Politics Today

[elginCity]

......the EU shot themselves in the foot big time......

English exceptionalism writ large, AP ! The EU ‘budget’ is relatively small - UK contribution was a mahoosive 0.5% of GDP. Lots of benefits for that outlay, but hey, will of the people and all that .

 

[Avening Posse]

As I posted above they did not listen to our legitimate concerns.

Over the years when we raised concerns we were largely fobbed off and our governments of all political persuasions simply caved in. No doubt the EU thought this would happen again.

I think RP’s point and mine is that it just needed something on FOM for the Brexit vote to have gone the other way.

All water under the bridge now. I’ve always thought the EU were right to not offer change on FOM, not sure how or why the UK should have special rules on that. The bigger one was the red card we and a few other net contributors wanted, and which was summarily dismissed. That demonstrated a real flaw in membership which I think the media really jumped on.

 

[Avening Posse]

English exceptionalism writ large, AP ! The EU ‘budget’ is relatively small - UK contribution was a mahoosive 0.5% of GDP. Lots of benefits for that outlay, but hey, will of the people and all that .

If it’s small all the more reason for the EU at the time to facilitate reform. They should have seen the danger.

 

[elginCity]

Yep.
Elgy should have run it instead. We'd be in the Euro by now

I remember getting 1.65 euro to the pound, now nearing parity. Brexitannia Sterling is as weak as gnats pi$$ these days, the markets know where the true value lies.

 

[lamrobhero]

As usual Brexiteers trying to avoid taking responsibility for their decision - expect to see more of it as the consequences hit home.

Maybe it is the wrong type of Brexit. Ha Ha.

 

[elginCity]

And Elgy would have said: “My mission in life will be complete when I have taught Al to love the EU”

Don’t flatter yourself, Al, consider you a lost cause !

Stuffy is wobbling though, can sense it

 

[Alistair20000]

As usual Brexiteers trying to avoid taking responsibility for their decision - expect to see more of it as the consequences hit home.

Evening Indo

 

[Alistair20000]

Don’t flatter yourself, Al, consider you a lost cause !

Stuffy is wobbling though, can sense it

You disappoint me Elgers. Thought you were made of sterner stuff.

Are you as craven as Boris ? MTFU and get persuading me

 

[Rosencrantz]

As I posted above they did not listen to our legitimate concerns.

Over the years when we raised concerns we were largely fobbed off and our governments of all political persuasions simply caved in. No doubt the EU thought this would happen again.

I think RP’s point and mine is that it just needed something on FOM for the Brexit vote to have gone the other way.

Do you think having the power to deport any EU citizen who had not found employment or could not support themselves sufficiently without becoming a burdon on state assistance after three months would have made any difference?

 

[tavyred]

Yep spot on.

Merkel and Sarko were not prepared to negotiate with any proper thought for British concerns on FOM and ignored a basic rule of negotiation: it is unwise to drive the other side into a corner unless you do not really want to deal.

It was Hollande by 2016 Ali.
The referendum was a perfect storm of negative factors for those who wanted our EU membership to continue. Some of the blame you lay at the door of the U.K. and some of it in Brussels.
That said, whereas Britain is often because of Brexit accused by the naysayers of committing an act of unfathomable political and economic self harm, IMO it’s not said enough (if at all) that the loss of the UK to the European project was a major geopolitical feck up by the movers and shakers on mainland Europe and despite their rhetoric it’s full effects are yet to be seen.