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The influence of the EU on Britain.

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  • Balance, you say, @Stonemuse? On the one hand you post the fact free rant of a right wing extremist who is paid to gratuitously peddle his own personal bucket of hate, and "balance" it with a modest paragraph pointing out factual contradictions of elected politicians. Yep, balance, according to the authoritarian right wing playbook. Good work, fella, undone all that confusing touchy-feely "closer to each other than we might think" guff that you were coming out with last week.

    :wink:

    BTW (while of course you only cut and pasted it ) any British citizen who uses the ridiculous phrase "virtue signalling" should be summarily deported to Des Moines, Iowa. It's bad enough having people on this thread completely misusing the phrase "neo-liberal" (itself another American linguistic perversion)

    Right, as you were...

    Well, I didn’t expect it to be you reacting like that. I had my bet on two or three others who normally can’t stop themselves getting riled up.

    Did you not see the :wink: ?
  • I did. Didn't you see mine?
  • I did. Didn't you see mine?

    Just wished you had waited until the nutters had posted ... destroyed my fun now :wink:
  • stonemuse said:

    There will be an election by the end of the Spring and that will ultimately decide our future on Europe.

    I still can’t see it. Polls and electorate are too volatile and the Tories could very easily lose. Parties in power don’t elect to lose power. I’m also not sure that either of the two parties are so far apart as to make the future of Brexit so black or white based on the outcome.

    In order for that to happen there needs to be a seismic shift in Labour policy that gives voters a real and clear alternative to what is currently being offered by the Tories.

    Does it really need to be a seismic shift or simply an evolution into a Norway + CU stance? It appears that Labour are about to announce their commitment to a Customs Union in time for a vote on the issue.

    At the same time May is looking to make a speech talking of divergence in certain areas over time. Commentators suggest that the EU27 see this as yet another cake proposition. And this will result in a Canada deal offer from the EU.

    So over a period of weeks or months we might see a Blue Party proposition of Canada vs the Red Party supporting Norway.

    As posted before the Norway option has the support of a large part of the electorate compared to the Alt-right with 20-30% supporting a leave everything approach.

    Please note that the Labour leadership stance on the single market is less clear and is a far more complex proposition than a simple binary question around the Customs Union. For it involves the four freedoms and the ECJ.

    Then again the single market does support passporting for financial services and access to the EU which might equate to an additional 0.5% growth of GDP every year.

    Let us be very clear that the Brexit media are going to get very noisy when they realise that their revolution is failing. And they will be looking for scapegoats for their defeat. And what they will call the defeat of "the will of the people".

    So Labour policy shifts will be designed to maintain support and standing in the polls. This as well as matching the evolution of the discussions with the EU27.

    What the above assumes is that those 30% who want to abort the process altogether will align with Starmer, Corbyn and McDonnell. That is perhaps a separate discussion to be addressed once we have clarity?
    Comments in the New Statesman and elsewhere that there maybe a swell of opinion against this in the Labour Party unless it can encompass tariff-free trade (which I have been espousing from day one).

    However, real tariff-free trade is, currently, incompatible with CU membership so I will watch this with interest.
    The BBC story onthe subject uses the wording "a customs union" rather than "the customs union". It further expands the point, labour believe a new treaty that encompasses the major advantages of the CU can be negotiated. The article seemed to hint labour were ready to commit to the SM as well.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43186005
    Perhaps some wish to debate the detail but that is not my perception of the appetite of the electorate.

    In hindsight a cleaner process would been to place these binary options such as CU and SM on the ballot paper. Instead we had a narrow leave vote followed by "Brexit means Brexit" and "leave means leave". That nationalists and the alt-right have chosen their own interpretation with such vehemance and intolerance came as a surprise.

    All the more reason for Parliament to "take back control". It appears that March might see resolution or at least finer definition on the Customs Union options.

    Had to laugh at this contribution from IDS as he warned would be Tory rebels not to side with Labour: "be very careful on this one because you are being invited into a Labour Party tactical game which will actually end up in real damage to the United Kingdom"

  • edited February 2018
    ( @stonemuse ) You wouldn't know, but number 4 in his list is a bit near the mark for me, family wise. My brother could have written it, and he thinks of me as one of those being described. His words to me were "you got a slap in the face" and it was only my guess that he meant "you" plural, that stopped him getting a bigger one back. The problem with his view is that we are brothers, from the same modest Eltham family, whose parents were absolutely even-handed in the support they gave all three of us to get on in life. Liberal elite family, we are not. My brother made his calls in life, yet is unwilling to own them.

