an unsolicited pitch for work from a consultancy firm.
The Times UK earlier reported that divisions in cabinet meant a plan and overall negotiating strategy may not be decided upon for six months, according to the memo.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said she hopes to invoke Article 50 – which will set in motion the formal process of the UK leaving the EU – by March of next year.
However, the memo is reported to state that there is still no common exit strategy “because of divisions” between ministers.
The leaked Cabinet Office memo – written by an unnamed consultant – is also critical of May who it says is “acquiring a reputation of drawing in decisions and details to settle matters herself”.
It also states, it’s reported, that the government does not have enough officials to implement Brexit quickly, with individual departments developing individual plans resulting in ”well over 500 projects”.
It states that an additional 30,000 extra civil servants may need to be hired to handle the workload.
Newspaper story
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling denied that it was a Government memo and rejected its contents on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme.
He said that while the upcoming negotiations between Britain and the EU would be “complex”, it would not be “the challenge that is set out in today’s newspaper story.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will meet with Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster today in Dublin, to discuss Brexit.
The DUP leader had previously declined an invitation to the all island Civic Forum to discuss Ireland’s position as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
The two will likely discuss Brexit and the effect it will have on both the North and Republic of Ireland.
With additional reporting from Sean Murray
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
They want to stay in the free trade zone but obviously they wont be allowed to. They are asking to leave the EU but keep the benefits. Thats like shopping in Aldi and asking if they can give you Tesco clubcard points.
Its as if they dont know what they voted on, so how could they have a plan?
Well that’s a surprise!
@Agrippa:
That was the case pre election and 5 months later there is no road map, will they make a complete break? will they use the format of Norway or the Format Switzerland use, how will they agree trade agreements that are in place with other EU countries and negotiate with all other countries were the EU have deals in place. What about the North that is all over the place with no current formula in place. I have just picked out a few issues here, but one thing is for sure now they are leaving, they do not have a clue how this will happen or when. This should have been sorted before the vote and that no headway has been made 5 months later is quite incredible.
@Agrippa: Do not believe the media, they lie all the time to push their own agenda.
@John Burke:
John while the media do have agendas, Before the election there was no road map for leaving and 5 months it seems to have gotten more confused, you cannot blame the media for everything
The British establishment have made a rod for their own backs. Their plan as usual was to present the illusion of democracy while doing everything possible to make sure actual democracy didn’t break out.
Cameron only offered the referendum in the first place for his own political purposes as a means to frustrate the rise of UKIP and to placate the Euro sceptics within the Tory party. And when he made the referendum commitment it looked extremely unlikely that the Tories would be returned with an overall majority. If returned to government, the plan was to have their coalition partners (most likely the Lib Dems) block the referendum.
And of course when the referendum was forced upon them they were confident that the weight of establishment propaganda would swing the day as it usually does in the case of the illegal Iraq war for example. Unfortunately for Cameron, the Tories and most of the parliamentary Labour party they were met with mass working class revolt on Brexit. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t enjoyable to watch the elite’s horror and confusion in the face of a rare outburst of real democracy,
Enjoying people’s fear and uncertainty not only for themselves but for their children while politicians flap around you? How horrible.
@Deborah Behan: I said I was enjoying the elite’s horror and confusion. Not those of ordinary people.
When the majority voted for Brexit in Britain, they were just releasing a lot of pent-up pressure that had been stoked by the Daily Hatemail and similar publications, the dinosaurs of Ukip and their own ignorance and racism. It was a bit like letting rip a great big fart in a spacesuit. Feels great in that instant, but it doesn’t take long before you begin to wonder was it really such a brilliant idea.
It will take time for the Brits to come to their senses and sort themselves out, and in the meantime the rest of Europe must just get on with solving its own problems and give the UK a clear message: Good bye and don’t let the door hit you where God split you.
The primary nature of the Brexit vote was not racist or xenophobic. 17 million voted to leave the E.U. while UKIP received only 4 million votes in the GE. Nor can the majority of the UKIP vote be characterized as xenophobic. What the Brexit vote was in essence was a revolt of the working class against the British ruling class who have gutted their living standards for 30 years under the neoliberal agenda. Nether of course is the E.U any friend to the working class as the people of Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland can testify.
