Is Britain about to leave the EU?

[Kyriakos]

I don't think Germany/friends can actually make the situation worse for the UK. Unanimous decisions have to be made in any case, including invoking article 50 (on a state leaving the union). I would tend to think they won't even try to make things worse, but then again it is the current Eu, so i cannot be sure..

 

[Manfred Belheim]

If they vote for independence do we then get another vote on if we still want to be out of the EU? In which case do Scotland then get another vote?

 

[Kyriakos]

You are already de facto out (that was the meaning of statements by Eu heads today). If Scotland becomes independent it will still be out, but (lol) it can apply to join the Eu.

 

[Mouthwash]

Hahahahaaaaaah! Imagine the union of England and Wales having veto power in the Security Council.

 

[AlmostCivilized]

If Scotland votes to disband the UK, then the premise of yesterday's referendum would be invalid, and each of the home nations could apply to join the EU. This would give the British peoples greater voting power in the EU than they started with.

Its slightly more complex than that because Sturgeon seeks a referendum before the UK finally exits the EU, which means the UK could cease to exist before it has exited the EU, and any negotiations made between the EU and UK would be invalid. On that basis the home nations might reasonably expect to inherit EU membership, citing the fact that their citizens were already members, thereby avoiding the need for each country to apply separately. Is there any legal president to prevent this scenario unfolding?

 

[Kyriakos]

I am pretty sure this move cannot happen (UK minus Scotland applying to join the Eu), cause it is pretty farcical atm..
Also, the map alone tells you it would not be viable/expressing the population anyway.

 

[Akka]

If Scotland votes to disband the UK, then the premise of yesterday's referendum would be invalid, and each of the home nations could apply to join the EU. This would give the British peoples greater voting power in the EU than they started with.

I doubt England and Wales would like to apply, and I doubt they would be welcomed back.

 

[Tigranes]

...yes? I don't see how that has anything to do with me making a joke about British xenophobia toward Polish immigrants.

I am blaming Poles for all this mess. Why did they have to go all the way to UK for better jobs? I mean, Germany is right next door. Didn't they remember the famous quote by Churchill: "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be" ?

 

[JohannaK]

Article 50 provides for two years and hasnt been invoked yet, so there is a good deal of time to sort everything out.

A sensible option would seem to be holding the referendum(s, if N. Ireland gets in on it as well) before the UK exits, so that only England and Wales end up leaving. Wouldnt it be hilarious?

 

[Tigranes]

I am also unhappy with all 4 UK parts being allowed to play for European football championship. Why is it they have to leave Europe together, but can play in tournament individually?

 

[Phrossack]

Article 50 provides for two years and hasnt been invoked yet, so there is a good deal of time to sort everything out.

A sensible option would seem to be holding the referendum(s, if N. Ireland gets in on it as well) before the UK exits, so that only England and Wales end up leaving. Wouldnt it be hilarious?

I probably shouldn't, but I'm feeling a good deal of schadenfreude about this. The British right, in an attempt to Make Britain Great Again and keep out immigrants, will probably end up causing the dissolution of the UK, the weakening of the English economy, and an increase in immigration through this vote.

 

[Snorrius]

Why cannot Britain just keep Scotland inside the Union by using force?

 

[Recon Rover]

I am glad to hear the French politicians are supporting the will of the British voters.

After all, I would have had to call them hypocrites after their historical support of the Quebec sovereigntist and their meddling in breaking up this federation.

 

[Lexicus]

Why cannot Britain just keep Scotland inside the Union by using force?

Well, supposedly that kind of fell out of fashion after the whole 'World War II' thing.

 

[Phrossack]

Why cannot Britain just keep Scotland inside the Union by using force?

See, you may not have noticed, but most of the rest of the world has moved beyond your 18th-century thought processes.

 

[Snorrius]

Well, supposedly that kind of fell out of fashion after the whole 'World War II' thing.

Ok, then they just deny them ability to exit. What then Scottish people will be able to do? Britain might exit because EU have no force to stop them. Scotland does not. i doubt they will even want to put a fight.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

What, didn't newspaper and radio existed at the time ? Didn't people pay attention to what was happening on the other side of the Channel ? The EEC had existed for 20 years, are you trying to pretend the UK electorate was dumb enough to have no idea what was the largest and closest community after 20 years of existence ?

From the very post you quoted :
And if it's "scaremongering" to explain to people they'll join an entity that is about peace and co-prosperity and common governance, then it doesn't speak very well of their fears, and it's another proof they really weren't interested in the EU to begin with.
If "federalism" is enough to be classified of "scaremongering"... Just wow.

Ah yeah, the Illuminati strike back, it's all a conspiracy !

I'm not sure you're getting what I'm saying, or choosing to not understand it because you disagree with how people in another country felt 40 years ago

UK Government: Join the Common Market! It'll be good for jobs and prosperity! We'll still be a free and independent country and we'll keep the pound!

Opponents of joining: What about the European leaders who dream of a United States of Europe with no borders and a single currency?*

UK Government: Don't be ridiculous, that'll never happen, you're just scaremongering! **


* Now, you may see those things as good things, hence why you choose to translate them in terms such as peace and co-prosperity, but its something that the British people have never been keen on, and certainly wouldn't have voted for in the 70s. And that's the point. Just because *you* like them *now* doesn't British people in 1975 would have.

** The even greater irony is that it was the far left who were the biggest opponents of the Common Market with the likes of Tony Benn and Michael Foot leading the campaign. As one of the leaders of the Yes campaign said "The whole thrust of our campaign was to depict the anti-Marketeers as unreliable people – dangerous people who would lead you down the wrong path ... It wasn't so much that it was sensible to stay in, but that anybody who proposed that we came out was off their rocker or virtually Marxist". Again this was the 70s, Cold War, etc etc.

But I remember in the early 90s as a young man coming across some quotes from European leaders about future plans for European integration for the first time and thinking "WTH, they can't be serious with this? Why has no-one ever told me that this is what they really want to do? Why isn't this headline news everywhere?"

 

[Akka]

Well, supposedly that kind of fell out of fashion after the whole 'World War II' thing.

Nah, the Russians, as the great traditionnalist they are, kept it alive for some decades more. Give them time to reach the current trends

 

[Kyriakos]

Spain's right-wing gov was a vassal of Germany, and they surely do not want to give the idea to their own break-away republics that they can leave Spain and stay in the Eu. Which is -afaik- why their own such republics stopped caring about being in the eu anyway (?)

Fwiw, there will be other countries leaving the Eu in the near future. Although the fun starts when France or Italy leaves, cause that is dissolution time.

 

[Snorrius]

See, you may not have noticed, but most of the rest of the world has moved beyond your 18th-century thought processes.

Some things never come out of the fashion, you see.