Current Politics in the United Kingdom

[Devius]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday that while Europe’s economy is strengthening, Brexit could cause prolonged policy and economic uncertainty for both the UK and the European Union.

The IMF’s latest regional economic outlook said there would be “significant negative impact on economic activity” if no deal is reached, with a notable increase in trade barriers, potentially accompanied by disruption of services in various sectors.

The report, which looks at more than 40 countries, said the European recovery is spilling over to the rest of the world, contributing significantly to global growth.

In the euro area, growth has been revised up to 2.1 per cent for 2017, from 1.7 per cent in the April report, and to 1.9 per cent for 2018 from 1.6 per cent in April.

In contrast, growth in the United Kingdom is projected to slow to 1.7 per cent in 2017 and 1.5 per cent in 2018, as Brexit weighs on growth.

Details:
http://www.cityam.com/275656/imf-has...growth-both-uk

[G-Type]

Originally Posted by palo5

Very bad argument, imho. It's true you joined a common market, but every evolution since then has been supported by your government, and you know that. When they didn't like it, they got "opt-outs". You know that too. You also got a rebate, which means you don't pay as much to the EU as you should, and almost never have

"Every aspect of our lives" and "faceless Eurocrats" is a brainless fallacy for unenquiring minds. The EU does not dictate your foreign policy, tax policy, immigration policy, police policy, defense policy etc etc. It even allows your corrupt financial sector to ruin economies. So what are your problems? That they tell you, that you have to adhere to food quality standards, that you need hygiene in food production, that you need to be in line with technical developments in your legislation?

Give me a break, please. They're only telling you what you should know anyway

As for "faceless Eurocrats" you can look them up on the web. Almost no one in the EU knows who your representatives are either, but it doesn't mean their input is hated

Bravo

Besides some very sound arguments already being shared in this thread, this is perhaps the best description of the situation present and past.

It gives me some sort of relief that it comes from a "Non-EU"-member who has an un-biased view on things.

O.K., letting Mr. Putin aside...
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[palo5]

Originally Posted by seany65

Quote:
Comrade Palo5-ski, What I think wendigo is actually alluding to is...

Thanks, but I knew what he was going to say before he said it. Euro-politically, we are complete opposites. And of course, he thinks Britain is democratic and can do nothing wrong, and I have never thought they're democratic and know they do wrong

The 'power' that the EU has now is miniscule compared to the power they want. Why else would they want a single integrated European army?...

Well, that's an interesting about-face. One minute they interfere with "every aspect of your lives" and now their power is miniscule

But the question of a European army is easy to answer: they want to disconnect from Nato, which core-members see is a US foreign policy tool. They're right about that

Why else does the EU prevent any EU member making it's own trade deals with other countries? Is it really just to be sure that safety standards are maintained?

No, it's because we make deals collectively and want ALL standards to be maintained. Really, it's not hard to understand. If we allow individual states to make trade deals, and individual states can import what they like and also export what they like to other Members, then we have no valid standards

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by palo5

Thanks, but I knew what he was going to say before he said it. Euro-politically, we are complete opposites. And of course, he thinks Britain is democratic and can do nothing wrong, and I have never thought they're democratic and know they do wrong

Er, not quite comrade and let's be honest you know it is is total utter red-tinted bollocks.

I have stated many times in many threads, where you have gone off on this now tired and worn out Anti-British crusade of yours, that I do not and have never believed the old "my country, wrong or right" adage but you cannot seem to grasp that as it does not fit in with your Kremlin fed propaganda.

So let me say once more to see if it will finally sink in, yes Britain as a country (regardless of whatever political party at the time) has done plenty bad things in the past as has every country. However it has also done lots of great things we should be proud of. I will accept even Russia has probably done some good things, although I cannot be arsed Googling it

You have your view of our democracy, but as a Brit if I had to look at taking advice from a Russian national on democracy, well let's just leave it with a few more shall we

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by Wendigo

I will accept even Russia has probably done some good things, although I cannot be arsed Googling it

Periodic table of the elements was thought up by a Russki - that's all I can think of without Googling.

Anyway I'm off to France in the morning - no doubt les grenouilles will be warming my ears about Brexit.

[G-Type]

Originally Posted by palo5

...
But the question of a European army is easy to answer: they want to disconnect from Nato, which core-members see is a US foreign policy tool. They're right about that
...

In this particular case, I need to contradict

The European Army is not intended to make NATO obsolete - it is merely a military project/alliance to intervene (locally) where a NATO-mandate could not be set up.

Two different things that have nothing to do with each other
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[Roger Allott]

I've got to agree with Mr G there. NATO does not insist on exclusivity. Its members can form political / military alliances with whomsoever they like, with the obvious proviso that such relationships must not compromise the security of NATO itself or its other members.

NATO is the sort of multi-party relationship of friends that I think many Britons would have liked the EU to have become, but in the area of commerce instead of security. Indeed, I think it would be a popular template across much of Europe, such as France, Italy, Austria, etc.

For example, if France wants to set up a special import relationship with Switzerland over the trade in cuckoo clocks, why the heck shouldn't they? Why should such relationships ONLY be negotiable by the EU?

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[seany65]

Quote (posted by seany65)

The 'power' that the EU has now is miniscule compared to the power they want. Why else would they want a single integrated European army?...

Quote (posted by comrade Palo5-ski.)

Well, that's an interesting about-face. One minute they interfere with "every aspect of your lives" and now their power is miniscule

But the question of a European army is easy to answer: they want to disconnect from Nato, which core-members see is a US foreign policy tool. They're right about that

Posted by seany65

It is not an 'about face', it's a statement of what I believe to be true, that the power the EU has now (which is not as much as UKIP etc. say it is) is miniscule compared to the amount of power that the EU leaders want, and is miniscule compared to the amount of power the EU was always meant to get.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by palo5

No, it's because we make deals collectively and want ALL standards to be maintained. Really, it's not hard to understand. If we allow individual states to make trade deals, and individual states can import what they like and also export what they like to other Members, then we have no valid standards

Whose place is it to grant or refuse permission to my country to trade with other nations?

[palo5]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Whose place is it to grant or refuse permission to my country to trade with other nations?

No one grants or refuses you permission to trade with other nations, unless there are sanctions of some kind

But for as long as you're in the EU, they set the terms by which Members trade. It's about trade deals, not about who you trade with

Btw, a single trade deal typically take many years to agree, and that's when you have professional negotiators who've been doing it for 40+ years