    The author I suspect probably comes from a far more "elite" background, however I have an unsupported theory that most prominent Brexiteers suffer from acute piles, or don't get laid enough (which would explain why so many of them seem to get tangled up with Russian women). Certainly they have a deep well of hatred which cannot be explained simply by a principled objection to the abolition of roaming charges.
  • stonemuse said:

    There will be an election by the end of the Spring and that will ultimately decide our future on Europe.

    I still can’t see it. Polls and electorate are too volatile and the Tories could very easily lose. Parties in power don’t elect to lose power. I’m also not sure that either of the two parties are so far apart as to make the future of Brexit so black or white based on the outcome.

    In order for that to happen there needs to be a seismic shift in Labour policy that gives voters a real and clear alternative to what is currently being offered by the Tories.

    Does it really need to be a seismic shift or simply an evolution into a Norway + CU stance? It appears that Labour are about to announce their commitment to a Customs Union in time for a vote on the issue.

    At the same time May is looking to make a speech talking of divergence in certain areas over time. Commentators suggest that the EU27 see this as yet another cake proposition. And this will result in a Canada deal offer from the EU.

    So over a period of weeks or months we might see a Blue Party proposition of Canada vs the Red Party supporting Norway.

    As posted before the Norway option has the support of a large part of the electorate compared to the Alt-right with 20-30% supporting a leave everything approach.

    Please note that the Labour leadership stance on the single market is less clear and is a far more complex proposition than a simple binary question around the Customs Union. For it involves the four freedoms and the ECJ.

    Then again the single market does support passporting for financial services and access to the EU which might equate to an additional 0.5% growth of GDP every year.

    Let us be very clear that the Brexit media are going to get very noisy when they realise that their revolution is failing. And they will be looking for scapegoats for their defeat. And what they will call the defeat of "the will of the people".

    So Labour policy shifts will be designed to maintain support and standing in the polls. This as well as matching the evolution of the discussions with the EU27.

    What the above assumes is that those 30% who want to abort the process altogether will align with Starmer, Corbyn and McDonnell. That is perhaps a separate discussion to be addressed once we have clarity?
    Comments in the New Statesman and elsewhere that there maybe a swell of opinion against this in the Labour Party unless it can encompass tariff-free trade (which I have been espousing from day one).

    However, real tariff-free trade is, currently, incompatible with CU membership so I will watch this with interest.
    The BBC story onthe subject uses the wording "a customs union" rather than "the customs union". It further expands the point, labour believe a new treaty that encompasses the major advantages of the CU can be negotiated. The article seemed to hint labour were ready to commit to the SM as well.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43186005
    Perhaps some wish to debate the detail but that is not my perception of the appetite of the electorate.

    In hindsight a cleaner process would been to place these binary options such as CU and SM on the ballot paper. Instead we had a narrow leave vote followed by "Brexit means Brexit" and "leave means leave". That nationalists and the alt-right have chosen their own interpretation with such vehemance and intolerance came as a surprise.

    All the more reason for Parliament to "take back control". It appears that March might see resolution or at least finer definition on the Customs Union options.

    Had to laugh at this contribution from IDS as he warned would be Tory rebels not to side with Labour: "be very careful on this one because you are being invited into a Labour Party tactical game which will actually end up in real damage to the United Kingdom"

    IDS invokes the United Kingdom does he?
    The United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland which may be very inconvenient to him, as it seems to be to all brexiters.
    IDS you wish to destroy the Union, have you told your mates in the DUP yet?
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  • About the author, as they say...

    James Mark Court Delingpole (born 6 August 1965) is a writer, journalist, and columnist who has written for a number of publications, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. He is executive editor for the London branch of the Breitbart News Network,[1][2] and has published several novels and four political books. He describes himself as a libertarian conservative,[3] and has been described as a "prominent voice of the right".[4] He has published articles expressing his belief in the non-existence of significant anthropogenic global warming and his opposition to wind power.[5][6]
  • @PragueAddick I was searching for something else and came across this from a Czech writer, so thought you may be interested.

    Worth a read to understand his perspective.

    https://reaction.life/brexit-eu-elites-fault/
  • About the author, as they say...

