Europhiles understandably try to paint British withdrawal as potentially apocalyptic. Take this...
Ridiculous. As if European businesses wouldn't want to sell us their goods if we were outside the EU! And on the other side of the argument, UKIP Peer Lord Pearson goes overboard in stating his case. He says...Simon Hix, professor at the London School of Economics, suggests that cheap flights to EU countries could be threatened if new costs were imposed on British airlines. He sees a potential threat too to what's available in British shops such as French wine and Italian cheeses. This "cuisine culture" has happened "because of the European single market," he says. "Do we really want to give that up?"
They'd be delighted to get rid of us
I doubt it very much, seeing as we are the second highest net contributor to the EU coffers.
Analysis: Divorcing Europe will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 16 November 2009 at 2030 GMT and repeated on Sunday 22 November at 2130 GMT.
Maybe the cost of exporting cheese into the EU would go up, and in return, the cost of importing EU cheese would also go up.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Single Market is a good idea after all.
This is the same Simon Hix who said UKIP would get 0 seats in 1999, 0 seats in 2004 and 3 seats in 2009. His credibility has been shot to pieces and I have no idea why the BBC still take him seriously. A useful idiot, perhaps, but a poor one.
ReplyDeleteWe are in fact the eleventh highest net contributor (in the fact the lowest net contributor, ignoring those who are net beneficiaries) per capita.
ReplyDeleteGermany, Holland, Italy, Belgium, etc... all net contribute more than we do per capita.
UKIP and their fellow travellers advocate Norway and Switzerland as the models. In that case very little would change, the UK would be subject to much the same rules as before but would no longer be involved in formulating them. They rarely bother explaining this.
ReplyDeleteI know what would happen if we left Iain.
ReplyDeleteWe'd get Edward Heath back that's what!
Pound to a pinch of salt that nobody would see any change.
Except he might look a bit older...
I hope you will rather be watching Peter Oborne's Despatches about the Israeli lobby.
ReplyDeleteWatch and learn and reflect, Iain.
Tony
I may not bother listening.
ReplyDeleteAnticipating fair and balanced treatment from BBC R4 seems like a recipe for disappointment.
Analysis has a podcast on itunes + other places for those wanting to catch it but unable to listen to the show at the time above.
ReplyDeleteI have no faith in the pro-EU BBC broadcasting an impartial programme on this subject, but will listen in anyway.
ReplyDeleteIts all academic as none of the main parties will ever give us the chance to get out now that Dave has reneged.
ReplyDeleteWe would unquestionably do better if we were out of the EU. We would have the novel experience of MP's actually drafting our laws. At the present time it is like we are back to Norman England where the main event is overseas and our leaders just use us as tax cow.
I never thought that I would have to fight for my county's independence. Do you think Mel Gibson could help us out?
Simon Hix presumeably forgot to mention that Britain's leaving the EU would immediately compel EUFA to expel all the British club and national sides from their competitions.
ReplyDeleteWhat an ass.
YES PLEASE! Lets leave the EU! Lets tear up the human rights conventions as well! We could bring back the death penality. Though i would prefer if they do shooting to the hangman! Gordon Brown would be the first to get the shot in the head for high treason! We could also send all the immigrants back as well!
ReplyDeleteThis country has been ruined by Labour, utterley ruined - I feel a stranger in my own country when groups of men from the middle east, Africa, asia and the like are in gangs speaking in foriegn languages and displaying hostile body language to those of us who have heritage that goes back hundreds if not thousands of years in this country.
Labour want the immigrants here, then they should be repatriated with the immigrants.
The cuisine comment was laughable by one europhile - You can still eat cheese pasta or curry. The point is we may choose to eat these foods but it does not mean we want the populations of those countries moving here. You can go on holiday if you want to experience different cultures - they dont have to be brought here and thrust on those unwilling to accept them.
Likewise the cheap airfares idea and 'letting' competitors have a competitive advantage is nonsense. As a soveriegn nation we would dictate the market not the EU.
What if Iain joined UKIP?
ReplyDeleteI'd gladly swap French Wines and Italian cheeses for proper parliamentary accountability, for this country not being part of the highly questionable European Arrest Warrant system and doing away with a myriad other "wonderful" things being part of a European super state that is modelled on the old Soviet Bloc brings us.
ReplyDeleteWealth and an entirely united Conservative Party. I am sure if we make a success of it other countries from the eastern block would want to join us in a new EFTA and leave the French to play at Napoleon and the Germans to feel guilty.
ReplyDeleteWhile this question is interesting, it presupposes that the UK may be willing to leave of its own accord.
ReplyDeleteThe UK is under threat of being kicked out of the EU, or at least have its membership of the EU suspended, on the grounds that the UK has failed to honour its obligations to abide by the Convention and ECtHR decisions.
I'd rather have my £2000 and sovereignty back than have cheap flights and european food.
ReplyDeleteWhat a ridiculous argument Mr Hix has. "Leave the EU and we lose French wines from our shelves"... Rrrrrrrrright, because I bet it's impossible to get French wines in, say, Switzerland. Or Norway. Or any of the other countries in the world that aren't one of the 27 EU member states. What a prat.
ReplyDeleteIf we left the EU it would collapse,and take President rumpy pumpy with it, and a good thing to lets do it
ReplyDeleteI would consider myself a 'europhile', but I have to admit it does seem as if the EU needs us more than we need it.
ReplyDeleteI think Lord Pearson is probably right. They would be delighted to get rid of us.
ReplyDeleteThen, over the next few months would think: "If only we'd been nicer and more understanding to the British. We do so miss their wise counsel, their wit and... their money."
@Jimmy 1:58PM
ReplyDeleteEU regs only apply in Norway to companies trading with the EU. Domestic trade is not affected, unlike the UK, in which ALL trade is regulated.
Think about the significance of that. An entity doing that is not a trading block but a State-in-waiting.
Oh yeh, we're in danger of being kicked out - LOL. Not as if we don't pay in billions to help French and Spanish farmers destory perfectly good food or anything is it?
ReplyDelete