Norman Verona Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 He said this morning that he wouldn't have a referendum on European with a straight in or out question. So what is the referendum about? If we want to change the way the EU works shouldn't we get in there and sort it out from the centre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pistonbroke Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I hear they doing a new series , will have to be good to better the old one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man On The Clapham Omnibus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 No administration is going to hold a referendum which they are pretty certain would not go the way they want. That's why Gordon Brown didn't hold one on the European constitution despite a promise to do so, and Ed Miliband has said any Labour government he led would not hold one either. Rather blunt instruments, referendums. I haven't heard David Cameron's comments but I understand he wants to try to renegotiate the terms of our membership and put the result to plebiscite. Neither Germany nor France would want to lose a net contributor so whatever they really feel about UK's membership, they are bound to say they want us to stay in or they would be stumping up even more than they do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cast iron Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 dont know why your bothered. You moved to France... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 maybe because I'm British. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Jones Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Been reading Pestons book. He points out that the EU countries have become much much more financially inter-dependant since the crisis. I think you have to assume this means financially there is now no other option other than a United states of Europe, independent of the politics. Given the UK would never join a USoE, the choice would then be between the best deal we can get for staying inside some form of common market model connected to USoE or just walking away. Feels like the referendum is just the negotiation leverage with the side benefit of providing some protection against UKIP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Understand. But if the referendum isn't a choice between staying in or getting out what is it about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Jones Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I would guess it will simply be between leaving entirely and joining some new form of common market, the option for the UK to play a 'central role' has gone because of the euro mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Cut off the lucrative retirement home for British ex-politicians. Why on earth would they risk the public making them do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 In my view it will be disastrous is we leave the EU. We cannot compete on the world stage on our own. With China now "owning" the USA (they have more dollars the the US) we would just find it very difficult to trade in the global market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I agree Norm. We signed up for a common market for that very reason - to keep us competitive in world terms. Even more important today. What we didn't sign up for is the bureacratic monster and money black hole it has turned into - this has the opposite effect on our competitiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Jones Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Cut off the lucrative retirement home for British ex-politicians. Why on earth would they risk the public making them do that? I would venture that because if they don't at least appear to be doing that they won't be be in power after the next election. From Telegraph: 'The poll found fewer than one in every five voters had a "positive" view of the EU, with 54 per cent claiming to have a "negative" view.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Dastardly Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Most of the commonwealth countries have faired pretty well during the last few years, except of course the UK, the one that joined the EU. Might not be possible, but rebooting the commonwealth might be an option worth exploring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Doubt if they'll have us back as a trading partner. However, doing well is a relative term. Stuart, Do you think, as I do, that if we had got into the heart of the EU when we joined some of the mess could have been avoided. I'm surprised Germany has allowed it all to go wrong. It seems to me that all we've done is stand on the sidelines and complained about everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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