    James Mark Court Delingpole (born 6 August 1965) is a writer, journalist, and columnist who has written for a number of publications, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. He is executive editor for the London branch of the Breitbart News Network,[1][2] and has published several novels and four political books. He describes himself as a libertarian conservative,[3] and has been described as a "prominent voice of the right".[4] He has published articles expressing his belief in the non-existence of significant anthropogenic global warming and his opposition to wind power.[5][6]

    That’s it, attack the author but ignore his comments :wink:
  • Fiiish said:

    You wouldn't know, but number 4 in his list is a bit near the mark for me, family wise. My brother could have written it, and he thinks of me as one of those being described. His words to me were "you got a slap in the face" and it was only my guess that he meant "you" plural, that stopped him getting a bigger one back. The problem with his view is that we are brothers, from the same modest Eltham family, whose parents were absolutely even-handed in the support they gave all three of us to get on in life. Liberal elite family, we are not. My brother made his calls in life, yet is unwilling to own them.

    The author I suspect probably comes from a far more "elite" background, however I have an unsupported theory that most prominent Brexiteers suffer from acute piles, or don't get laid enough (which would explain why so many of them seem to get tangled up with Russian women). Certainly they have a deep well of hatred which cannot be explained simply by a principled objection to the abolition of roaming charges.

    Sounds much like the Leave voters I know in real life. Upset and bitter at some invisible injustice, despite being well off in comparison to most other people. Some sense of entitlement that although life is good it should be better and it is someone else's fault. Not a person you would call xenophobic or racist but if they were in a crowded waiting room at the hospital or couldn't get a seat on a train they'd be looking at all the non-British looking people and thinking that they, as a white born and bred Briton, should get preferential treatment/service just by the accident of his birth. Completely unaware of their own privilege. And the only reason why they think the EU is the cause of their non-problems is due to a constant 30 year barrage of negative EU headlines. They don't read the Daily Mail or Express but every day they walk past a newsstand where the most prominent headlines in capitals are "EU'S FAULT".
    I take exception to your portrayal of brexiteers as having two legs and walking every day.

  • In interesting debate about what sort of deal we want from the E.U.
    Silly Boris Johnson argued that we could “have our cake and eat it” and having to respect the four pillars of the E.U. to get access to the free market is “Bollocks”, has been rejected.
    Liam Fox’s “it will be the quickest trade deal ever negotiated” treated with ridicule.
    Mrs May offering the E.U. £20 billion to settle our account and then backtracking and offering £40 billion despite Boris Johnson saying “They can go and whistle for a large payment”.
    The government seem unable to present a negotiating position for our relationship after Brexit.
    Mrs May is not only burdened by the divisions within her own party but the reality of the E.U. holding most if not all of the aces in the negotiation’s.
    A Norway or Canada type deal has already been rejected.
    Norway has to be part of the Schengen free movement area and has to pay more per. Capita than us to trade freely with the E.U. all of which would be unacceptable.

    So where does that leave the U.K.
    Last week the Brexit cabinet met to thrash out a united approach.
    It was reported that agreement was reached cherry picking bits of the E.U. that we liked and diverging from bits we didn’t like.
    Donald Tusk and the Irish P.M. quickly rejected the idea, Tusk saying the idea was “Pure illusion”.
    What was interesting he went on to say that the E.U. are going to meet in March to discuss their future relationship with the U.K.
    I wonder if the government unable to present a formula that will be acceptable parliament and the E.U., will wait for a suggested outcome from the March E.U. meeting.
    Remembering the reported conversation between Mrs Merkel and Mrs May.
    Merkel – “What relationship do you want with the E.U. after Brexit”.
    May – “Make me an offer”.
    Merkel – repeats apparently slightly confused “What relationship do you want with the E.U. after Brexit”
    May – repeats –“Make me an offer”.
    Food for thought.

  • About the author, as they say...

    James Mark Court Delingpole (born 6 August 1965) is a writer, journalist, and columnist who has written for a number of publications, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. He is executive editor for the London branch of the Breitbart News Network,[1][2] and has published several novels and four political books. He describes himself as a libertarian conservative,[3] and has been described as a "prominent voice of the right".[4] He has published articles expressing his belief in the non-existence of significant anthropogenic global warming and his opposition to wind power.[5][6]

    Is there any chance that he got his fifteen year old to write the Spectator article for him? He was probably a bit hungover or wanted to watch the rugby or something so got one of his kids to cover.

    It would explain a lot and who would blame him, wouldn't we all get our kids to cover our work occasionally if we could get away with it too?
  • stonemuse said:

    @PragueAddick I was searching for something else and came across this from a Czech writer, so thought you may be interested.