Billy> The primary driver was to stop “interference” and “dictation” from Europe on the UK. The main thing that was seen as a sign of this was lack of control on immigration. That is what they most disliked so it was a about race and xenophobic feeling. It was a close vote and primarily the uneducated and older generation that voted to leave and they weren’t thinking beyond immigration.
We’ll have to agree to disagree Kal. Her’s the Socialist party analysis of the Brexit vote:
“Without doubt the dangerous atmosphere whipped up by right-wing politicians during the referendum debate has increased the danger of racist and far-right attacks. But it was not only the racism of the official Leave side, but also the constant attacks on migrants by Cameron, with the Labour right wing even demanding that he went further in the final days of the campaign! Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, it would have been equally necessary for the workers’ movement to stand clearly for unity, against racism and in defence of the rights of migrant workers in Britain.
At the same time, it is completely false to suggest that the exit vote had – in the main – a right wing or racist character. Of course, some of those who voted for exit will have done so for racist or nationalist reasons, but the fundamental character of the exit vote was it was a working class revolt.
Particularly with a referendum, where voters are given a binary ‘yes or no’ choice – there are bound to be different motivations among people who voted on both sides. But in fact no working class movement is 100% pure, completely without reactionary elements or sub-currents. It is the job of socialists to see what is primary – in this case a largely working class electoral uprising against the establishment.
In general, there was a correlation between the amounts of poverty in an area and there being a majority for exit. Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the referendum was seen differently, were exceptions. However, in England and Wales it was not only white working class areas, but also more ethnically diverse working class areas that voted to leave.
A majority in Bradford, with a high Asian population, for example voted for leave. Although in London – with a younger and relatively wealthier population – a majority voted for Remain, the number of ‘Leavers’ was much higher in poorer boroughs.
In Barking and Dagenham, where less than half of the population now identify as white British, 62% of people voted to leave. In neighbouring Newham, one of the poorest and also the most ethnically diverse area of the country, 47% voted to leave.
While the scale of immigration became a central issue in the referendum campaign for the majority this was in the main not about opposing people who have come to Britain from other countries. Instead it was based on experience of employers using any means they can – including workers from other countries – to drive down wages, plus anger at the huge cuts that have taken place to public services and fear that they could not cope with a further increase in the population.
The fact that even Farage had to make clear that he did not favour any existing EU migrants losing their right to stay in the country is a reflection of that mood, although of course the workers’ movement must fight to make sure that is the case.
This has to be linked to a struggle for a £10 an hour minimum wage, the rate for the job for all workers and opposition to cuts in public services as the only way to defend the rights of all workers, regardless of their country of origin”
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/23102/24-06-2016/tories-out-general-election-now
@Kal Ipers:
Sure Kal – Vote didn’t go your way? The people must be uneducated obviously. Like all the Trump supporters I suppose.
Of course they don’t have a plan. They thought they would be no brexit.
Fail to prepare ? Prepare to fail !
@AOIFE:
like it
Keano like
Will not leave. A way around will be found. People will be asked to vote again maybe…
Democracy does not exist in Europe . Didn’t we get loads of chances to vote until correct for Europe..
Sorry Willy, they were different referenda with significant changes agreed to by our European partners to deal with our concerns. Peddling anything different is being disingenuous. But I do agree with you otherwise. They will find a British solution to a British problem. However I do think they should leave. Right wing nationalism is not compatible with the European ideal.
Was Trichet acting as a “partner” when he coerced us into the Troika stitch up under threat of collapsing the Irish banking system?
No Billy. He was expecting us to pay for our own f*****g mess. And if we are lent money the expectation is that we pay it back….unless you are one of the deluded, mollycoddled plodders who come on here expecting to be eternally let off, dug out, paid for and live the rest your life living off someone else’s taxes.
@Danny Rafferty: What exactly do you mean “by our own f*****g mess” you ill informed clown?
Do you perhaps mean the €100+ billion of odious banking debt that was loaded onto our backs by our traitorous governments?
Or maybe you’re one of deluded, mollycoddled bankers who eternally expects others to pay for your gambling losses?
So you don’t disagree that it Irish bank debt, not any one else’s. Thanks. Why should French or German banks pay for our screw ups anyway? You really hurt my feelings calling me clown Billy. It’ll take days for me to get over it.
