Still project fear. Example... "Breaking News!! -Brexit: EU warns UK on freedom of movement. " Since when was that Breaking news... Meanwhile the fact the the FTSE 100 FSTE250 and market has recovered to point that is higher than jan of this year. Pound has also climbed over last two days albeit still down on where it was pre vote but nothing resembling the 10-20% crash predicted. Also German car manufacturers and Donald Tusk, as per headline, are re-iterating no free market without free movement. Of course they are saying that. Negotiations haven't even started. They are playing hardball. BBC is, again using negative reporting to state how tariffs will affect the UK car industry whilst conveniently ignoring the obvious fact we import far more vehicles/parts from Germany than we export to the EU. If they impose tariff we will no doubt do the same and thart will hit teh German car industry at a time when they are still reeling from the emissions scandal. Don't get me wrong, we all know it is going to be a tough hard time but at the same time, it seems to the media that negotiations will fail even before they get started. We need to grow some balls and realize that the EU is in a real mess and safety in numbers does not apply when half the number are a drain on the other half. Furthermore, if anyone needs another confirmation that the European Union is fundamentally the most anti-democratic entity currently in existence, then the following statement by European Parliament President Martin Schultz should put all confusion to rest. Schulz: "The British have violated the rules. It is not the EU philosophy that the crowd can decide its fate".
All fair points to make, TT. But I think there has been a realisation that Brexit is going nowhere fast. By common consent it will take at least two years to negotiate our exit from the time the A 50 button is pressed. But at the moment no-one seems in a hurry to press it any time soon. We want talks before A50, the EU insist it must be the other way round. No surprise there, because it looks like all the power transfers to the EU once the article is activated. So our exit from the EU is not currently even in the near distance. Add to that Boris rowing back from the expectations of Brexiters and you can see why the powers that be might take the view that trade will carry on as normal for a good while yet. The real test will come if Boris or anyone else has the balls to activate the notification procedure. One thing that hasn't recovered is our credit rating, and the reduction in that will affect the costs on our still substantial public borrowing. So I respect your view, but I still think it's the wrong choice. I also think we're a long way off it actually happening.
Yerbut. They have 700+ odd seasoned negotiators and we have about 24. We would be outgunned, outsmarted and annihilated unlike Iceland vs England in the footy who punched above their weight. It's a bit like the phoney war in 1939 before the B of B started which gave us some breathing space to build some Spitfires, Hurricanes and put up defences 'cos we would have lost if Hitler had not hesitated in launching Operation Sea Lion. We need all the time we can gets since neither Brexit or Remain sides - ar*eholes - were prepared for Brexit. take your point about credit ratings although I never understand why those agencies have the credibility they do as they often seem to F*ck up. ....Lehman Bros anyone??
Let me ask you TT, do you think there is any chance whatsoever that we will have single market access without freedom of movement?
Total 100% restriction on freedom of movement with single market access, probably not. But a shift away from the "fundamental founding principal" as they call it - YES, depending on what happens to the EU in the next year or so. Put it another way, does anyone think with the refugee crisis, 0000s of economic migrants on the move and the problems caused by the Freedom of Movement / Schlengen and the fact it is pushing many affected mainland Europe countries' populations toward far right organisations, like the single currency, it is remotely sustainable in its current form? I recently had a dialogue on here with Jam Drop whose' heart is in the right place, but her ideal of absolute free movement to anyone/anytime whether EU or worldwide regardless of personal, regional and national financial constraints/ language difficulties, security issues etc, was, frankly, 'pie in the sky'. In spite of the rhetoric I think the EU are far more exposed economically and ideologically and will ultimately have to give ground and compromise (as will the UK). Every projection of world economies shows the EU single market declining regarding overall GDP in spite of the Tiger economies growth slowing. They do need us to trade as the 5th largest economy . The question is whether we have the strength to resist the threats or simply get steam rollered.
The two are not related....we can trade with the single market , providing the goods meet the standards of the market...but why make them any other way ?...we do that already and all the standards required are in the public domain....but there could be tariffs...which will of course cut both ways...and these are the deals that will have to be made ....for everyone to look at plus and minus on the balance sheets...and decide where the best mutual interests lie. Only free access to the single market requires free movement of people...but some would say we buy that access with our net contribution . It is though less straightforward for financial services.
you ask an interesting question. Not all EU members want freedom of movement. Prime Minister Orban of Hungary is hoping (if the EU allow him) to hold a referendum about Hungary's position re accepting migrants. There is a distinct split occurring between the West countries of the EU and the East countries of the EU with the latter not wanting freedom of movement. it is interesting to note that the countries in the East are unhappy that France and Germany and Netherlands are taking a dominant role in the EU at present. According to the Times the Czech PM is trying to get Jean Clade Juncker (sp) removed! The EU is slowly imploding.
