sejintenej wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 7:23 pm
Ed. I got totally pissed off with the EU and those who ran it. The UK was always the lesser dog, with its ministers dumped in minority roles.
What, other than, for example, Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy? As one of the wealthier nations we were always going to be a net contributor to the EU (we still are in fact as we meet the obligations of our departure agreement). On the other hand, we were part of a highly influential economic grouping. We also remained outside the Schengen Area, enjoyed a generous rebate and maintained our veto over legislation we didn't support. As such we had a degree of collective economic muscle, significant foreign policy influence, enjoyed friendly relations with our neighbours and had the ability to influence decisions to the benefit of ourselves and others.
What exactly do we have now that is better? We are now of no more than marginal significance to most the world economically, forced to cut highly disadvantageous deals with places like Australia or with Japan where we are certainly no better off than we were as members of the EU. Most of the world see us as best as an irrelevance; at worse as an irritant. For the vast majority our decision to leave the EU remains incomprehensible; the EU was never going to allow it to be a success and we have gained nothing as far as I can see. As for the much-vaunted control over our borders we are actually worse off than before. In the past we enjoyed an influx or productive workers who drove our lorries, looked after our old and sick, picked our fruit and veg and generally did all the jobs Brits seem to see themselves either as too good to do, or for which they are manifestly unsuited. Nowadays all we seem to get are refugees and illegal immigrants from a France who is more than happy to see the back of them. As for fishing rights - best probably not to go there!
The Prime Minister, arch architect of Brexit, makes much of us being 'global Britain' but, apart perhaps from militarily, we simply now matter far less than we did before we left the EU. Almost nothing is better; much is worse and the sunlit uplands seem ever further away!
No apologies for the rant by the way - leaving the EU is up there with invading Iraq as one of the really, really bad (and, quite frankly, stupid) decisions my country has made during my lifetime. I remain furious at what a bunch of xenophobes and little Englanders have forced on us.
Happy 2022!