Why didn't Leavers and the EU tell us this?

[Workingman]

Brexit has sod all to do with Thatcher, the Turks, history or longer thumbs, it is in the here and now.

The UK has two choices: Article 50 and all it entails; or repealing the 1972 European Communities Act, everything else is straw man stuff - wish list stuff.

We have not even begun Brexit negotiations about negotiations, never mind the negotiations proper. Until all of those are finalised we do not get to negotiate trade deals. As things stand we have trade deals. However, once A50 is invoked we then have to renegotiate everything. Those negotiations do not start until Brexit is finalised. We do not even get to sit in the meetings of the EU regarding our withdrawal. The laws of the treaties, of which we are signatories and obliged to adhere to, are very clear on this.

Like it or not the EU holds all the aces, they know it, and it looks as though they might play them.

[Kaz]

I think they will, and who can blame them? We've behaved like children throwing their toys out of the pram.

[Suff]

Brexit has sod all to do with Thatcher, the Turks, history or longer thumbs, it is in the here and now.

You see this is what drives me mad about the whole debate.

What is happening in Turkey right now is the _only_ thing which is relevant to the Brexit debate. Because Turkey is right smack in the middle of negotiations for access to the EU market.

Exactly what we will be doing in the next two years. So anyone who wants to be negotiating with the EU wants to take extensive note of what is going on.

What has Turkey negotiated?

€6bn of aid as a first tranche with more to follow
Visa free access for it's citizens to live and work in the EU

Where was Turkey with these negotiations two years ago? Nowhere.
Where is Turkey now? This is going to happen and it's going to happen soon.

The EU does not negotiate with weakness, it steamrollers weakness and drives it into the ground. The EU only negotiates with strength.

What would I do immediately I enacted Article 50?

I'd pass a UK law requiring all companies in the city to register for a new UK specific license (which is our right), to trade in the city. Then, for the next 9 months I'd force every company trading in the city, finance or derivatives or shares, to register. Then I'd take the register and build a task force for the next 3 months. That's one year.

After one year of negotiations with the EU listening to NON Nein NO and 'koff, I would give the EU and the markets two weeks notice that if the EU had not signed a deal, all 27 remaining countries, to retain the UK passport to trade in the EU, within two weeks, I would withdraw their license to trade in the city. Two weeks is not enough time to shift staff and operations.

When they blustered for two weeks I would revoke the EU business licenses and use the task force to shut them down. By force if necessary.

Within 2 the following weeks the UK would have it's passport enshrined in treaty. No question about it. One year early.

_That_ is how you negotiate with the EU.
_That_ is the relevant point.

Because our politicians have no gonads we're going to get shafted and it will be entirely our own fault.