UK votes to leave EU • Hacker News Board

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#71

Post by selectron » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:15 AM UTC

blhack wrote: post #10

I don't really understand the reasoning either for or against this. The default seems to be non eu-membership. So why should Britain stay in the EU? People are commenting on this as though it's really obvious.

I agree with this. There has to be some balance - it is not like EU membership lifts the economies that enter it, so it doesn't seem like it should be so bad to leave the EU. I also expect people to overstate the effects - like currency devaluing is both good and bad for the UK while people are acting like it is some kind of disaster. Stock markets also seem to largely be decoupled from the real economies these days.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#72

Post by fixxer » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 AM UTC

sandworm101 wrote: post #38

thetmkay wrote: post #15

I voted today. I work in London at a startup with international markets. I believe in the ideal of free movement. I think the EU is a bit of a mess conceptually and mechanically, but in general a step forward for Europe. This is really the beginning of a very long, tedious and ultimately unsatisfying couple of years of dissatisfaction and instability as we negotiate with the EU and the rest of the world.

>>> ... as we negotiate with the EU and the rest of the world. HA! Negotiate. If Britain want to shoot itself in the foot and unsettle the world economy, it can do so on its own. The EU need not concede on anything. Why should they, given that Britain won't be a voting member in a couple years. If I were France I would start bricking up the chunnel tomorrow.

Ha! You might find a lot of support for that on the Island.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#73

Post by rayiner » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 AM UTC

lossolo wrote: post #5

Unfortunately nationalism and populism won another war. Now watch Scotland make referendum to leave UK and after leaving they will join EU.

It's ironic to me that a site where people extol the virtues of consistent culture at startups is so down on people voting to free themselves from a body politic they don't believe shares their values.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#74

Post by sidcool » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 AM UTC

That was quite unexpected. Till very late before polling, most people were in favor of staying in the EU. Nationalism takes over logic in Europe again.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#75

Post by jackgavigan » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 AM UTC

There's a decent chance that this will spur the EU into proposing a package of reforms with a view towards a second referendum. Technically, this referendum was an advisory referendum (i.e. its result is not legally binding).

If that doesn't happen, I would expect the UK to shift from membership of the EU to membership of the European Economic Area (alongside Norway and Iceland) or similar.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#76

Post by addicted » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 AM UTC

blhack wrote: post #10

I don't really understand the reasoning either for or against this. The default seems to be non eu-membership. So why should Britain stay in the EU? People are commenting on this as though it's really obvious.

Because Britain had access to all the good things about the EU (common market, EU agencies located in the UK, free movement) without some of the worst (common currency). 44% of British exports are to the EU. A significant reason for Foreign investment in the UK is because companies have seen it as a convenient way to sell in Europe (helps that it's the only English speaking nation in the common market).

And they voluntarily gave all that away. And they've simultaneously made a lot of enemies amongst their largest trading partner and closest neighbors.

I simply don't see how this works well for the UK (or should we say England, since the possibilities of Scotland breaking away have also risen dramatically).

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#77

Post by jlg23 » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 AM UTC

I'm not from the UK and I don't have any problems with the Limeys but I still thinks this is awesome: For way too long national governments in the EU have passed legislation on the EU level when they could not get it through national parliaments and then they could refer to "the EU says so". I hope this serves as a wake-up call to national governments that they should actually listen to their citizens.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#78

Post by cpncrunch » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:17 AM UTC

Please fix title. The article title is "EU referendum: BBC forecasts UK vote to leave". The count hasn't even finished yet, and it is still possible for the remain vote to win at the current time (albeit unlikely).

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#79

Post by addicted » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:17 AM UTC

sandworm101 wrote: post #65

And a special thank you from Canada. This vote is going to give Quebec ideas again.

I don't expect the UK to come out better off from this.

This may actually work really well for the opponents of separatist movements in developed nations.

Re: UK votes to leave EU

#80

Post by smcl » Fri, Jun 24, 2016, 4:17 AM UTC

mcorrand wrote: post #25

martythemaniak wrote: post #13

Is Scotland going to be exiting the UK next? Guess we'll see in a few years. Hard to know what will happen here, but I suspect once the UK (or what's left of it) signs a trade deal with the EU, they'll get the same deal as Norway - all the compliance with EU regulations, with none of the say. I suppose people may be happy with that deal, as long as they can get to say they're "free". I'm hoping this somehow leave the…

Gibraltar may want out too, they voted almost unanimously to remain and they probably won't want to be locked into their detroit by a UE border

I don't know why you're getting downvoted. Even though they semi-recently voted to stay in the UK, they were by far the highest area to vote "Remain" - 95.91%