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Abe, Dutch PM Rutte working to avoid no-deal Brexit

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What a strange photo.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

What does Abe san got to do with the Brexit?

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

@ Samir, The ridiculous goings on in Britain/Europe currently, mostly fueled by xenophobic misinformation effects a massive amount of trade world wide, its everyones business.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

What does Abe san got to do with the Brexit?

Absolutely nothing, as the vote on May's Brexit deal will be made by British MPs next week and Shinzo isn't a British MP. He's there to look out for the interests of Japanese businesses.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Japan being the World’s 3rd economy has nothing to do with Britain at all? Kind of a funny assumption, Japan and Britain are massive leaders behind the US in the current World Order and they are trying to maintain and grow it.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Trum Pet should stop meddling in the foreign afairs of other countries, but I admit, Abe keep doing a good job for his globalist master.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Its my understanding, and I could be wrong, that the Dutch have a good deal of sympathy for the complaints of the U.K over decades now. In fact, one of the U.K's best relationships on the continent, so I imagine they might be able to have some influence.

The deal with be rejected. May is going to lose that vote. And at that point, just two options, hard brexit or second referendum and I think there will be massive pressure campaign for second referendum and I imagine the Dutch and Japanese would be part of that pressure group.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Neither one of these individuals will have any impact on what does / does not happen with regards to Brexit. That is not to diminish their interest in what happens with regards to Brexit and its impact on their respective countries, but at this point, Brexit is in the hands of the British government, Parliament and the EU negotiators.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

What does Abe san got to do with the Brexit?

There are Japanese companies and their factories there making many kinds of goods to sell to European countries, so UK is the main hub of their business. so Brexit affects their business.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Little off topic, but now with a more informed nation, and the closeness of the first referendum, I think a second one really is the only good and fair option now.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

PM Abe will take the position that May's deal is the best option, just in time before next Tuesday's vote. He will also likely reiterate that it is in British people's interest to accept May's deal in order to keep Japanese companies in the UK. However, I think that the British media have over-egged the pudding with their proclamations of doom in a case of a No-Deal so much, that mentally, more and more people are willing to accept any short-term economic hardship for a clean break from the EU. I imagine that any speech given during Abe's visit is more for MPs voting next Tuesday, than the British public.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

A conundrum, would third countries,Japan, similarity nations represented by contributors to Japan Today be prepared to join a rules/Treaty based union?

Embrace the"four freedoms" guaranteeing the free movement of goods, capital, services, labour/people.

Adopt the union institutions and bodies. Relinquish sovereignty of your justice system?,

Welcome the union fiscal and monetary polices, an asymmetric inflation target, accept one-size-fits-all approach to interest rate policy that would be set from a offshored central bank?

Comply to strict fiscal deficit targets, that effect trade balances, and house prices?

Sooner or later having to commit to joining a single currency. Adhere to the unions legislative regulatory framework.

Would Abe san, his LDP government, the people ever contemplate membership of such a union?

Would Japan Today commenters vote in a referenda to join such a union?

If not, then why, if the electorate of UK decided to leave such a union, be persuaded to accept Theresa May flawed deal.?

Hi NZ2011, if not a UK Citizen, would you be happy if your country voted to join such a union?

Would you be happy to relinquish national sovereignty that would restrict your parliament from ultimately setting its own laws?

You might? However your fellow citzen might not.

Would you repect there wishes or perhaps insist on a second referendum if the result is a tad close, after all that is the only good and fair option? Or a third and a fourth until your fellow citzens fall into line. Yes?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Here in the European newspaper no one is talking about Abe visit to a minor member of the Union,his influence to the deal between the European Union and the U.K is equal to zero,such kind of news seems relevant only in Japan,so the people will have an impression about how politically strong is their PM.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Abe to the rescue! Even Abe would struggle to be any more useless than the clowns in the UK government.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nice aspiration but empty words.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

itsonly:

There are some people like you who prefer a hard brexit. But do you think you are in the majority? If the choice is hard Brexit or no Brexit, which do you think will win?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hi theeastisred, Thank you enquiring.

I would not presume, contend or suggest my opinion are shared my a majority of the electorate that voted for independence from the European Union.

I have also relinquished my British Passport to become a Japanese citizen so, quite rightly am unable to cast my vote at the ballot box.

I still have business interests in the UK (Brighton). Visa status to manage the company's activity and enterprise.

My opinions, are humble ones. I do not conclude or acknowledge either hard or soft Brexit.

A country is either a member state or not, there is no halfway point. I solemnly believe that a people should be able to grip there politicians by the lapels, look them in the eye and hold them totally accountable for three actions. That is why I support Scottish Independence.

Past politicians, Tony Benn, Peter Shore, Barbara Castle, at the Oxford Union in the early 70's defined accurately how the then EEC democratic deficit would manifest into populism.

Tony Benn – EU Referendum – EU Empire – Democracy – Brexit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWnpbEMMsNw

I would be interested in your opinion and take on Tony Benn thoughts

Referenda, by definition are a binary plebiscites, that shouldn't be confused with alternative, instant run off , single transferable voting systems.

Every available opportunity was afforded the electorate before the 2016 referendum to debate the consequences. Members of my UK family have been debating the whys and wherefores for more than forty years. As farmers and landowners they have benefited considerably from the common agricultural policy.

theeastisred, I assume you would rather UK remain a member state within the Union. I believe you will get your wish. The second referendum will be fudged, slanted to guarantee so.

