From one tired and pickled old man to another eh https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...eralist-vision-for-the-eu-is-far-from-reality Odd how this is published by the Guardian and yet portrays a rather negative outlook for Junckers plans isn't it? Not quite so odd that once again they don't open the comments section on a negative piece.
When you know your remain argument is failing, wheel out Helicopter Heseltine, gotta admire his full head of hair though at 84 As to Junkers, he hates that the U.K. is leaving on his watch and it is with that he would love to push us from negotiations into wto. Personally if we can't come to a win win then to preserve the after relationship, that might be the best way to go, won't do us much harm. Junkers would rather ignore the countries and business's within europe wishes just to protect the eu project The thing about Junkers is that he has 2 years left of his presidency and much of his speech was about the eu project afterwards and moving forward. He says he now wants those countries not in shengen, to come within shengen, he now wants all countries in the eu project to be using the euro by 2020 (that's your currency question sorted Nippy), and a federal defence force for europe to be joined and funded by europe ( it seems Nigel was right on many things ) More worrying for the eu countries, Juncker wants the EU executive to be merged with the presidency of the European council of EU leaders. The peculiarity here is those mostly seeking to remain and faux posturing about the Henry the 8th laws in the U.K.are openly supporting staying in the eu where the eu's top table could now merge roles meaning the non appointed top table by europes 743 million people, would have the complete control of europe. This effectively turns the 27 nations with an equal voice, into devolved governments as the eu top table would now be the defining end decision maker. The more the top table let out their wishes for europe the more it becomes quite clear that we were very astute to have one foot in and one foot out and now leave, but also given the power grab of all power grabs is about to happen in europe, then us being well out of the shit that is about to hit the fan rather confirms we were right to leave the eu project.
May has admitted she wants free access to the single market today yet does nothing to make it happen. Meanwhile big business warns of the consequences of not having it. http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/news/business/fears-grow-2500-jobs-toyota-469577
I think what that article shows is that when big business promises you everything will be okay only 6 months ago, then they will always do what is best for them and not the people of the country they operate in. The vote was a reminder that the democratic vote runs the country and not big business. Chuka useless is still trying to sabotage the vote by pretending vote leave meant vote leave a little bit. The article is full of could, maybe's, might, project fear still is trying but is becoming more desperate . Didier, like most business chiefs would prefer one outcome but failing that wants answers, totally understandable. The noises coming from the U.K. is we want to stay friends and work as friends as both sides have a lot to lose, the noises coming from the eu is up yours and give us your cash. Sometimes people forget I feel that many of the questions not answered, are questions that the eu should be asked
Drunker's "State of the Union" address (it sure is in a state) has ensured that whatever happens in the negotiations or the next general election the UK will never rejoin the EU. He's put the tin hat on it. Forever. We should be grateful to him for finally spelling out what Nigel Farage has been predicting for 20 years. Those of us not given to hysteria always knew that cancelling Brexit after invoking Article 50 and picking up where we left off was a legal impossibility. Juncker has ensured it is now a political impossibility as well because the EU we are leaving will not exist in the same form by the time the negotiations are concluded and quite apart from the fact that the 27 member states would have to unanimously approve our readmission, which is unlikely because that would entail a special status for the UK - something Drunker has expressly said can never again be granted to any member - the UK electorate would have to approve the dissolution of their nation in favour of subsumption within a European single state. The chances of that happening are simply nil. If a second referendum were to be held on the restoration of the UK's membership of the EU after 2019, expect a resounding rejection with at least 70% voting NO. That's it folks. Its dead, finished. It's over. Cheers Jean-Claude, cheers Tony and all you angry little men who have failed in politics, you did it. We're out.
Juncker is a liability for the EU and the fact he has remained in his position unchallenged is astounding, or perhaps it just shows what little say in the matter country leaders have. I will admit I've never liked the man, i don't know him personally but he amongst others are the very reason i didnt want to remain. I genuinely feel its a huge miscalculation of his to stand there saying what he said, either that or he was drunk. Many EU members 'may' like what they currently get from the EU membership, but i dare say that number of happy EU members would drop significantly if there was the strong push towards an EU super state he so desires. As you say, the matter of us now likely having a 2nd referendum with the chance to remain is dead in the water, the question posed to the UK wouldn't be to remain in the current guise, it would be to remain and buy in to the long term goal of increased integration and watered down sovereignty. I very much doubt that would increase a remain vote at all, in fact i agree with you, it would very likely increase the leave vote by quite a hefty margin. Having typed this post the penny has finally dropped and its clear why the Guardian published that article showing Juncker in a bad light. They're trying to subtly discredit him, and what he says, as I'm sure it dawned on them he was killing off the desire for many on the fence remainers as well.
Those that be in the Guardian narrative have finally seen what the brexiteers saw a long time before the vote and Junkers speech confirmed that at the weekend. Plainer than a plane on a plain thing he has finally been open the he is seeking to have a top table that removes the nations european council and merge it with the executive. this as I mentioned will see the eu's top table in charge and not the vote of the 27 members. Add to that the wish to undermine nato by having a euro army, countries being forced to use the euro against their will and the enforced application of Shengen to all members and you start to see that Brexit is not the real problem for the eu. We will I suspect in my lifetime see either the eu collapse or large chunks of it removed to be scaled back close to it's original intent, a trade organisation. As for Junkers, he has had the last 50 years believing the eu project must be a federalist country and the fourth world power. He has two years to do that or destroy the eu trying to do it and that last bit is why pro eu people are worried about him and so I suspect they are now on a programme to stop him destroying the eu.
