I’m not sure if technically John Redmond was one of Major’s original “bastards”, but if not, he was sure certainly rowing in the same direction. Which makes this post all the more thought provovoking at this particular juncture.
Hague and Cameron, in contrast, are more Europhile, albeit of the Basil Fawlty variety:
May I say how pleased we are to have some Europeans here now that we are on the continent? ... I didn't vote for it myself, quite honestly, but now that we're in, I'm determined to make it work….This is where the present government’s fault-line lies, not between the Conservatives and the "Gosh, look, we’re in power, don’t rock the boat" Liberal Democrats. A substantial part of the Conservative Party and quite possibly a majority of the UK’s population would vote tomorrow to leave the EU. The leadership, whilst no fans of the "Euro-project", know exactly where such a move would leave the UK diplomatically and so much more importantly, economically.
5 comments:
>>A substantial part of the Conservative Party and quite possibly a majority of the UK’s population would vote tomorrow to leave the EU<<
An area where there is clear blue water between England and Scotland. Reading Tom Keatings excellent book 'The independence of Scotland' I got the feeling that even he was surprised that the figures weren't as far apart as he had thought but still there is enough.
I don't believe for a second either in fact if the English despite their grudging near xenophobic attitudes toward Europe would be so stupid either.
Oh and I am now certain that despite best efforts of the two top guys there is plenty that will cause an implosing in the new govt. before this.
For a whole host of reasons, I think it would be stupid to leave but I also know in case of referendum that most of the tabloid press and one or two of the "serious" papers would launch an anti-EU campaign the like of which we have never seen before.
If there is as much clout as you suggest Oneill then these serious newspapers would have to present or support an alternative. There is an excellent one in Norway which of course Scotland could replicate, of course we would have a generation or two repairing the damage that the British state has inflicted on our once proud Calvanistic work ethic.
I'm not sure Britian could be like Norway, is there a viable alternative? I'm not too sure
And those of us who are Euro-realists also "know exactly where such a move would leave the UK diplomatically and so much more importantly, economically". We would be stronger economically and we would regain our diplomatic independence.
Or are you going to repeat that old canard about the EU starting a Trade War and embargoing all our goods? Which is, as you should know, utterly ridiculous, not least because we have a trade deficit with Europe (and a Trade Surplus with the rest of the World) and so they would be merely cutting off their noses in order to spite their face.
And having regained our diplomatic and trading independence we would be free to take up the long-standing offer to join the North American Free Trade Area whilst continuing to trade with our neighbours on the Continent.
Economically we would be in a fantastically improved position and would have eliminated an enormous threat to our sovereignty.
I would be delighted if Britain, Ireland's main competitor in the EU, left to join NAFTA (or BAFTA or KAFKA or any other surreal suggestion)
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