Why Does Ed Not Want The Public To Decide On The Eu?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015
Apparently he's going to attack Tory EU referendum plans.

[New Judge]

I think what ron is suggesting, Mikey, is that we continue to trade with EU nations (as many, many non-EU nations do at the moment) but are not regulated by it (as many, many non-EU nations are not at the moment).

Non-EU nations have "associations" with the EU (i.e. they conduct trade and have agreements between them) but they are not over regulated by a moribund and corrupt organisation.

[Hypognosis]

@Mikey

No, for your analogy to correctly match the UK's situation, we would have to belong to a club whose rules extended through our front door and governed how we lived our lives, in the privacy of our own home.


Quiz bonus:
Name a down-to-earth car brand which isn't basically VW running gear under a slightly differently shaped bodyshell, or a 'British' manufacturer which isn't, in essence, German owned and expatriating most of its profits?

[ToraToraTora]

why must we be ruled by the EU, what's wrong with what we actually voted for in 1974? Cooperation and trading? why is that so abhorrant to the EUphiles? Gromit trots out the time table time and again and yes those are the facts but no one ever answers the above question.

[Hypognosis]

Sticking with the motoring theme, I recall Jez Clarkson extolling the virtues of Spain's (largely empty, in the 90s) recently improved road network, which he reckoned our EU contributions had subsidised. Perfect for French and German manufacturers to ship goods to distant parts of Spain, probably bought with all the money visiting Brits had spent on their holidays.

He also reckons that the former eastern bloc countries have appalling dirt track roads and the German and French trucks are really struggling to do their round trips, so it will be a high priority spend for the money they ponce off us.

Luckily, our main product lines - banking, financial services - do not require road shipment, so the state of eastern European roads is academic for our future economic success.

…unless you know different(ly)?

[lindapalmara]

Never thought of it that way Hypo!

[lindapalmara]

TTT I haven't seen Gromits timetable before today (I'm a relative newcomer!) I painstakingly tried to answer the points but I bet many people have already done so. He'll be telling us next that Thatcher closed all the coal mines!!!

[tonyav]

Because if the public vote to leave the EU there will be no gravy train jobs for as been politicians.

[Hypognosis]

Mmmm, graaaaavvvvvyyyyy.

/Homer Simpson

[baza]

I heard on the radio that warmonger T.B. is back spouting about how everything will go pear shaped when we leave the EU.
If we did get a vote and the answer was leave would the likes of the Kinnock family have to give up their EU. pensions.

[mikey4444]

Hypognosis

Volvo
Toyota
Nissan
etc, etc.

To name but three in the first part of your question !

Morgan, for the second part of your question.

But I am unsure what this has to do the EU ?

Nissan currently employ 1000's of happy North East workers, keeping them off the dole. Honda does the same in Swindon, keeping 1000's off the dole there. But again, not sure what this has to do with EC and our membership thereof.

And what does it matter if motoring companies make bits for other motor companies ?

I am not following your logic here.

[tonyav]

Yep, he's back, baza.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tony-blair-criticises-cameron-over-europe/ar-AAaxhfY

[Gromit]

Linda,
Congratulations on being in the pro-Euro camp, I had no idea.

[Gromit]

New Judge and others,

The EEC became the EU in 1993. Again we were steamrollered in by the Tories without asking the British public.

[mikey4444]

Very interesting article from the BBC's Political Editor, Nick Robinson :::

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32210854

Now, there are a minority on AB that discard anything the BBC says as "Leftie"and therefore not be trusted. But for the preceptive amongst us, anything that Nick Robinson says should be taken very seriously indeed.

[ToraToraTora]

"The EEC became the EU in 1993. Again we were steamrollered in by the Tories without asking the British public. " - welcome to the Eurosceptic side gromit. Yes sadly it is the tories that have mired us in this but i am certain that if they'd been in power Labour would have too.

[Hypognosis]

@Mikey

//Volvo //

Shame on me, I will have to google to remind myself whether or not Sweden is in the EU. It's Norway that is not in, isn't it?

//Toyota
Nissan //

Their profits are also heading out of the EU's finance pool. Maybe it is Japan that is investing some of that loot back into the EE zone?

//Morgan, for the second part of your question. //

Why do you think I specified "down-to-earth" cars? Might it have been specifically to rule out the wooden wonder with the 14-year waiting list?
Heh heh. ;)

//But I am unsure what this has to do the EU ? //

Trade agrerment is okay, say the Eurosceptics. I was playing the part of the scoffer, who says unhelpful things like "what do we actually make that other europeans want to buy?" (seeing as we seem to like German, Spanish, Japanese cars and can't make our own without the profits going to a parent company elsewhere. Was it the unions who wrecked things or was it the designers and inefficient management practices?)

//Nissan currently employ 1000's of happy North East workers, keeping them off the dole. //

Hooray!!

//Honda does the same in Swindon, keeping 1000's off the dole there. //

Hooray!!

When does their special tax-break run out?


//But again, not sure what this has to do with EC and our membership thereof. //

Again, what do we make… that Europe wants to buy… and can't make their own versions of… which we will be stopped from selling, should we opt to cecede from the USofE?

//And what does it matter if motoring companies make bits for other motor companies ? //

Lucas: The Prince of Darkness? (boom, boom!)

//I am not following your logic here.//

I'm sorry to hear that.