Current Affairs EU In or Out

[Armaghtoffee]

So you are claiming it is a special case, and therefore should be outwith any decisions that the UK makes that it doesn't like? While remaining part of the UK.

Tell me more about that 'general consensus'. What is it based upon? Straw poll? Targeted poll? Or just your throwaway remark?

You are part of the UK. You have a border with another country. And...

Certainly, the general consensus that I am referring to are the public comments from both our Unionist and Nationalist political leaders that NI does need special consideration during Brexit negotiations due to our unique region. This has also been echoed by the EU.

To me that is a remarkably strong consensus for this place. But seems we are all out of step then..soz about us.

 

[Old Blue 2]

Certainly, the general consensus that I am referring to are the public comments from both our Unionist and Nationalist political leaders that NI does need special consideration during Brexit considerations due to our unique region. This has also been echoed by the EU.

To me that is a remarkably strong consensus for this place. But seems we are all out of step then..soz about us.

So this 'general consensus' is just simply the politicians. I note that you did not reply at all to my first paragraph...

 

[Armaghtoffee]

So this 'general consensus' is just simply the politicians. I note that you did not reply at all to my first paragraph...

Yes, the politicians who represent the views of the people. How much more of a consensus do you want? A vote on it? We did that last and voted to remain.

First paragraph re being a special case? Yes we are a special case and yes we remain within the UK at this time. As I have said we are a completely distinct region within the wider UK.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Don't know why we all just don't feckin' move to London and ignore the rest of the country (oh, hang on, that's what Thatcher wanted - ignore the North).

Give up on that rubiish Bruce, please...

I didn't say just London. Places like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Cardiff are also crucial to the economic performance of the UK, both now and in the future. All voted to remain, and yet central to the strategy going forward is this ability to trade with the world, and how we'll thrive once no longer shackled to the EU, yet all of the places that drive our trade at the moment think that's a bad idea.

 

[Old Blue 2]

Yes, the politicians who represent the views of the people. How much more of a consensus do you want? A vote on it? We did that last and voted to remain.

First paragraph re being a special case? Yes we are a special case and yes we remain within the UK at this time. As I have said we are a completely distinct region within the wider UK.

Every region in the UK could claim 'special case' status...

 

[Old Blue 2]

I didn't say just London. Places like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Cardiff are also crucial to the economic performance of the UK, both now and in the future. All voted to remain, and yet central to the strategy going forward is this ability to trade with the world, and how we'll thrive once no longer shackled to the EU, yet all of the places that drive our trade at the moment think that's a bad idea.

Bruce, you've hammered on about London and the SE being the area that generates most income for the UK time after time after time.

Are you suddenly backtracking on that now? Or are you slavishly following the line that only the views of those centres where money is made is worthy of consideration? Whatever it is, it is a total 100% slur on the rest of society in this country, and you should be ashamed of yourself for voicing such views on a public forum. It is snobbery and elitism at its very worst, and you have shown yourself to be the champion of it...

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Every region in the UK could claim 'special case' status...

Ok mate.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Bruce, you've hammered on about London and the SE being the area that generates most income for the UK time after time after time.

Are you suddenly backtracking on that now? Or are you slavishly following the line that only the views of those centres where money is made is worthy of consideration? Whatever it is, it is a total 100% slur on the rest of society in this country, and you should be ashamed of yourself for voicing such views on a public forum. It is snobbery and elitism at its very worst, and you have shown yourself to be the champion of it...

So if we trade with the world, we should expect charity or something? And you'll note I haven't just said about where money is made. There's a reason I've included most Russell Group towns as they're the centres of our science and innovation, which I suspect most people agree will be crucial to any future prosperity, even if we're actively going against what the people in those towns think is the best strategy.

I'm sure the University of Derby will be as important for the country as those of Oxford, Cambridge et al though. Heck, Boris' brother doesn't even agree with him (he's the minister for universities btw).

It's akin to using Tranmere to drive the direction of football rather than Everton, then complaining when the strategy Everton thought sucks doesn't end up helping Tranmere.

 

[Old Blue 2]

So if we trade with the world, we should expect charity or something? And you'll note I haven't just said about where money is made. There's a reason I've included most Russell Group towns as they're the centres of our science and innovation, which I suspect most people agree will be crucial to any future prosperity, even if we're actively going against what the people in those towns think is the best strategy.

I'm sure the University of Derby will be as important for the country as those of Oxford, Cambridge et al though. Heck, Boris' brother doesn't even agree with him (he's the minister for universities btw).

No point, Bruce. You just slip and slide like a snake, and do not answer the points put directly to you, nor acknowledge what you have previously said...

No point, Bruce, no point. Enjoy your ivory tower of smug, self-satisfied Southern opinion...

 

[Bruce Wayne]

No point, Bruce. You just slip and slide like a snake, and do not answer the points put directly to you, nor acknowledge what you have previously said...

No point, Bruce, no point. Enjoy your ivory tower of smug, self-satisfied Southern opinion...

Vault me if you want. I've said many times that the capital cities of each UK country voted remain, as did practically every large city with the exception of Birmingham. It's got bugger all to do with geography. It may have slipped your attention that Liverpool voted to remain too.

