Would coming out of the EU be so disastrous?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....tion-for-Britain.html

It seems that Norway is getting on fine by just being in the European Economic Area, so why not us?

[jno]

Norway is often cited as a perfect example of how to leave the EU, yet still thrive.

Only by people who don't know what they're talking about. Norway did not leave the EU, it never joined.

The one country that has left the EU is Greenland. How are they doing?

[anotheoldgit]

jno

/// Norway is often cited as a perfect example of how to leave the EU, yet still thrive. ///

It is not saying that Norway was once a member of the EU.

It is how you read it, what it is saying is that Norway is a perfect example of how a country wanting to leave the EU, can still thrive.

[bazwillrun]

We would be fine if we got out of the EU.
They need us far more than we need them.
if you can be bothered do some research into imports and exports between us and the EU bloc and then you will see how much they need us.

We survived before the EU we can certainly survive without it.
Once out then we can make sure we start to regain control of our country and its future, at the moment we do not have full control, and we are giving more power to brussells by the day, which is exactly what they want until they can get total control and we are absorbed into the eussr.

[MoonRocker]

leaving the EU would be a massive boost to Britain. We'd have the best of both worlds, trading and cooperation would continue, it would cost us a billion a month to get shafted by foriegners, can't see any down side myself.

[Zeuhl]

/// Norway is often cited as a perfect example of how to leave the EU, yet still thrive. ///

<<<It is not saying that Norway was once a member of the EU.>>

Actually, yes it is.

Poor writing by Harriet Alexander of The Telegraph - you can't be an 'example' of some action if you've not done it;

Something like this would have been better;

<As Norway has never been in the EU, it is often cited as a good indicator of how to leave the EU, yet still thrive>

Why can't journalists use English accurately? Don't they ever read and think about what they write?

[MoonRocker]

we'd ever leave though because that's where we send our failed politicians to get their snouts i the trough. So where as the people would leave tomorrow the MP's see it as bit of a pension plan.

[Gromit]

Is Norway doing fine?

Norway GDP $483,650 million

United Kingdom GDP $2,417,570 million

Their economy is a fifth of the size of ours. They do not depend on expirting to the EU on anything like the scale we do.

[MoonRocker]

we also import from the EU, do you think that would stop? Business does not care about politics and frontiers.

[mike11111]

It is my fault for being born too early, as I remember the days when we were not in the EU. Should any future Prime Minister have the guts to withdraw us, which I seriously doubt, then will be the time to hang out the bunting left over from the Jubilee. It is only the vain hope that once again I might go down the High Street and enter the Hadrian food store to buy half a pound of Empire cheese that still keeps me alive.

[MoonRocker]

i mean do you think import/export would stop?

[pdq1]

I suppose the politicans would say we are in there so we can add influence to procedings that affect us. A bloody lot of good that has done us!

[New Judge]

Or, to put it another (more meaningful) way, Gromit:

GDP of UK: $2,480bn
Population of UK: 63million
GDP per head: $39,300

GDP of Norway: $480bn
Population of Norway: 4.7million
GDP per head: $102,100

There are lots of other comparisons you can make between the UK and Norway and most of them are in Norway’s favour.

The biggest scare perpetrated by Euro fanatics is that “three million UK jobs depend on the UK’s membership of the EU”. This is disingenuous. Three million people may well be involved in businesses that trade with EU member states. But that trade is not dependent upon the UK’s membership. The trade would still take place and would probably grow once the UK was released from the shackles of EU conformity, regulation and red tape. Trading agreements under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation facilitate trade between states far more effectively than EU Treaties.

The EU is still trading on the idea that it addresses problems that existed sixty years ago. Those problems are different or even non-existant now and the approach it is taking is outdated. The sooner it collapses the better it will be for all concerned (except, perhaps, the Germans).

[mike11111]

Talking of disingenuity, the most disingenuous remark on this subject I ever heard was back in the 70s when the question of entry was still being negotiated. Those who campaigned against entry did so on the grounds of national sovereignty, citing s. 2 of the EEC Act 1972 which gives priority to European legislation over British legislation. The arch-Europhile and arch-traitor Edward Heath commented that it was "nonsense" to talk about loss of sovereignty; we were not surrendering it, he said, merely "pooling" it!

[jake-the-peg]

So from what I see Moonraker and many of you think that we could have all the advantages of being in the EU without paying the membership fees?

If you were members of a club and someone wanted that deal what would you say?

What do you think the Germans and the Dutch and the French and the other countries would say?

"Right Oh - you stay in the trading block without import duties and just don't pay your way any more"

Is that what you think they're going to say?

[mike11111]

I would be more than happy to pay the membership fee if I could think of a single advantage.

[jake-the-peg]

Oh I'll give you a few off the top of my head

Cheap airlines - Remember what happened to Freddie Laker? EU legislation allowed Stellios and friends to run.

Smoking bans in pubs (might be contentious)

yanking in mobile phone providers on roaming costs.

The EU does a ton of work keeping big businesses from ripping us off which is why people like Mudoch and Desmond hate them so much and attack them constantly in their papers

And when they bring in good legislation like the above the Britsh government has a tendency to be rather quiet about it being EU legislation

[New Judge]

"The EU does a ton of work keeping big businesses from ripping us off..."

Er...er...er.

Diesel prices in the UK - the highest in Europe (14% above EU average).

Petrol prices in the UK – fourth highest behind Netherlands, Denmark and Italy (25% above EU average)

(The UK comes out about third or fourth when the effect of excise duties and VAT are stripped out)

Rail fares in the UK – far and away the highest in Europe, up to four times the cost per mile compared to a number of major countries.

I could go on, but the contention is so preposterous that I cannot be bothered.

[Gromit]

Agreed New Judge

Comparing us to Norway is very stupid.

[MoonRocker]

jake, import duties work both ways you know.