Mission Impossible
Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny has done us all a favour with his comment that the UK's exit from the EU is 'impossible' within two years.
Back in June I published a short talk by another Irishman, Michael Dougan - a Professor of European Law, who took a similar stance on the complexities of renegotiating the UK's trade agreements with the European Union and, indeed, the rest of the world.
Read the full report in the following link to Sky News.
http://news.sky.com/story/irish-pm-impossible-to-do-brexit-deal-in-two-years-10671690
Irish PM: 'Impossible' to do Brexit deal in two years
Enda Kenny says a transition deal will be needed because two years is not enough to finalise the terms of the UK's exit.
Sky News - 26 November 2016
By Faisal Islam - Sky News
Ireland's prime minister has told Sky News it will be "impossible" for the UK to agree a full Brexit deal within the two years set out in Article 50.
Enda Kenny said a Brexit transition deal between the UK and EU was "inevitable".
A deal must be hammered out within two years once Britain triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal process for leaving the EU.
Mr Kenny, a member of the 28-member European Council, said a transition deal would probably take "longer than expected".
Mr Kenny said: "I think it will be impossible to do the negotiations within the contemplated two-year period.
"That's why I think there's a growing feeling in Europe that there should be a transition period, and that the transition period will be longer than those two years - I think it will be."
:: The steps ahead on the road to Brexit
Privately, senior EU ministers have been suggesting it could take three to five years, or even longer.
Attending the British Irish Council (BIC) near Cardiff, Mr Kenny said Europe had "not yet" seen a coherent Brexit plan as there had been "different statements made by different people" - a reference to confusion sown by David Davis, Boris Johnson and Liam Fox.
He suggested some ministers might be in the process of discovering that "it's more detailed and [includes more] unforeseen issues than people might have imagined".
:: Tony Blair says Britain's EU exit can be stopped
Devolved leaders at the summit also challenged Theresa May about why she stayed away from the gathering.
Top of the agenda was how the UK could retain access to the European Single Market if it denies freedom of movement to EU citizens.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness agreed that the PM should have attended.
"I think it was a missed opportunity on her behalf," said Mr McGuinness.
Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said the fact the Prime Minister had sent two Cabinet ministers shows she "strongly supports" the meeting.
The event brought together leaders of the UK's devolved administrations, Government ministers, Mr Kenny, and the first ministers of Crown dependencies such as Jersey and the Isle of Man.
Professors for Remain (22/06/16)
Here is, quite simply, the best thing I have heard in the great debate about the UK's continued membership of the European Union (EU).
Michael Dougan is a Professor of European Law at the University of Liverpool and he spells the issues out very clearly, yet with passion and good humour.
I doing so he takes a swipe or two at the Leave campaigners whom he describes as 'Creationists' in a serious debate about Evolution.
But come to think of it the Brexiteers share a thing or two with religious fundamentalism, so I think the Prof makes a fair point.