 

[Old Blue 2]

Vault me if you want. I've said many times that the capital cities of each UK country voted remain, as did practically every large city with the exception of Birmingham. It's got bugger all to do with geography. It may have slipped your attention that Liverpool voted to remain too.

The UK voted LEAVE. Or do you not abide by the democratic voting scenario any more? You cannot be like our man from Armagh and say 'We didn't like the way that the vote came out, so we can ignore it/seek alternatives'. Life's not like that...

And secondly, do you REALLY think that wealth/money making is/should be equal across the whole of the UK? If you do, you're in fantasy land. NOTHING is equal across the country at all. Nothing is a flatline, so to argue that capital cities carry greater strength in a discussion/argument is not a valid premise. You are way off beam, Bruce, and well you know it.

As for this: "...It may have slipped your attention that Liverpool voted to remain too..." Take your piss-taking somehwere else, Bruce. Once again, a derogatory comment from a Mod - disgraceful in the extreme. You really have some gall posting that...

 

[jal123]

Of what......

Old racists ruining their rights Hun xx

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The UK voted LEAVE. Or do you not abide by the democratic voting scenario any more? You cannot be like our man from Armagh and say 'We didn't like the way that the vote came out, so we can ignore it/seek alternatives'. Life's not like that...

And secondly, do you REALLY think that wealth/money making is/should be equal across the whole of the UK? If you do, you're in fantasy land. NOTHING is equal across the country at all. Nothing is a flatline, so to argue that capital cities carry greater strength in a discussion/argument is not a valid premise. You are way off beam, Bruce, and well you know it.

As for this: "...It may have slipped your attention that Liverpool voted to remain too..." Take your piss-taking somehwere else, Bruce. Once again, a derogatory comment from a Mod - disgraceful in the extreme. You really have some gall posting that...

I'm not disputing the result of the referendum at all, and I'm not sure why you're suggesting I am. If you go back to where this particular discussion started, it was in direct response to the various suggestions that post-Brexit our prosperity will be secured by being able to 'trade with the world'. Look at the industrial strategy from the government. It's clearly a document that they hope will drive our national success in the coming years. It focuses heavily on high technology areas such as AI, robotics, clean energy and biomed. You can cry unfairness all you like, but the skills required to thrive in those areas don't reside in the shires, they reside in the university towns I highlighted above.

If you want another government strategy (and to counter any accusations of London-centricity on my part), you could look at the smart specialisation policy, whereby local pockets of industrial specialisation are identified and supported. As you can perhaps imagine, they feature entries from around England, but despite this geographic spread, they nonetheless focus overwhelmingly on cities. It's Manchester rather than Wigan, Cambridge rather than Peterborough, Leeds rather than Wakefield.

That's what I'm referring to. The UK government themselves have clearly identified a number of industries and a number of places whereby those industries will be crucial for our future economic success. The one thing that binds the vast majority of those places is that they voted to remain, so there's a divergence between what people in crucial places think will help them to thrive, and what the UK government (and the population as a whole) think will help them to thrive. That's not good, and if you're talking about the success of the country, then yes I think those places are hugely important.

 

[peteblue]

Hans-Olaf Henkel said it should be Germany leading the efforts in Brussels to ensure Britain leave the EU without a punishment, which has been suggested should happen by leading figures across the bloc.

According to the Office for National Statistics, Germany currently benefits from a £25bn trade deficit – meaning the Germany sells more to UK than it buys – but that could all change if Britain is unable to sign an agreement to allow it to trade inside the EU’s single market.

Mr Henkel, the vice-chairman of the European Parliament’s third biggest group, the European Conservatives and Reformists, urged his fellow Germans to support Britain for the sake of their country’s businesses.

When asked whether Germany should be worried about Brussels bullying the UK, he responded: “Of course, that figure says it all.

“Germany should be the country saying, ‘For Christ’s sake, give them the best trade deal possible’.

 

[Armel]

Hans-Olaf Henkel said it should be Germany leading the efforts in Brussels to ensure Britain leave the EU without a punishment, which has been suggested should happen by leading figures across the bloc.

According to the Office for National Statistics, Germany currently benefits from a £25bn trade deficit – meaning the Germany sells more to UK than it buys – but that could all change if Britain is unable to sign an agreement to allow it to trade inside the EU’s single market.

Mr Henkel, the vice-chairman of the European Parliament’s third biggest group, the European Conservatives and Reformists, urged his fellow Germans to support Britain for the sake of their country’s businesses.

When asked whether Germany should be worried about Brussels bullying the UK, he responded: “Of course, that figure says it all.

“Germany should be the country saying, ‘For Christ’s sake, give them the best trade deal possible’.

You're quoting the Daily Express here, isn't that one of the more extreme right-wing tabloids in the U.K - one of the mouthpieces for UKIP. They will only tell you want you want to believe. You're better off reading local German newspapers if you're interested in the German pov.

Also AfD is (very) right wing. To the extent that people left the party in 2015 for Islamophobia and other horrible ordeals. They hold no real power. You have fun people in there like Von Storch that want to stop refugees at the border and if they refuse to listen they support the use of guns (including on women and children). Other decent parties refuse to deal with them for obvious reasons. They are not the allies you want.