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Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

bbc.com

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Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#61

Post by robert_foss »

harryf wrote: post #38
emptyfile wrote: post #5

"It's your job, the job of business, to gear yourselves up to take the opportunities which a single market of nearly 320 million people will offer. Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers—visible or invisible—giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the world's wealthiest and most prosperous people. Bigger than Japan. Bigger than…

"I want my money back!" Margret Thatcher at the European Union summit in Dublin in 1980 "That such an unnecessary and irrational project as building a European superstate was ever embarked upon will seem in future years to be perhaps the greatest folly of the modern era. And that Britain, with her traditional strengths and global destiny, should ever have been part of it will appear a political error of historic magn…

That yes minister clip really does seem to reflect what has happened here.

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#62

Post by CaRDiaK »

bru wrote: post #21
akjainaj wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is funny because if the EU is to survive, immigration controls will have to be put in place. Many countries are already demanding to control their borders. So when that happens, the UK will feel stupid for leaving, I suppose. They could've just waited.

There are currently such controls for the EU, actually, and done on the French side of the channel. Those may go as well.

The Le Touquet treaty is a bilateral treaty between two countries and has nothing to do with the EU.

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#63

Post by lwhi »

lwhi wrote: post #41

I find her language very problematic. I didn't vote to leave—so when she claims to be speaking for the British people, I'm left wondering how my voice can count. I'm part of 48% of 72.2%; a lot of people are likely to share my concern. We need a general election. She speaks of what 'she wants'—the most problematic part of this surreal theatrical horror story is fact we the country didn't vote for her. I don't want th…

I'm confused why my comment has been downvoted.

Theresa May was not voted into government.

Only 52% of (72.2%) of the population voted for Brexit.

Quite a disappointing response.

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#64

Post by sgift »

coldtea wrote: post #27
donmatito wrote: post #14

This is such a pity. European Union is (was ?) an incredible achievement. I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is. I hope the best for Europe and UK on their separate path. Given the mess, a clean cut is probably in the best interest of both sides

> This is such a pity. European Union is (was ?) an incredible achievement. I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is. Only we never done that. We just allowed for easy border access, united a few laws, and had central bureaucrats and heavier countries step on the throats of lesser ones.

> heavier countries step on the throats of lesser ones.

The opposite is usually lamented in the heavier countries, e.g. here in Germany it is often lamented that a German voters vote is less important than that of a voter in a small country like Luxembourg due to the way EU representation is structured.

Additionally, the voting process in the European council is structured so that bigger countries cannot just impose their will in smaller ones (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_in_the_Council_of_the_E... for details).

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#66

Post by whositis »

donmatito wrote: post #14

This is such a pity. European Union is (was ?) an incredible achievement. I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is. I hope the best for Europe and UK on their separate path. Given the mess, a clean cut is probably in the best interest of both sides

> I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is.

And that's precisely why it is failing, and will continue to fail.

Imagine combining Canada and the USA into a single country.

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#67

Post by NetStrikeForce »

coldtea wrote: post #27
donmatito wrote: post #14

This is such a pity. European Union is (was ?) an incredible achievement. I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is. I hope the best for Europe and UK on their separate path. Given the mess, a clean cut is probably in the best interest of both sides

> This is such a pity. European Union is (was ?) an incredible achievement. I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is. Only we never done that. We just allowed for easy border access, united a few laws, and had central bureaucrats and heavier countries step on the throats of lesser ones.

I am yet to understand how the EU makes it easier for bigger countries to step on the small ones. Do you think Germany wouldn't be able to throw its weight around to push Poland, Czechia or Slovakia to do whatever they want to? Who would legally put an opposition to that? The lack of an existing legal framework agreed upon all actors would mean there's no deterrent for an escalation if, let's say, France or UK decided to side with their Eastern colleagues and get serious about it.

Of course I don't expect you to be able to explain it, because if anything the EU has given voice and veto power to small EU countries.

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#68

Post by rayiner »

chii wrote: post #29
donmatito wrote: post #14

This is such a pity. European Union is (was ?) an incredible achievement. I don't think we realize exactly how improbable uniting Europe around a common destiny and a shared set of values is. I hope the best for Europe and UK on their separate path. Given the mess, a clean cut is probably in the best interest of both sides

> a shared set of values is. except they never had this - the richer countries see their contribution as a drain (e.g., the almost collapse for the greeks), unlike the american state, which distributes the federal taxes somewhat more "evently", and there's no "Us vs Them" mentality.

That's not true at all. There is a lot of conflict in the US relating to federal spending in "blue states" versus "red states." Red states tend to be poorer, have more agriculture, and have more military bases, so they get disproportionately more federal spending relative to their taxes paid.

Re: Theresa May: UK must leave European single market

#70

Post by raverbashing »

gotchange wrote: post #36
coldtea wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's not some bureaucrat's plan. It's for real. Actually it was a bureaucratic plan all along, and badly managed. And you still can have great access to the same 320 million market even outside of it (like e.g. China or Japan have) -- with the extra benefit that you don't have a German-controlled ECB to impose you rules and monetary policy.

> you don't have a German-controlled ECB to impose you rules and monetary policy. The UK had its own currency and central bank from the get go. What are you're referring to exactly here?

It's funny how Brexiter arguments usually come from the same collection of "misunderstandings" and lies
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