[Mild Rover]

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:31 pm  

Brown kept us out of the Euro, when Blair wanted in - maybe he'll one day get a bit of retrospective credit for that!
I've always been fairly pro-Euro as I reckon that by chance half the decisions made would benefit the part of the UK that is not the South East. And then they maybe wouldn't have to 'subsidise' us quite so much. Relying on the fiscal responsibility of the Italians is a hefty price though, I've come to realise.
I think the current stuff is overblown. The eurozone countries need to sort out the mess, a mess that Britain isn't directly involved in. Apart from being skint, in the medium term we need to focus on finding a better a balance between regulation and freedom in our regulated free market economy. Absolutely no prospect of it happening, like.

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:41 pm  

Anakin Skywalker wrote:

If my wife had a penis she would be a man.

Or a lady boy.

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:44 pm  

Help me out on something

If the UK was to become completely independant from the EEC and was free to set its own rules and regulations on just about everything, does that not put us in a better position than the rest of Europe as Europe would be (in theory) all singing from the same hymn sheet stopping any of the countries having any sort of competitive advantage, whereas we are on the outside able to look in and offer an 'alternative'.

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:44 pm  

Anakin Skywalker wrote:

They wanted to tax every interbank transaction in Europe.
Dave quite rightly said 'Hang on 10% of our GDP is in the finanical sector and if you do that they will all bugger off to the US or Asia so here have my veto'
The Other Europeans Hungary aside said 'Well we all agree so we will do it without you'.

TBH Cameron had little choice as numerous governments have drove us to relay on the financial sector far to much and if he went along with it we would have been royally screwed.

Which means 90% of our GDP isn't the financial sector, but he is prepared to stuff that up in his ideological crusade to shove as much pain and suffering on all those that DIDN"T cause the global meltdown.

As one commentator put it on Radio 5 'he is the prime minister for 90,000 square miles of the UK, not just the 1 square mile in the City of London'

[Mild Rover]

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:53 pm  

Horatio Yed wrote:

Help me out on something

If the UK was to become completely independant from the EEC and was free to set its own rules and regulations on just about everything, does that not put us in a better position than the rest of Europe as Europe would be (in theory) all singing from the same hymn sheet stopping any of the countries having any sort of competitive advantage, whereas we are on the outside able to look in and offer an 'alternative'.

You just want to open a sweatshop, don't you?

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:53 pm  

Horatio Yed wrote:

Help me out on something

If the UK was to become completely independant from the EEC and was free to set its own rules and regulations on just about everything, does that not put us in a better position than the rest of Europe as Europe would be (in theory) all singing from the same hymn sheet stopping any of the countries having any sort of competitive advantage, whereas we are on the outside able to look in and offer an 'alternative'.

Yes we could still trade with other EU countries, we'd just have tariffs to contend with, like in the old days. I'm certain that all the exporters and importers of goods will be absolutely over the moon with that scenario and I also reckon the cost to our economy would eclipse whatever the City are squealing about

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:53 pm  

Thank God is what I reckon. The idea of handing over a huge chunk of our economic sovereignty to the ECB is an incredible one. It's not just the Tobin Tax, regardless of your stance on it- the offer on the table was unelected central banks and European commissioners telling us what our budget should look like, tax harmonisation...

De Gaulle used to talk of the "Europe des patries", strong nation-states working together in a spirit of respect and co-operation but having boundaries which shouldn't be crossed and maintaining their sovereignty. He'll be turning in his grave to see a man who claims to be a political heir doing this. And you know something is up when Sarkozy says that it'll be a series of bilateral treaties rather than through the EU- and that this is to avoid the need for referenda.

I suspect that Belgium and its ludicrous, expensive four-tier government system will not be affected.

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:55 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Yes we could still trade with other EU countries, we'd just have tariffs to contend with, like in the old days. I'm certain that all the exporters and importers of goods will be absolutely over the moon with that scenario and I also reckon the cost to our economy would eclipse whatever the City are squealing about

We'd rejoin EFTA like Norway and Switzerland. But don't forget that our veto here keeps us in the EU- the treaties between the others will have to be intergovernmental rather than through the European Union.

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:14 pm  

Urmston Wire wrote:

We'd rejoin EFTA like Norway and Switzerland. But don't forget that our veto here keeps us in the EU- the treaties between the others will have to be intergovernmental rather than through the European Union.

What makes you think they'd want us?

They too will have seen Cameron's breast-beating, do you honestly believe they'd be happy with us trying to take our "rightful" seat at the head of the table?

Re: What now for the UK? : Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:16 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Yes we could still trade with other EU countries, we'd just have tariffs to contend with, like in the old days. I'm certain that all the exporters and importers of goods will be absolutely over the moon with that scenario and I also reckon the cost to our economy would eclipse whatever the City are squealing about

Then we'd impose them too - especially on German cars. so, what's the problem?