Europe....again....
14 January 2013
..back in the headlines...
..back in the headlines...
Cameron is to make his big EU speech soon and it seems everyone is getting in on the act before he does.
In the build up to the big speech Cameron has been doing 'his bit' for the coalition and in trying to come across all 'moderate' in a way that suits the BBC Eurofanatics. It matters not a jot whether he actually believes the more pro-European elements of his statements the simple fact is that the British relationship with the EU is going to change, dramatically.
Either we will simply be out all together or we will have a renegotiated relationship with the EU. Personally I would like a 'common market' relationship enabling free trade whether that is 'out' or as some kind of associated membership outside the main political body of the EU is immaterial. What will not happen is carrying on as we are or as part of the 'ever closer union. Unless, of course, we get stitched up by the Eurofanatics by a yes/no vote that ends up locking us forever.
I have always said that it will be the Conservative Party that will get us out of the EU fascist superstate and that will be a fact. The latest survey of Conservative members shows that only 6% support either the status quo or more integration while 78% want us either out or in a looser common market either of which will see us outside the 'ever closer union' and the main political structures.
As for those saying we must stay in - Heseltine among them, remember these are the people who said we should join the Euro. Imagine what a disaster that would have been. Wrong then and wrong now - yesterdays men who should stay that way.
- catch 22 barry,in or out no choise.prefer to be in and using the euro rather than out dated sterling.
- You're having a laugh. Quick quiz:
Who was it who was recently quoted as saying the following:
"We'd be mad to leave Europe". - A point I cover in the blog Philip.
- This is all sounding more and more like a question posed by the Eythorne Popular Peoples Front...
"What has the EU ever done for us?"
While long lists are seen in answer to this question, why is it that those who would have us out and away have so little to say about how our lives would be improved should they get their way?
The ECHR having no place in the argument.
The luxury of a Free Trade Area being akin to the luxury of a Chocolate Fire Guard.
Apart from inter-Party, and inner-party squabbling, (and the popular pastime of BBC bashing) just what may be the advantages of getting out and away from the EU, while at the same time being realistic about the chances of retaining a Free Trade Agreement?
I fancy that acres of blank space will ensue. (or should that be hectares?) - hectares barry,please keep up with the times.
- David Cameron risks assuring the Tories a total defeat if he goes for continued EU membership.
Barry, unless the Tories and UKIP come to an agreement and campaign together for an EU exit and conduct an organised electoral campaign for the next GE, Labour might be back in government, and if they then made a final solution to end British Sovereignty, you would be wishing the present PM had gone for an all-out exit from the EU while he had the chance.
Of-course there will be some kind of free trade agreement with European countries once we left the EU, not least because their salaries (at least in western European countries) are the same as ours, so we wouldn't have the China effect of impossible competition in trade.
Just remember, Barry, if Labour get back in, it could spell the end of British Sovereignty.
T. Blair has a private agenda, he is mixed up in world politics and affairs, he is extremely rich, and could come back once Labour were in.
He wants to change Britain forever, to change our identity forever. - waffle,waffle and more waffle from alex.
- Barry, on this issue at least, Alex is spot on. Time's running out for DC and he needs to do something bold to regain the initiative. The electorate are not sufficiently sophisticated to grasp the arguments Cameron is putting forward. Nothing less than an In or Out question will do, anything else will be regarded as politicians' sly trickery. Otherwise UKIP will split the anti-EU vote and give Labour a majority. Better to take the gamble than accept certain defeat.
- If we vote Out, Brussels will then come crawling to us. They need us more than we need them, a fact that those arrogant bar stewards often forget.
- You might as well choose, Barry, between an EU in/out referendum or a Labour government.
Britain was already in a free-trade area before joining the Common Market, and that was EFTA.
EFTA and the EU do have a free-trade agreement, so it is a foregone conclusion that once we leave the EU, we will have a free-trading area agreement with most European countries.
If there were a GE now, Barry, Labour would win.
UKIP have only one condition to make an agreement with Tories or Labour: an in/out EU referendum.
Forget DC trying to get concessions from Brussels: they won't make exceptions, because most EU countries are either in the eurozone, or are planning to enter it.
If Brussels made exceptions for one member state, repatriating some powers, they'd create a precedent for all EU states to ask for exceptions.
We can only leave the EU and get one well with these countries by trading on fair grounds. - The pressure is on DC internally from the Conservative ranks and this pressure will continue to build. I want out of the EU, no question about that, but Alexander and those who want a straight In/Out referendum would end up getting us the opposite to what we need. The political reality is that we would lose an In/Out referendum. To get us out of the EU we must be a lot cleverer than that.
I have always said that the Conservative Party will be the ones to get us out and that will certainly be the case if we get an overall majority. The whole point is in the definition of Out as well. There are subtleties here that are beyond you Alex and comes down how we sell a 'different relationship; to the electorate and how we define that different relationship. We are on the way out provided we do not mess things up with a bull-headed approach. - Barry, it's a forgone conclusion we'll have trading relations with European countries once we leave the EU.
- alex,tory utopia.
- Alex - of course it is, after all we import more from them than we sell to them but it is the terms of that trade that is important.
- Free trade should be fair trade. That's all trade should be about, Barry.
We need a fair trade policy.