Cameron obliterates any chance at referendum on the UK's EU membership

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/22/tories-war-europe-sceptics-sober

Quote :

In a high-risk move that could inflame sentiment in the party even further, the prime minister will stick by his insistence on a three-line whip, effectively ordering MPs to reject the referendum motion. Downing Street said the prime minister would take a "dim view" of those who defied him, and indicated they could say goodbye to chances of promotion.

I can't imagine this being received particularly well by his constituency... :shock:

CamOron is ruthlessly anti-conservative.

Sharky wrote:

CamOron is ruthlessly anti-conservative.

Toss the bum then!

The only real chance we have of getting out of the EU is if Blue Labourism takes hold and evolves properly. The right-wing of the Tory party are pretty much unelectable, so they're never gonna get the job done for us.

It's twenty years too late to jump ship. 57% of UK's exports go to the EU, its imports are 55% from EU. And forget about finding a surrogate for that part of the trade balance, nobody else wants that amount of UK products and currency. Without the common market none of us would have the time to post anything, we'd all be busy searching dry wood to warm our roadkill diet.

6of1 wrote:

It's twenty years too late to jump ship. 57% of UK's exports go to the EU, its imports are 55% from EU. And forget about finding a surrogate for that part of the trade balance, nobody else wants that amount of UK products and currency. Without the common market none of us would have the time to post anything, we'd all be busy searching dry wood to warm our roadkill diet.

I think this is very much the case, and I wouldn't put it beyond our EU neighbours to cut off their noses to spite their faces if we 'excluded ourselves'. The problem is a referendum is implying a choice I am not conviced we have open any more.

I have a question:

if the UK is a member of the E.U.

WHY are they still using Pounds?

Everytime I go to England in the last 3-5 years, everything is so expensive!!

Not every member of the EU has the Euro as currency. Think the Finns and Danes also stuck with their own money. The European Economic Community is the important club. But we'll have to find a way to keep the fees in check. And get a members commitee installed properly.

lachesis wrote:

6of1 wrote:

It's twenty years too late to jump ship. 57% of UK's exports go to the EU, its imports are 55% from EU. And forget about finding a surrogate for that part of the trade balance, nobody else wants that amount of UK products and currency. Without the common market none of us would have the time to post anything, we'd all be busy searching dry wood to warm our roadkill diet.

I think this is very much the case, and I wouldn't put it beyond our EU neighbours to cut off their noses to spite their faces if we 'excluded ourselves'. The problem is a referendum is implying a choice I am not conviced we have open any more.

Quite. It's self-masturbatory nonsense for handbag fetishists who'd die for a cum-shot right into Lady Maggie's very own. Worse, it keeps the focus from the changes that simply have to come now for the entire EU.

6of1 wrote:

It's twenty years too late to jump ship. 57% of UK's exports go to the EU, its imports are 55% from EU. And forget about finding a surrogate for that part of the trade balance, nobody else wants that amount of UK products and currency. Without the common market none of us would have the time to post anything, we'd all be busy searching dry wood to warm our roadkill diet.

Hyperbole is a wonderful thing.

Well, economically EU is one country, like it or not. I'd just prefer to have a say in it.

Kennon wrote:

Well, economically EU is one country, like it or not. I'd just prefer to have a say in it.

As would I. Just not at the cost of our sovereignty.

Fair enough. Only if the EU's members are that linked-up already it's doubtful there's a realistic alternative outside. Lots of countries still queuing (quEUing?) up to join. And Britain's main export now are fishy financial investment banking products from the City and single malts from north of the border to drown the investment branch's losses in. We'll have to find other customers for those if we're seriously considering to go seperate ways. Not sure that's an option.

I just find it odd that a Torie PM has to threaten his own MPs against the mere notion of them pushing for a referendum.

Salomé wrote:

I just find it odd that a Torie PM has to threaten his own MPs against the mere notion of them pushing for a referendum.

Well as stated elsewhere, he's essentially a Red Tory, a Conservative In Name Only. As James Delingpole puts it, the man's practically a second coming of Ted Heath.

I'm tempted to vote UKIP at the next election, purely on the basis of being a lesser evil. That said, they're very much a one issue party. I have a hard time seeing them picking enough momentum to win any kind of sizable majority.

Sharky wrote:

Salomé wrote:

I just find it odd that a Torie PM has to threaten his own MPs against the mere notion of them pushing for a referendum.

Well as stated elsewhere, he's essentially a Red Tory, a Conservative In Name Only. As James Delingpole puts it, the man's practically a second coming of Ted Heath.

I'm tempted to vote UKIP at the next election, purely on the basis of being a lesser evil. That said, they're very much a one issue party. I have a hard time seeing them picking enough momentum to win any kind of sizable majority.

The big problem in the UK imo is that aside from the big two, no party seemingly puts togther a plan with the conviction that they will actually have to eventually make it work. I'm sure some Lib Dems were quite shocked that they'd actually have to stand by some of their policies or worse try and fit them into an real economy. Many of the smaller parties comprise idealists, laudable ideas perhaps, but ones that can't just instantly fit into a real world situation.

Quote :

UK ordered to pay extra €2.1bn into European Union budget by December
Tories and Ukip condemn Brussels demand after EU statistics agency exposes major discrepancy in contribution calculations

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, led the condemnation of the European Commission plan.

“Having come to Britain to set fire to David Cameron’s migration ideas, José Manuel Barroso [the European Commission president] has returned to Brussels to pour more fuel on the flames,” he told the Guardian. “This is the EU making clear that economic success is not to be applauded but to be punished. Mr Cameron has to veto this if he is to have any credibility at all.”

Leading Tory MPs condemned the European Commission in equally strong terms. Tracey Crouch, the Tory MP who is playing a key role in the party’s campaign in the Rochester and Strood byelection, said: “You should not punish countries that are working hard to recover from the great recession. The EU should look at George Osborne’s long-term economic plan and learn some lessons from it.”

Nick de Bois, a senior member of the 1922 committee of Tory MPs, said: “Only the EU would demand more money when everyone is belt tightening. Only the EU would want to penalise growing economies to subsidise those that have not made the tough decisions. There is only one answer to such a ludicrous demand - no.”

Mark Pritchard, the former secretary of the 1922 committee, said: “Penalising the UK for its economic success goes to the very heart of what is wrong with Europe. It is Europe’s waste and inefficiencies that should be targeted by Brussels – not UK taxpayers. We pay enough already. Not a single euro more should be paid.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/23/uk-european-commission-eu-budget-contribution

So are Eurotroopers fucking stupid or just shit at tactics? Looking at some of the other contributions to this thread I'd say fucking stupid.

Either way I'm embarrassed to be an EU member - “Jimmy! For God’s sake, burn it down!”

This came about by rules all members agreed on, no? So why the fuss? It's not a penalty, just the regular rules the contributions of each member to the EU budget are decided by. If that doesn't agree with Cameron he can always try negotiate new rules, he wanted to anyway, didn't he? Good luck with that, lol!