And no, I am not in banking. I have a real job Billy. How about you?
@Danny Rafferty:
Are you a property developer because I was not lent money as you put it.
@Danny Rafferty:
Danny right wing nationalism is gaining huge traction in Europe and in many areas a lot stronger than Britain, look at Hungary and Poland, Austria, Le Penn in France. In the Netherlands Wilders wants to lead them out of the EU something similar is happening in Itatly, even European liberal countries such as Sweden and Denmark are growing a right wing element. This is because the the EU has become so institutionalized and driven via group think in an elite ivory tower. It is time for the EU to become relevant to peoples needs or face breakup.
@Danny Rafferty: I see the old troll michael collins is back under a new username.
Mickey,
Can you explain how you imagine the debts of private Irish banks is “our screw up”? Unless of course you’re a banker yourself. Do you think the debts of all failed Irish businesses should be loaded onto the national balance sheet?
@Billy Mooney:
Billy
If unsecured debt by failed Irish businesses is not loaded onto the national balance then where do you propose loading it?
@Nick Allen: And why do you imagine the debt has to be loaded anywhere? You speculate and you lose. Tough. Is that not the capitalist way?
@Danny Rafferty:
Danny, does this “European ideal” you speak of include the Islamification of the continent?
Wrong Billy, I’m only me. Your question should be put to the Irish government, FF, FG and Labour. It was certainly an Irish banking screw up, but those guys sold us down the river – not the EU. Blame the right people. I agree that it’s wrong and unjust, but I can’t blame the EU. I see FF are up the polls lately – ffs.
Not a property developer – hardworking PAYE head. Our government took on the debt (wrongly) so the debt is ours. No point in complaining to the EU. Its FF FG Labour and Greens you should have a beef with.
@Billy Mooney:
I agree, you speculate and you lose but someone must realise the loss. Who are you suggesting takes this loss. The business is gone bust and they owe money and have no money to repay this so the lender accepts the loss. So take it a step further, the lender goes bust, who accepts this loss? If it isn’t the people that loan money to the lender then it must be the national debt. Try answering the actual question that retorting with some uninformed rhetoric for a change
I am an atheist piotrek but I defend everyone’s right to pursue their own fairytale. There is no EU policy to convert the continent to Islam. I presume you couldn’t help loading the question due to latent tendencies you can’t control. I suggest therapy.
OK ktsiwot, wot’s the answer? If Britain wants to isolate itself from Europe and flush itself down a right wing nationalistic drain, we have to let them. Their situation won’t get any better. I think they need a couple of decades to understand that the post potent and manifest power in Britain is and always will be the British government. The cause and cure for all of their woes is their own government.
@Danny Rafferty:
Not really. The Irish government initially loaded the bankers debt on to our backs. However, when it became obvious that the scale of the bank losses would bankrupt the nation, the FF/Green government belatedly attempted to impose some losses on the bondholders in 2010. This was ruled out by the ECB (assisted by U.S Treasury secretary Geithner to protect U.S. credit default swap interests) and they forced the Irish government into the Troika ‘bailout’ (read stitch up). This ensured full repayment of all bank bondholders from senior secured right down to junior unsecured under threat of withdrawal of all liquidity funding to the Irish banks and so the collapse of our payment systems and economy as per the Trichet letters.
The working class has no friends among our own domestic corporate and political elites or within the E.U.
Nick,
If you’re going to try and defend the capitalist system, it might be a good idea to understand how it works because you clearly haven’t a clue.
@Billy Mooney:
In my opinion Credit Swap Interests are an ill thought out financial vehicle and are akin to a pyramid scheme in times of economic downturn. However, the point is a CSI is still a loan to the borrower, in this case the Irish bank. The banks borrowed the money using a CSI and then did not have the liquidity to repay the money to the lender. So whether you or I like it or not the Irish banks borrowed money and then could not afford to repay their lenders.
Your solution to this issue is that we should have defaulted on our loan and not paid it back. Aside from this being unethical it would have also had significant financial implications on our economy and on every Irish person that personally banked with the affected banks. We simply did not have the funds to bankroll our public services nor our social services and if we had defaulted on our loans then we would not have had the ability to raise funds elsewhere. It is very easy to jump on the bandwagon of ‘burn the bondholder’ and throw in a few elements of financial jargon which most people do not understand but you are completely avoiding offering an alternative workable solution to the problem.
