UK told to pay £1.7bn extra to EU

[tzijlstra]

I know and GDP is what is used to calculate a country's economic level. Personally and I said this many times, I don't like GDP because it is an average value and therefore inaccurate, but unfortunately it's the current international standard way of working

 

Yes, I agree with that view as well. These things are arbitrary and frankly irrelevant. In the end of the day what matters is the money we take home as individuals/companies.

 

Having said that, governments need some sort of index/indicator of how well the economy is doing and this is the only way they can get it (seemingly). There are lots of different indicators as well of course though.

[T 42]

It has been continuous Mecky, and it is going to ramp up ten fold should the reality of a referendum come closer. In fact, we have a perfect parallel now - the Scottish independence referendum. I still find it brilliantly ironic that Cameron campaigned for: We are better together (which he actually believes when it comes to the EU as well) whilst still having digs at every opportunity possible regarding the EU to appease a few ignorant back-benchers.

 

Funnily enough the more Scotland looked like it might pull out of the union the more politicians at Westminster panicked and made concessions. I'm thinking that a referendum on EU membership is a good idea. We have nothing to lose but membership of an increasingly expensive club that allows in riff raff through the back door, and rather a lot to gain.

[L00b]

So you're quite happy to be giving the EU nearly a billion a month and suffer a trade deficit with them?

Eh?

 

Could you please explain how the above is related to this:

Hopefully, the ConDems will not miss this gold-plated solid platinum opportunity to give each of Juncker, Hollande, Merkel and Farage a black eye in one fell swoop. One can but hope...

Genuine question, I just don't get your post

If the UK refused the EU on this, how would that come across to third parties it deals with?

Expectedly, outra-EU third parties would care not one jot, because-

Altering that relationship effectively unilaterally is going to upset a lot of decision makers.

-the UK refusing to pay that £1.7bn is not going to alter its relationship with the EU so fundamentally as you suggest, since that relationship is worth a damn side more to both parties...and both parties (and the hereinbefore-mentioned third parties) know it very well indeed.

 

That's why I called this a solid platinum (political) opportunity for the UK Gvt: for the ConDems, not paying is a win-win-win-<etc.>-win on very many levels, domestically and at the EU/Commission level.

 

I can be pro-EU with the best of them most of the time, tzijlstra, but never to the point of abnegation and, by the same token, I've never shied away from calling the EU to account in circumstances that warrant it - which these clearly are.

Edited October 24, 2014 by L00b

[PeteMorris]

It' a perfectly reasonable request and question Pete. If Mecky doesn't want to answer it all he has to say is that he's not going to but as you know he deliberatly avoids difficult questions and becomes argumentative.

 

It may well be a perfectly reasonable question....But come on...there's no need to repeat it 3 or 4 times....If he was going to answer directly he would...I realise you're tenacious in pursuing questions 'you' want answered, but you need to know when to stop and maybe approach it from another direction....That's all I'm saying...

[Mecky]

Funnily enough the more Scotland looked like it might pull out of the union the more politicians at Westminster panicked and made concessions. I'm thinking that a referendum on EU membership is a good idea. We have nothing to lose but membership of an increasingly expensive club that allows in riff raff through the back door, and rather a lot to gain.

 

Personally, I think the EU would be glad to see the back of us

[tzijlstra]

Eh?

 

Could you please explain how the above is related to this:

Genuine question, I just don't get your post

Expectedly, outra-EU third parties would care not one jot, because-

The UK refusing to pay that £1.7bn is not going to alter its relationship with the EU so fundamentally as you suggest, since that relationship is worth a damn side more to both parties...and both parties (and the hereinbefore-mentioned third parties) know it very well indeed.

 

That's why I called this a solid platinum (political) opportunity for the UK Gvt.

 

Again, I was referring specifically to Frederick stating he would like to see what happened if the UK simply refused to pay and gave one potential scenario.

 

T 42 - I agree with that actually, but it is playing with fire, as was the Scotland referendum. A vote to leave the EU will trigger all sorts of consequences, although it might be beneficial, there is a significant risk that it won't be. Is it worth taking that risk?

[Mecky]

It may well be a perfectly reasonable question....But come on...there's no need to repeat it 3 or 4 times....If he was going to answer directly he would...I realise you're tenacious in pursuing questions 'you' want answered, but you need to know when to stop and maybe approach it from another direction....That's all I'm saying...

 

Besides I did answer without any input from him and explained my reasons

[Obelix]

It may well be a perfectly reasonable question....But come on...there's no need to repeat it 3 or 4 times....If he was going to answer directly he would...I realise you're tenacious in pursuing questions 'you' want answered, but you need to know when to stop and maybe approach it from another direction....That's all I'm saying...

 

And you could of course apply exactly the same logic to Mecky and tell him to indicate he's not going to answer the question. But of course you wont do that given your history with me now would you Pete..:-)

 

---------- Post added 24-10-2014 at 11:52 ----------

 

Besides I did answer without any input from him and explained my reasons

 

Quack quack.... there's been no answer from you yet Mecky....

[truman]

Again, I was referring specifically to Frederick stating he would like to see what happened if the UK simply refused to pay and gave one potential scenario.

 

T 42 - I agree with that actually, but it is playing with fire, as was the Scotland referendum. A vote to leave the EU will trigger all sorts of consequences, although it might be beneficial, there is a significant risk that it won't be. Is it worth taking that risk?

 

You'd have to do a risk/benefit analysis... if the benefit could be big enough then yes, a risk is worth it..

[L00b]

It may well be a perfectly reasonable question....But come on...there's no need to repeat it 3 or 4 times....If he was going to answer directly he would...I realise you're tenacious in pursuing questions 'you' want answered, but you need to know when to stop and maybe approach it from another direction....That's all I'm saying...

Meanwhile, in another thread, not so long ago:

 

And I'm still waiting for your reply

To what question, Mecky?

The one I asked

You asked several and, as best I can tell, I have replied to them all.

 

So, Mecky, I'll ask again: which question is it, that I haven't answered?

No you haven't you tried to skirt around it

Which question, or questions, have I skirted around?

 

How did I skirt around it, or them?

 

I'll ask again (3rd time now): which question is it, that I haven't answered?

 

These are your assertions and accusations against me, Mecky: you have the burden of either proving them or retracting them.

With the greatest of respect, Pete...Mecky has got wayyy too much form here, so either moderate, or stay out of it. Edited October 24, 2014 by L00b