Herman Van Rompuy is obviously scared of a referendum in Britain as this is what Cameron will do. EU is well known for repeating a referendum until they get the answer they want which will not happen here. Rompuy is actually saying : Britain's moves could make EU fall apart. To which I will say about time as they are again stocking up future problems as the democratic legitimacy of the various parliaments in budget plans. But it's not just David Cameron, is it? During the recent by elections Ed Milliband spent a considerable ammount of time trying to steal UKIP's clothes and even went as far as "joining in the debate on immigration". I think you'll find that both Cameron and Milliband will find a narrative on Europe that will be popular with the electorate and only the Lib Dems will have a pro European message; alas nobody give's a toss about what they have to say these days. The truth is much harsher than any politician will tell you..... whether we stay or leave we're in a serious long term decline and there's very little we can do about it. Traditionally in times such as these it's the extreme political parties that come to power.... I just hope that history won't repeat itself this time, but............. in some parts of the EU it already is. Agreed that we need a proper debate about Europe to help us make a decision based on facts, not on xenophobic tabloid articles and stereotypes, or on the other hand, fear of upsetting other member countries. I am more pro-EU than I am anti-EU, but I certainly don't appreciate being lectured and threatened by people like Mr Van Rompuy, a man with no democratic mandate who is part of a project to force a USE on the people of Europe. If he and others like him were actually accountable to the people they purport to represent, they would have had to spend their time trying to accommodate the different levels of enthusiasm for ever greater integration, and explain the benefits of integration to the people of Europe instead of simply grabbing their sovereignty through hidden treaty signings and farcical multiple referendums.
Instead we have a situation where a majority of UK voters strongly resent the EU without knowing very much about it at all. ,,,
It's rather silly to say that if we left the EU we couldn't trade with them, or couldn't do so on good terms.
Mexico is not part of the EU, does not contribute to it, does not have to apply and enforce EU law, and yet has a bilateral free trade agreement with the EU (and is at the same time part of NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement). China does not apply EU law and is actiely hostile to some of it (airline emissions, for example) yet has no difficulty trading with the EU. Not being a member doesn't mean you have to apply the rules but have no say - as an independent state, you can choose to apply or not apply whatever rules you see fit. Given the the UK is more important in trade terms to the EU than the EU is to the UK, it is unlikely that Brussels would have much clout in this respect were Britain to leave. In fact, it is being in the EU that restricts our trading ability. Britain, under EU law, is like any other member state forbidden from entering into trade agreements with anyone on its own - it can only do so through the EU. Leave the EU, and we can make as many agreements as we want with anyone who wants to sign up.
That said, the usual spineless collection of people afraid of being "out of step" that comprise our political class will doubtless find a way of ensuring Britain gets the worst of all worlds.
6 comments:
The opinions of the greedy grubby bankers are of less importance than those of the electorate. The Bob Diamonds and Fred Goodwins of the sittyh should realise this as should their sycophants in government.
The EU is a diabolical experiment that has turned sour.
Let the people decide.
Singapore, Switzerland, Canada, and Norway, are all next to monster economies, the UK shouldn't be intimidated by the growing mob of naysayers.
The corporatocracy of large businesses will always plant itself with the centre of gravity of large political empires. All the political parties seem to be focused on these corporates, even though they are not the biggest growth engines.
Need political parties and politicians who focus more on the many smaller to medium companies who make up the bulk of the economy and drive its growth.
As for the City and bankers in particular, their recent track record is one of unprecedented economic destruction. Overdue for a radical overhaul, wherever they choose to go
How frightfully european of these 'bankers'...
They have
- taken taxpayers money to save their bacon,
- screwed up the economy for years to come,
- continued to pay themselves way above their talents.
and now they have the gall to question allowing their saviours, the taxpayers, the right to decide on our future in a referendum.
Were one to delete 'banker' and insert 'the EU' the article would essentially read the same.
We will not be pushed around any longer by bankers, eurocrats or the mainstream UK parties. Frankly, the bankers should know better, as it has been clearly pointed out so often that the banks would in fact favour a free UK, a UK unfettered by financial regulations being imposed by Malta and Estonia.
Start the New Year with a smile... we have them on the run...
VOTE UKIP, that we may VOTE OUT!!!
if it was only about tax it wouldnt be so bad but they want to continue to spend money they wont even raise through the 250k tax band but continue borrowing and spending .... gosh havent we seen the results of that somewhere ...?????
Britain is expected to lose its AAA credit rating this year, dealing a blow to George Osborne's defence of deep spending cuts as the key to retaining Britain's status with global investors.
Many economists predict at least one of the three main credit ratings agencies – Moody's, Fitch or Standard & Poor's – will declare the UK a bigger lending risk in response to the chancellor's admission in the autumn statement that austerity will run for at least eight years, until 2018, rather than the original five.
Those same economists largely agree that in a world where most developed countries have found life tough going, there will be little impact on the UK's creditworthiness. Like the US and France, which have already seen their pride dented by a demotion to AA, the UK will still be a safe haven for foreign cash, and thereby enjoy relatively low interest rates.
But lower growth and bigger borrowing add up to a greater risk that the UK will find 2013 tougher than expected.
All the major forecasters have downgraded growth for the coming year, including the Treasury's own Office for Budget Responsibility. The OBR's most recent outlook put growth in 2013 at 1.2% – down from the previous prediction of 2%. Not until 2017 does the trend return to a point where unemployment comes down in any significant way.
Part of the downgrade in growth stems from expectations of lacklustre investment spending by business. Without investment in new equipment, the economy is likely to suffer over the longer term. Osborne has promised a rise in public investment this year, partly to make up the difference, but only enough to make up a quarter of the total he cut in 2010.
In budget terms 2013 will be characterised by social security cuts, which are due to take effect in earnest after an initial focus on tax rises (the increase in VAT to 20%) and job losses in the public sector (more than 700,000 so far).
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