Government facing Brexit defeat in Lords over EU nationals

Depends if it all ends in a deal surely?

Okay then just get one of those little bloody flags you can fit to the side of your car like when England are playing

I would like to think a deal could be struck if the negotiations are carried out in a grown up manner, not the end of the world if a deal cannot be done.

I tend to wave the flag of their opposition.

As long as some dodgy regimes need weapons, we'll be ok.

Fly an EU flag then, just be careful though, remove the flag when leaving the car unattended

Oh dear, you really don't like ex-pats. Possibly you're jealous of the fact that they/we live in low/no taxed places that are sun-kissed for most of the year whilst you shiver in misty-rain soaked little England .

If what I heard an official in the (Gozo) Ministry say the other day comes to pass, my future and that of all British ex-pats' ability to reside here would be largely unchanged but no thanks to the EU. Obviously we'd lose freedom of movement rights and we would probably have to obtain Schengen visas in order to visit other EU countries but I don't see that as a major tragedy.

Are you that blinkered by EU propaganda that you believe that Britain must trade solely with the EU in order to survive? Our exports to the EU are not growing but those to non-EU countries - which of necessity must be on WTO tarriff terms - are growing year on year and Brexit provides opportunities to establish tarriff-free trade deals around the world.

What "new reformed EU" would that be? Not what you think - or would have us believe - I'd be bound. The EU is headed towards becoming an introverted protectionist superstate - the USE - complete with its own army; precisely what Germany spent the best part of the 20th century attempting to achieve by other means. The EU shows no enthusiasm for reformation and won't do so as long as there are client states grabbing every Euro Brussels dangles before them; they have no incentive to modernise their agriculture (to take but one example of EU profligacy) but every incentive not to do so.

Not sure how you construed what I posted as me disliking ALL expats. Maybe that EU sun is getting to you. I cut short a holiday to Gozo in 2008. A bit boring - God's waiting room my then girlfriend called it, somewhat cruelly. Plus, having already lost a loved one to the effects of UV rays, and being a blonde, blue eyed hunk of a man, getting a tan and suddenly having a face that makes Tom Jones' look smooth - sun kissed islands are low on the agenda. As are the poorer quality schools and the football isn't great either. Paying more taxes to get my kids the best education possible is a false economy.


I'm glad your own situation is close to being resolved... for a moment it was starting to appear that "England and Wales" leaving the organization that provides you with sanctuary from higher taxes was going to affect you directly. Now that it isn't, you can perch up high on San Lawrenz and tell those people who ARE affected why this should stay silent.

I've only read the first sentence - it's another false premise. Do you make a habit of guessing what people are thinking?

Maybe because you didn't provide any numerical qualifier to "ex-pats" when you wrote "I am happy at the news because it stops our little island being overcrowded by ex-pats moaning about the weather."

You and your former girlfriend appear to have spent rather too much time engaged in "deckhead and naval surveys" as we navy types have it and rather less time looking around. And you didn't need to inform us that you're blonde, we'd already guessed!

That's a statement I do recognise for the UK and the Philippines but not here. The publicly-funded colleges such as Gozo College which my three year-old attends actually have very good standards indeed. All pupils do the "old-fashioned" O Level examinations which are acknowledged to be of a higher standard than GCSEs. And class sizes are considerably smaller than you'd find in a typical British school: my son has just six classmates.

If you say so!

If necessary there will be a special Bill passed by the Malta Parliament - or so I hear. What "organization that provides you with sanctuary from higher taxes"? I am liable for taxation in the UK but VAT is less here so maybe you mean that.

I'll leave that to you: you are eminently better qualified and more practised to preach.

We looked around Gozo after breakfast one day. Then, when we finished, we couldn't decide to do for the rest of the morning.

You were probably with the wrong tour group and joined a party from Japan. Some of them apparently arrive on an early morning flight at Luqa, do a quick excursion by coach to Gozo (single stop at the arts and crafts village to buy Chinese made souvenirs) then back to the Virtu Ferry terminal in Valletta in time for the afternoon fast cat service to Sicily.

Guido is reporting that both of the House of Lords' amendments to the Brexit Bill have been overturned by the House of Commons. The first amendment, to unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals to remain was defeated by 335 to 287, a majority of 48. The second amendment regarding giving Parliament a "meaningful vote at the end of the negotiations was defeated by 331-286, a majority of 45.

The Bill now goes back to the House of Lords which is expected to respect the Commons' primacy and not make further amendments.

All it needs then is for Mrs May to trigger article 50, then we can strap ourselves in for the ride

That'll be at the end of the month. Apparently.

Brexit: Article 50 will not be triggered this week, Downing Street reveals

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...erendum-latest-news-rome-treaty-a7627676.html


A lot of faffing around!!
Just sign the damned thing..Nearly a year since the Referendum.

End of the month makes more sense, we don't want to be upsetting the EU do we?

The debate continued in the House of Lords which had to consider the Bill being returned by the Commons with both its amendments removed.

Lord Oates, a Lib Dem peer, is insisting on his amendment to guarantee EU nationals' rights be adopted and several peers support him. But Baroness Hayter, who is the Opposition's leader, has revealed the real reason the Lib Dems are pressing this issue: apparently Lords Oates has been bragging to several colleagues in corridor discussions that the Lib Dems are seeing a surge in new members joining the party because of their support of this measure (presumably EU nationals joining). Baroness Hayter, who led the Labour Peers through the Division Lobby in support of the amendment last week, this evening castigated the Lib Dems for their cynical opportunism and accuses them of giving the EU citizens false hopes. Lord Oates' amendment was defeated 274 to 135.

The peers also defeated a second Lib Dem amendment dealing with the provision of a 'meaningful vote' 274 to 118 and the Bill will receive the Royal Assent, probably tomorrow morning.

One day these a-holes will consider doing something for the good of the British people.