The Schengen free-movement zone doesn’t actually apply to the UK and never has: this means that there are still border checks at the border. No need to “reclaim” our borders then.
Blue Swirl wrote:On the other hand, I do now understand the Leave people who want to vote that way to get a better deal out of the EU. I always thought it was a stupid reason, as once we're out why would they offer us anything? Apparently, though, the rules for leaving the Union mean it can take up to two years to actually exit, and negotiations would happen in that time to try and keep the member state in.
GooberTheHat wrote:I don't think the trade negotiations are ever going to be favourable for us. Something like 45% of our exports go to the rest of the EU, where as only 16% of EU trade goes to the UK.
GooberTheHat wrote:I don't think the trade negotiations are ever going to be favourable for us. Something like 45% of our exports go to the rest of the EU, where as only 16% of EU trade goes to the UK.
Kow wrote:Why do you think that's unfavorable to the uk? How would any more imports from the EU be either possible or beneficial?GooberTheHat wrote:I don't think the trade negotiations are ever going to be favourable for us. Something like 45% of our exports go to the rest of the EU, where as only 16% of EU trade goes to the UK.
Funkstain wrote:GooberTheHat wrote:I don't think the trade negotiations are ever going to be favourable for us. Something like 45% of our exports go to the rest of the EU, where as only 16% of EU trade goes to the UK.
It's not so much the quantity of trade (we'd still be an important trading partner) it's the fact that any agreement should (if EU negotiators so their job properly) favour EU member states over the uk, in the long term. So anything they get from us now, they should be looking for ways to get internally as they will save money and benefit member states that way. Why buy cars made in the uk with an import tariff (even if no tariff, why pay for Uk labour/jobs?) when you could set up a factory in c Europe and benefit a member state?
It's the long term view which is as usual lost with these emotional arguments.
So the main pro-leave argument - regain sovereignty whilst negotiating at least as good a deal as we have now - is short term viable, long term bust. Look at long term patterns of trade within the EU and the kinds of things they do to move imports to internal states.
Without the UK, there would have been an EU steel import duty for China to pay, protecting member state steel industries. i reckon EU is better off without us.
Funkstain wrote:I think he means that because it's only 16% we're not an important enough importer for them to give us major trade concessions.
Kow wrote:You make it sound like the EU is one trading entity against the UK. All the component countries are individuals who make their own trading decisions. France has traditionally been one the UK's biggest export markets regardless of the EU.
So you're saying that half of all UK exports go to the EU?IanHamlett wrote:I can't find good figures on this, because every cunt with an opinion piece on the EU apparently failed their maths GCSE before getting their job as a journalist, but it looks like the UK would be the largest market for the EU with about a 40% more cash going to the EU than to UK. About 30% of the UK economy is exports and about half of that is to EU. If the UK buys more from EU that vice versa, doesn't that mean the UK is the one with sway? Isn't "give me a good deal or I'll buy my olives elsewhere" a better position than "give me a good deal or you'll have to buy your olives elsewhere"?
Like I said.GooberTheHat wrote:I don't think the trade negotiations are ever going to be favourable for us. Something like 45% of our exports go to the rest of the EU, where as only 16% of EU trade goes to the UK.
Kow wrote:The trade agreements are to smooth things out - the members agree to them, they're not imposed by a independent EU.
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