    Worth a read to understand his perspective.

    https://reaction.life/brexit-eu-elites-fault/

    Thanks for that, I enjoyed reading it. It would be a fairly common Czech view, although I would caution that generally the Czech view is not typical of CEE.
    As a Czech of course he is amazed that he can hear so many East European languages on the London tube, because Czechs have never experienced multi-cultural life. The only foreign language they heard regularly was Russian, and there wasn't anything good associated with that. Indeed my wife still bristles the moment she hears Russian spoken in Prague.
    He is right to suggest that such a sudden influx might cause strains in the system. But you note that he does not provide any suggestions as to how this could have been managed in a way that would not have prevented he himself from coming to London. That's someone else's problem, the politicians, the "bosses". For too many Czechs, democracy means the right to complain about anything and everything, without being locked up. Not enough of them understand that democracy is also about being active in seeking and building political solutions which create a better functioning society. But that takes time and they are getting there.

    It's my slight misfortune to live in the most Eurosceptic country in the EU27, but I can at least be grateful for the unfolding chaos of Brexit, for causing an increasing number of Czechs to look at it and say "oh, hang on a minute..."

  • More on Delingpole....

    Delingpole has described himself "as a member of probably the most discriminated-against subsection in the whole of British society—the white, middle-aged, public-school-and-Oxbridge educated middle-class male."[36]

    In other words, metropolitan elite, just not "liberal". There's an awful lot of them, and I would love to hear how they are "discriminated against". I think he means that sometimes something has been organised to happen not quite exactly in the way that maximises his own personal benefit.
  • stonemuse said:

    @PragueAddick I was searching for something else and came across this from a Czech writer, so thought you may be interested.

    Worth a read to understand his perspective.

    https://reaction.life/brexit-eu-elites-fault/

    Thanks for that, I enjoyed reading it. It would be a fairly common Czech view, although I would caution that generally the Czech view is not typical of CEE.
    As a Czech of course he is amazed that he can hear so many East European languages on the London tube, because Czechs have never experienced multi-cultural life. The only foreign language they heard regularly was Russian, and there wasn't anything good associated with that. Indeed my wife still bristles the moment she hears Russian spoken in Prague.
    He is right to suggest that such a sudden influx might cause strains in the system. But you note that he does not provide any suggestions as to how this could have been managed in a way that would not have prevented he himself from coming to London. That's someone else's problem, the politicians, the "bosses". For too many Czechs, democracy means the right to complain about anything and everything, without being locked up. Not enough of them understand that democracy is also about being active in seeking and building political solutions which create a better functioning society. But that takes time and they are getting there.

    It's my slight misfortune to live in the most Eurosceptic country in the EU27, but I can at least be grateful for the unfolding chaos of Brexit, for causing an increasing number of Czechs to look at it and say "oh, hang on a minute..."

    I think they have a right to be though.

    Germany annexing the Sudetenland.
    Britain and France allowing this to happen to appease Hitler.
    Germany then taking the rest of Czechoslovakia.
    Britain and France letting this happen.
    Czech military coming to Britain to help fight the Nazi's in their thousands.
    Russia refusing to leave after WW2.
    Western Europe letting this happen.
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  • More on Delingpole....

    Delingpole has described himself "as a member of probably the most discriminated-against subsection in the whole of British society—the white, middle-aged, public-school-and-Oxbridge educated middle-class male."[36]

    In other words, metropolitan elite, just not "liberal". There's an awful lot of them, and I would love to hear how they are "discriminated against". I think he means that sometimes something has been organised to happen not quite exactly in the way that maximises his own personal benefit.

    Mmm he wants to try growing up in a cold flat in a run-down council estate in Charlton.


    Incidentally, you are totally ruining the fun I was trying to have with that post. Not one nutter has even bothered to post now! Thanks a bunch.
  • About the author, as they say...

    James Mark Court Delingpole (born 6 August 1965) is a writer, journalist, and columnist who has written for a number of publications, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. He is executive editor for the London branch of the Breitbart News Network,[1][2] and has published several novels and four political books. He describes himself as a libertarian conservative,[3] and has been described as a "prominent voice of the right".[4] He has published articles expressing his belief in the non-existence of significant anthropogenic global warming and his opposition to wind power.[5][6]

    Surprised he hasn’t had a gig on LBC yet :smile:
  • About the author, as they say...

