Blow me for €4 billion

[Bean]

Examples of misspending included a Spanish recipient of regional development funds declaring costs twice and wrongly declaring VAT.

I'd say that's clear as day fraud, not misspending!

For someone who's leaving you seem obsessed with the EU.
Fook them, soon we'll be in the land of unicorns and fairies, no?
Much better off than before?
And your kids will have so many more opportunities?
and the NHS will get 350 million extra per week and be the bestest system in the world.
etc.etc.

The UK currently pays into the EU budget - so until that ends, are we not allowed to scrutinise what and where it is spent? Or should the plebs just be happy to be alive after they pay taxes? lol

You can't say that with a straight face when your leader spent £10 billion on religious fundamentalists just to get a few extra votes.

It's not like no other party has made ridiculous deals (albeit maybe not £cash£) - e.g. see: Lib Dems selling out

Out by a factor of ten. The deal was £1bn

But it's only brexiteers that get their numbers wrong, or so people claim?

That is why the UK needs to leave the EU, because afterwards they won't pay a penny into the budget.

Interestingly in a theoretical world where the UK would regularly pay huge amounts after grovelling for a deal where the PM is handed a pre-prepared written speech written by the EU commission they wouldn't be able to veto the budget anymore. However that is purely hypothetical.

Can't wait until we're 100% off the hook for all the EU banking bailouts - which is purely factual

[WTFH]

The UK currently pays into the EU budget - so until that ends, are we not allowed to scrutinise what and where it is spent?
...
Can't wait until we're 100% off the hook for all the EU banking bailouts - which is purely factual

When will that be? 2019, 2021, 2025, 2050,...

Until the UK actually has a hard Brexit, we will still be tied to EU regulations, but as soon as we step away from the elected European Parliament, we will have little to no influence on how any decisions are made.

[Bean]

When will that be? 2019, 2021, 2025, 2050,...

Until the UK actually has a hard Brexit, we will still be tied to EU regulations, but as soon as we step away from the elected European Parliament, we will have little to no influence on how any decisions are made.

No idea, negotiations are currently taking place.

Do you normally expect the final agreement to be known in the middle of negotiations?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiation
HTH

[WTFH]

No idea, negotiations are currently taking place.

Do you normally expect the final agreement to be known in the middle of negotiations?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiation
HTH

Do you normally expect one side to go into negotiations without an idea of what they want or what they are prepared to negotiate on?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiation
HTH

[bobspud]

Or in other words "EU is 96.9% efficient", which I think is pretty good

I know a fair few organisations around the world who would be happy with those numbers, the NHS for one

No thats misleading the facts. What they are saying is they can prove they wasted 4 billion the rest is just cloaks and daggers.

[Bean]

Do you normally expect one side to go into negotiations without an idea of what they want or what they are prepared to negotiate on?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiation
HTH

Just because we the public haven't been told certain things - does not necessarily equate to those things being unknown to the negotiating sides, despite all the bluster.

The EU can't very well come out and say the UK are beasting us with their very good lawyers, just like
The UK can't very well come out and say the EU have them over a barrel over issue x, y, z

Seriously, how exactly should we be negotiating? - like labour say, give unequivocal rights to all EU citizens, tell them everything we want up front and hand over all our 'cards' ?

David Davis knows he has to play hardball in order to try and get them to start parallel talks on both transition & future trade, without agreeing too much first. If he doesn't I don't believe that would be beneficial for the UK.

What do you think WTFH, specifically to my last point about parallel talks?

[Bean]

No thats misleading the facts. What they are saying is they can prove they wasted 4 billion the rest is just cloaks and daggers.

Don't think HMRC would classify declaring costs twice as 'wastage' - or incorrectly declaring VAT

[bobspud]

Don't think HMRC would classify declaring costs twice as 'wastage' - or incorrectly declaring VAT

That would depend wether they are sat in a room with you or Vodafone ...

[WTFH]

David Davis knows he has to play hardball in order to try and get them to start parallel talks on both transition & future trade, without agreeing too much first. If he doesn't I don't believe that would be beneficial for the UK.

What do you think WTFH, specifically to my last point about parallel talks?

David Davis’ own party can’t agree on what they want, and they are airing that in public. How can he play hardball if his party don’t have an agreement on a plan?

And then you say that he shouldn’t agree to “too much first”. If you actually want to get somewhere you need to agree to things, even if it is just frameworks, otherwise the “negotiations” will continue on for years or decades.

As for “parallel talks”, you’ve not done much negotiating have you?
“Group one - you talk exclusively about citizens rights”
“Group two - you talk exclusively about trade”
“Group three - you talk exclusively about the Irish border”
“Group four - you talk about international co-operation”

Each group then reports back that they can’t reach an agreement without linking it to the other groups.
Parallel demands work, but negotiating doesn’t.

[Bean]

That would depend whether they are sat in a room with you or Vodafone ...

Touche