Its worse than increased integration or watered down sovereignty, its complete integration into a single state and the disbanding of national democracy and national government. In effect, the end of nations. Under Drunker's nightmare vision, the treasury, the foreign office and the Ministry of Defence would disappear. All national - sorry "regional" - economic and foreign policy will be decided at central European level by an unelected Commission appointee (it won't simply be a case that our Chancellor and Foreign Secretary will relocate to Brussels or Strasbourg, their ministries will cease to exist. There would be no UK Treasury or Foreign Office because there will be no UK). National defence will become European defence. Our armed forces will be amalgamated into a European defence force (A Euro army) and come under command of a central European defence committee - which again will be appointed by the Commission. Effectively our Home Office will be disbanded too because domestic law, criminal justice and policing will be harmonised and come under central EU control. At least we would save ourselves the cost of refurbishing the Palace of Westminster. We may as well knock it down and redevelop the site as migrant - I mean social - housing because we won't need it as a seat of government. On the plus side, the hideous Holyrood can be pushed over as well and if Nippy wants to be a politician she can queue up with the rest of the plebs at the European "Parliament" with her biometric pass and play pretend democracy by rubber-stamping the pre-determined decisions of the old, drunk, white men of the European Commission. That's of course if the rest of Europe consents to walk obediently into this post-Orwellian Hell without a murmur. There will be dismay that Drunker has let the poorly-concealed cat so completely out of the bag and there will be great efforts to play down his soviet dream but the repercussion will come quickly, particularly from eastern Europe. The EU may have the wind in its sails, but its sailing onto the rocks. Thank God we're jumping ship.
To understand dukes latest article you have to understand the authors viewpoint The chaps name is Henry Porter, a largely freelance journalist but also often writes for the Observer. he was strongly in favour of Britain remaining in the eu. On the day after the referendum, he wrote, “As I explained to my Brexit friends in a blog post this week, I would be a very sore loser if we came out, I will be in mourning for a project that was brave and beautiful as anything in european history" He is the author also of www.brexitrecord.com a site that aggregates stories about the economic impact of Britain’s decision to leave the EU. His view is as valid as anyone else's but given his slant, it adds perspective to dukes proposed read
Here's yet another fairly grim article about the EU'S future featured in the Guardian, seems Mr Juncker really has shown his true self and cages have even been rattled on the left https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-miss-brits-jean-claude-juncker-unified-union
One paragraph in and I stopped reading when I came to this (below) .....Jesus, duke? even for you. "Allusions to Nazi Germany are generally overwrought, but this is no exaggeration: Prime Minister Theresa May does not have an absolute majority in the British Parliament, just as Hitler didn’t in the Reichstag in 1933"
Funny how they sneer at the rebate secured by Margaret Thatcher but completely fail to mention how Blair gave much of it back in return for reform of the CAP. Well the EU got our cash right enough, so remind us Guardianistas, what happened to the CAP reform??
In terms of the Brexit negotiation, I think this fellow biker has an interesting viewpoint from his experiences: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...may-s-total-surrender-i-should-know-n0nz6fj8v I really want to thanks Junker for adding to my conviction that we will (in time) be better out. With his vision of compulsory Euro membership for all member states, Brussels controlling tax/finance decisions together with economic and foreign policy, qualified majority voting and ending the ability of vetoes. Expanding the EU with the addition of more newly discovered countries "in Europe" Then there is the EU control of armed forces. Clegg called that one a fantasy. A new single president to speak for Europe with one voice.....I don't like May's voice but anybody is better than him speaking for us. I heard Mervyn King talking the other day and must say that I think he makes a lot of sense. https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-no-deal-brexit-plan-ex-bank-of-england-chief
Ignoring our side for a moment, the europeans seem to be in 2 camps. Business and individual countries know anything other than a "conscious uncoupling" as Chris and Gwyneth call it, could damage them greatly, we are a buying nation and to lose that kind of cash is something they cannot afford to lose. The other camp like tusk but mostly junker, would rather see eu countries fall than his jigsaw of his utopic europe change beyond his vision. It is and remains my opinion that he does not want a deal and his "interventions" often seem to undermine his own negotiators and the worse possible times. I believe we will continue to trade but it will be through the WTO. Junker is so afraid of ANY agreement directly with us because he fears the other 27 will fine toothcomb every single detail and if there is anything for them to hold the eu top table, then they will use it to their advantage which will of course continue the uncertainty and discourse within the eu's remaining 27 and the eu project. It is inevitable this will happen any way but Junker is firefighting The tipping point will be at what point can Junker get an agreement within the 27 more than he can get an agreement with us
Go and ask German industry what they think of Brexit and what the cost to them will be. I think you may be surprised as they certainly are not waiting for the EU to fold and give Britain exactly what it wants to appease German industry.