    James Mark Court Delingpole (born 6 August 1965) is a writer, journalist, and columnist who has written for a number of publications, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. He is executive editor for the London branch of the Breitbart News Network,[1][2] and has published several novels and four political books. He describes himself as a libertarian conservative,[3] and has been described as a "prominent voice of the right".[4] He has published articles expressing his belief in the non-existence of significant anthropogenic global warming and his opposition to wind power.[5][6]

    Is there any chance that he got his fifteen year old to write the Spectator article for him? He was probably a bit hungover or wanted to watch the rugby or something so got one of his kids to cover.

    It would explain a lot and who would blame him, wouldn't we all get our kids to cover our work occasionally if we could get away with it too?
    Talking of rugby. Noticed a few of our prominent Brexiters getting a bit hot under the collar on the 6 Nations thread yesterday :smiley:
  • Chaz Hill said:

    About the author, as they say...

    James Mark Court Delingpole (born 6 August 1965) is a writer, journalist, and columnist who has written for a number of publications, including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. He is executive editor for the London branch of the Breitbart News Network,[1][2] and has published several novels and four political books. He describes himself as a libertarian conservative,[3] and has been described as a "prominent voice of the right".[4] He has published articles expressing his belief in the non-existence of significant anthropogenic global warming and his opposition to wind power.[5][6]

    Is there any chance that he got his fifteen year old to write the Spectator article for him? He was probably a bit hungover or wanted to watch the rugby or something so got one of his kids to cover.

    It would explain a lot and who would blame him, wouldn't we all get our kids to cover our work occasionally if we could get away with it too?
    Talking of rugby. Noticed a few of our prominent Brexiters getting a bit hot under the collar on the 6 Nations thread yesterday :smiley:
    Off topic but I tried watching the second half of the rugby yesterday, Christ it is boring isn't it!
  • edited February 2018
    Meanwhile, outside the narrow confines of a South London football team forum, it might be worth remembering the post vote headlines, such as this from the Mirror. (Consistent Labour since 1945)

    Labour heartlands give huge backing to Brexit as the North votes to Leave


    Labour is facing an extraordinary meltdown in its traditional heartlands as working-class areas voted 'Leave' in their droves.

    Despite the party leadership and almost every Labour MP campaigning for Remain, traditional Labour areas ignored their pleas and voted to pull Britain out of the EU.

    The results have piled huge pressure on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with many MPs blaming him for a lacklustre campaign and for failing to connect with working class voters.

    The Remain vote faced its most crushing defeat in Labour strongholds across the North East.

    The disastrous results saw Labour collapse into in-fighting, with shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant saying he felt like "punching" former leader Ed Miliband when he appeared on TV.

    Others turned their fire on to the new Labour leader Mr Corbyn, who could not face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks.

    “I think the leadership of the party – Jeremy primarily – struggles to communicate with our people in the north," he said.

    “Many of them think he's a very principled person but don't believe what he has to say. They don't listen to him.

    “If your core vote aren't listening then you're not going to win a future general election.
  • Rugby might be even worse than James Delingpole
  • edited February 2018

    Meanwhile, outside the narrow confines of a South London football team forum, it might be worth remembering the post vote headlines, such as this from the Mirror. (Consistent Labour since 1945)

    Labour heartlands give huge backing to Brexit as the North votes to Leave


    Labour is facing an extraordinary meltdown in its traditional heartlands as working-class areas voted 'Leave' in their droves.

    Despite the party leadership and almost every Labour MP campaigning for Remain, traditional Labour areas ignored their pleas and voted to pull Britain out of the EU.

    The results have piled huge pressure on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with many MPs blaming him for a lacklustre campaign and for failing to connect with working class voters.

    The Remain vote faced its most crushing defeat in Labour strongholds across the North East.

    The disastrous results saw Labour collapse into in-fighting, with shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant saying he felt like "punching" former leader Ed Miliband when he appeared on TV.

    Others turned their fire on to the new Labour leader Mr Corbyn, who could not face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks.

    “I think the leadership of the party – Jeremy primarily – struggles to communicate with our people in the north," he said.

    “Many of them think he's a very principled person but don't believe what he has to say. They don't listen to him.

    “If your core vote aren't listening then you're not going to win a future general election.

    I am not in charge of Labour. But my instinct would be to say to brexiters in my traditional working class heartland to vote for pro Brexit people if they want and take the hit.
    More honest than contorting to please.
  • They can go vote Tory. They've done such a wonderful job looking after anyone not in the South East before.
  • People really citing that Coke Head Dellingpole?
This discussion has been closed.

Roland Out Forever!