TIME FOR MAY TO STAND UP TO EU BULLIES.

It's reported that Donald Tusk, one of the bureaucratic 'big-wigs' in the European Union. has said that Theresa May needs to offer an alternative solution to the issue of the Northern Ireland border if she doesn't like the suggestion made by the EU. That solution is, of course, the effective annexation of Northern Ireland by the EU and has been roundly rejected by Mrs May.

There can be little doubt that the EU is deliberately being as difficult and obstructive as it can be. Its representatives must know that its proposal regarding the Irish border is utterly unacceptable to any government of the United Kingdom and, therefore, it's obviously nothing more than another attempt to cause the appearance of an intransigent Britain refusing to negotiate positively. 

What occurs to me is that there have been no realistic proposals of any sort on any issue from the European Union. They have consistently demanded that the UK has to make all of the running; they demand that, as it is the UK which is leaving the EU, it is for the UK to say what relationship it wants in the future. In truth, it is for both sides to offer possible ways forward, the UK having made it clear that it wants a positive and constructive future relationship.

Regarding the Northern Ireland border, the UK has made it abundantly clear that it does not want the current arrangements to change to any significant degree. However, the EU, with the Irish Prime Minister egging it along, has done nothing to assist in the achievement of this aim but has, instead, done everything it can to make the issue seem to be insoluble. Given that it is the EU which sees this border as being a problem, surely it is for the EU to make constructive proposals about how to solve it rather than trying to use it as a weapon against the UK.

Nothing demonstrates quite so clearly the appallingly bureaucratic mind-set of the EU's leadership than this issue. They are so hidebound by their voluminous rules, regulations and inward-looking protectionist policies that they can no longer see beyond the ends of their collective noses. They seem more than happy, in their cosy little bubble, to believe that they hold all of the cards in the Brexit pack. How wrong they are.

If Messrs Tusk, Barnier, Juncker and the rest keep pushing for the impossible the likelihood is that the UK will simply walk away. If that happens, all hell will break loose, not just in the UK but even more so amongst German, French and Italian carmakers, French, Spanish, Italian and German winemakers, French cheesemakers and many more. European exporters will suddenly find themselves faced with tariffs which make their products far less attractive and, with exports to the UK far outweighing imports from the UK, the EU will be the big loser.

All it needs is for Theresa May to stand up to these bullies and tell them how it is.