I am debating your opnion not barking or attacking your postion. If you chose to vote remain I repect your choice

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I would have voted to remain if I had had the opportunity to do so and I hope there is a second referendum and the result is different. I don't think the process or the question would need to be fudged or slanted for a different result to emerge. I don't agree that the consequences were properly discussed before the first referendum, with an implied assumption/belief/hope that somehow the UK would be able to retain all the benefits of EU membership while shedding the burdens. That was never realistic. Yes there are problems with the EU as per Tony Benn comments for example but those should be addressed directly. Proportional representation would not have helped in this case because unlike a general election (in the UK or the US for example; many other countries are different), every vote counts in a referendum already. Anyway, it is clear that May's deal (or any deal) will not and cannot work, and the only and real choice is hard Brexit or no Brexit. I can't believe that a majority or anywhere near it still favours no Brexit now, given what we have learned over the last 2 1/2 years.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Can't believe a majority favours hard Brexit, that should be.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@theeatisred

According to the most recent and comprehensive polling, between a deal, no deal or remain, and all possible permutations, no deal is the most preferred option.

http://www.deltapoll.co.uk/steve-fisher-condorcet

30% of the electorate who voted leave haven't changed their mind. Likewise, 30% of those who voted to remain haven't changed their opinion. But it is interesting that there is a larger number of those in the middle-ground who voted to remain, who now say leaving is the correct thing to do in order to prevent the situation from becoming more toxic and to respect the original vote.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Tange:

https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-a-second-eu-referendum-were-held-today-how-would-you-vote/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/in-highsight-do-you-think-britain-was-right-or-wrong-to-vote-to-leave-the-eu/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@theeastisred

I'm afraid the polls you have posted a link to aren't really valid.

Firstly "Do you think in hindsight that Britain was right or wrong to leave the EU?" Many people who voted remain say that leaving was the wrong choice, but also say the vote must be respected. So, it's likely that although a majority say it was the wrong decision, doesn't necessaily mean it should be reversed.

Secondly "How would you vote in another referendum?". This doesn't take into account what the options would be in a second ref (i.e. deal, no deal, remain). The data only shows choices between remain and leave. And as can be seen form the data the majority has changed or has been tied between remain and leave several times in the last 12 months.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Check out the full page. It's all there and your comments are not supported in the slightest. Hard Brexit would come second in a three way choice vs Remain or Deal.

https://whatukthinks.org/eu/opinion-polls/uk-poll-results/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Do you mean this link?

https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-there-was-a-referendum-tomorrow-with-the-option-of-accepting-the-governments-brexit-agreement-or-leaving-the-eu-without-a-deal-which-would-you-support-2-2/

So, I am interested to know what you think. If in a three-way referendum, Remain had the single largest majority, but it was still less than the combination of Deal and No deal, should the UK leave or remain in the EU?

This is why I don't think a three-way referendum will work, and when it comes down to remain or leave (no deal), leave would win.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

We won't know until the second referendum is held. Then we will find out.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The second referendum, peoples vote, theeastisred would take the form of a preferenda, a list of three proposals/options, May's deal, no deal, remain, utilising an alternative vote system. Justine Greening proposal.

However arrows impossibility theorem states, I quote: a clear order of preferences cannot be determined while adhering to mandatory principles of fair voting procedures.

In essences there wouldn't be a disconnection when applied to a choosing a candidate. However in decision and analysing a complex set of variants/options a paradox appears.

May's deal, no deal are similar in nature, both would change an existing singular value, so creating a division allowing remain to advance thought the middle. That is the fudge, in essence the vote could be open to the accusation of being rigged.

It would be unwise democratically to rerun a referendum of such importance, especially in the context of a alternative voting system.

For better or for worse its either in or out, whilst remembering the EU is an organisation whose structure is enshrined in a rules based treaty. Brexit can neither be soft are hard.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

May's deal is very unlikely to survive that far. So it would be a 2-way remain vs no-deal choice I believe.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well theeastisred, all the best, on a day to day basis, I won't be affected by the political fallout from a second referendum whatever form that referendum takes. However a drop in sterling will hurt considerably. There is a currency hedging strategy to deflect some of the pain.

Abe san will be nagging May Government for this reason alone........

The scale of investment alone makes Japan an important partner for the UK - £46 billion in the UK according to latest figures.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/japan-and-the-uk-an-enduring-trade-partnership

0 ( +0 / -0 )

NZ2011 quote:  "now with a more informed nation, and the closeness of the first referendum, I think a second one really is the only good and fair option now."

People were not informed before, just massively confused. No-one could see into the future, just as when we joined the EU, when clear and detailed explanations were never made. Families were torn down the middle.

Today again I  think that most people have little idea what May's deal with the EU involves. The feeling is more political and emotional, against which the detail hardly matters. Poeple are shouting and pulling in all directions. Sadly this ignorance is causing massive stress and depression among the populace.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think it is time, Abe decides who is he taking sides with. On one hand, he is taking sides with America & on many hands his is not doing anything in Japan. Pls Abe in order to help all people in Japan, it is time that u look to bring more up-dates of education to Japanese people , who is still having a problem with understanding other foreign Asian people. The sharp case is a very good example. Why should anyone want to help Japan or invest in Japan when U are not helping yr people to accept yr neighbours first ???. We are paying tax and we are yellow skin and we have 2 ears too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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