@Billy Mooney:
“If you’re going to try and defend the capitalist system, it might be a good idea to understand how it works because you clearly haven’t a clue.”
Again more rhetoric and avoiding answering the question. Although your inability to argue a point is frustrating it is rather comforting as it emphasises how weak the argument of the AAA is and how the AAA will never get into power with their current level of economic thinking. Do you not get embarrassed constantly changing the subject and suggesting people don’t understand issues when the argument gets tough. Do you honestly think that people can’t see how shallow your argument is when you can’t answer a simple question?
so billy, you agree it’s an Irish banking problem, governed by the Irish central bank. You agree our own government toook on the the debt wrongly (most likely plain incompetence) and have a beef with the EU because they wouldn’t give us 10s of billions? Now Billy, seriously, if the boot was on the other foot you wouldn’t have given them the money either. We have to grow up and cop on here. Why would they? They didn’t lend the money. They didn’t allow corrupt practices. They had no hand, act or part in how the money was “invested”. Why would we be bailed out? If someone else came to us under those circumstances we wouldn’t bail them out.
The British government didn’t think their people would be dumb enough to give the rest of Europe the finger and cut off the market for half their exports.
Oh how the British government overestimated its own people.
And yet we vote for Kenny, Healy Rae and other gombeen dynasties, we are so politically superior.
@Paul Fahey:
We had a finite choice of candidates to vote for and not one single party won enough votes to gain power hence the current minority coalition. The Brits had a very simply exit or no exit and they voted to exit. A very different scenario than our election
Paul was simply pointing out that Fred’s smugness is barf-inducing.
Bring on the Irexit. Sooner the better. Didn’t see the media going on about how our contribution to the EU is set to increase and how experts have said that Ireland will end up having to contribute more to the EU when Britain go and also we could have up to 3 MILLION. Migrants into Ireland when Britain leaves as we will be the only English speaking country in the EU. Media are not talking about that they are too busy whipping up the fear and anxiety of the dejected Clinton supports who can’t seem to cope with life without crooked Hillary
@frash – hilarious amateur level trolling frash!
Frash, some of your head isn’t fully covered by the tinfoil. Quick, tear off another sheet there ya lunatic.
Say no to drugs Frash.
Yes 3 million emigrants going across the Irish Sea in kayaks and boats apparently one was found on West coast but empty
Did you see generation snowflake on Claire Byrne last night asking Richard Brutal for a referendum on leaving the EU. I thought he was going to cry and spit his dummy at the same time.
On another note nice to see another govt as organised as we are..
Tom McGuirk is hardly a snowflake
Tom McGuirk is a traitor to this nation for advocating for Irexit, as is Gay Byrne. Let them both rot.
No plan and they’ll proabaly still do better than us.
Brexit means Brexit is all you hear. Like saying orange means orange.
So the actual story states that there is conflict within the cabinet between those who wanted to leave and those who wish to remain, which does not mean no plan, but let’s put a pro EU spin on it.
No, the story above ‘actually’ says that it may take 6 months before there is a plan … nice try, though
It is not a try, read the original story in the Times, open your mind to a world outside of your phone.
And Irelands plan post Brexit is?
@Sam Cairns: There is none. The British people were not expected to vote for Brexit.
There’s no Irish plan, because there’s no British plan and no EU plan, they will flesh it out as they go, all we can do is prepare a few contingencies for the more obvious effects.
Government cracks and cancels deportation order on Iranian hunger striker. It’s open season here now. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/direct-provision-hunger-striker-has-deportation-threat-lifted-1.2867913#.WCph5KaOTmA.facebook
This story has already been discredited. Memo originated from Deloitte, looking for consultancy work. Even the BBC have changed their headline…but without explanation.
The Times, Guardian, Independent and BBC are in the same bed. Anti-Brexit, pro-EU and so on and so forth.
@Joseph Siddall:
Deloitted but no thanks.
Deloitte.
Touché Paddy Touche
This was the case back in June, still no plan in place. http://news.sky.com/video/faisal-islam-struggles-with-leavers-explanation-there-is-no-brexit-plan-10325690
have your say