Up to 100,000 UK jobs at risk as Merkel and Juncker ally warns on euro clearing

No signed 'future' Brexit deal within two years, says Theresa May

The UK will adopt 'third party status' in order to conduct trade negotiations after the two-year Article 50 process, says the PM.

The EU is set to inflict a double humiliation on Theresa May, stripping Britain of its European agencies within weeks, while formally rejecting the prime minister’s calls for early trade talks.

The Observer has learned that EU diplomats agreed their uncompromising position at a crunch meeting on Tuesday, held to set out the union’s strategy in the talks due to start next month.

A beauty contest between member states who want the European banking and medicine agencies, currently located in London, will begin within two weeks, with selection criteria to be unveiled by the president of the European council, Donald Tusk.

The European Banking Authority and the European Medicines Agency employ about 1,000 people, many of them British, and provide a hub for businesses in the UK. It is understood that the EU’s chief negotiator hopes the agencies will know their new locations by June, although the process may take longer. Cities such as Frankfurt, Milan, Amsterdam and Paris are competing to take the agencies, which are regarded as among the EU’s crown jewels.

It's really not surprising that those things are moving. Shame about the loss of British jobs, but not unexpected

I work three doors down from the EMA. That's a big-ass building that's going to sit empty for a good while.

Register your speciality BBQ company "Excellent Meat Associates", get some business cards and headed letter paper made up, and then the day after they've relocated, just rock up and take over. Hope no one checks, and that the landlord keeps sending the bill to the EU.

A flashing neon sign, no less.

Continuing our on-going series of the benefits of Brexit, we turn to Westminster Hall where MPs were yesterday debating another vital gain of becoming a free and independent nation again: the choice of flag on a car's numberplate.

I propose a bill where everyone who wants to have a flag on their number plate can do but only if they then take that number plate and SHOVE IT RIGHT UP THEIR STUPID FUCKING BREXITEERING ARSE.

Fucking hell. Who gives a shit

Symbols matter. To some people, the EU flag on their car, the words 'European Union' on their passport, the use of the CE mark rather than the Crown on a pint glass and so on all suggest that the EU is usurping the UK as the sovereign state.

Weeeeell, I can sort of see where they're coming from, a bit. I mean, the idea of sovereign nation states has been fairly embedded in European consciousness since the Treaty of Westphalia.

I have no interest in nationalism or 'patriotism'. A flag is just a piece of material. I don't see the point in being proud purely because I was born on one particular bit of rock over another. To me being a good patriot is putting the interest of the country's people first, and we don't appear to be doing that at all.

And the idea's kept the peace ever since.

Continuing our on-going series of the benefits of Brexit, we turn to Westminster Hall where MPs were yesterday debating another vital gain of becoming a free and independent nation again: the choice of flag on a car's numberplate.

I propose that, should a motorist want to have a flag for their country or county—or, in Cornwall’s case, duchy—the flag could be accompanied by a Union Jack to make it clear that the vehicle was from the United Kingdom.

It's not a Union Jack!

It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that “the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag”.

It's never been a country, and never will be a country. Just like Wales.

If people didn't want their precious flag flying the wrong way up then they should have put a bit more fucking effort into making sure it looked a bit more different when it is.

If people didn't want their precious flag flying the wrong way up then they should have put a bit more fucking effort into making sure it looked a bit more different when it is.

That's because of oppression, innit?

Wasn't that the point, though? So baddies wouldn't notice when you were doing it?

No.

Yes

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03 ... g-britain/

Cornwall voted to ignore the council of Europe.

Fucking hell. Who gives a shit