As I’ve said before, in the UK and the USA there are significant fiscal transfers between richer and poorer regions which compensate for imbalances within countries. This doesn’t happy to anything like the same extent within the eurozone.Originally Posted by Stolly
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Really? I think the eurozone do it better than the US if anything. And yes that’s the whole point of the wealthier EU countries contributing more to benefit the less wealthy. Doh!
What are you talking about, that's totally incorrect. There is no mechanism at all in the eurozone at the moment for fiscal transfers. What there is in the European Union as a whole is a budget where there are some net contributors and some net beneficiaries. But this only amounts to about 1% of the GDP of the EU countries combined. Now compare this with the USA where taxes collected at the federal level amount on average to 17% of American GDP. This is a good article.
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...l-integration/
In the UK the amount of common taxation and subsequent distribution is of course much large than that.
Looks as if leaving with No Deal is getting more likely day by day. Bring in on. Remember, that's what the majority voted for nearly 3 years ago. The Labour MP John Mann is spot on when he says any deals can be sorted after we have left.
The truth is that the majority of MP's do not want to leave and therefore not carry out what their constituents voted for even though they all " respect the result of the referendum".
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
Unfortunately I still think the so called Norway plus option is the likeliest outcome where we stay in the single market and currency union. This would be total travesty of a Brexit. Andrew Lilico in the Telegraph puts it well.
So the EU would still set our laws, do our international agreements for us, set our tariffs, control our borders, command our police, and so on. Maybe we’d get not to participate in some annual cultural exchange programme, and of course we’d no longer have to send MEPs to Strasbourg or Brussels.
But in everything of importance we’d still be in the EU, just without getting to vote any more. It’s difficult to imagine how MPs think UK voters will accept that that is truly leaving the EU. I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered anyone who said to me “You know, the big problem with the EU is we just have too much influence over what goes on there. If we could just stop the UK from having votes at the Council of Ministers and no longer have any MEPs representing our interests, it’d all be fine.”
Agreed, it would be pointless. At least currently the UK has a seat in the Council of Ministers, an EU Commisioner and 73 MEPs. With the Norway option, it would be little more than observer status, with the ability to make suggestions.
In about 500 years when the UK can bring itself to have another referendum, on whatever topic (Scottish Independence aside), maybe they will first identify clearly what the aim is and much more importantly how they will get there BEFORE asking the people if they should proceed.
And don't go arguing that "Leave the EU" is a clear aim. I think the last two years and that appaling withdrawal agreement, would seem to dispute that.
A second referendum is far more likely now than it ever has been since the last one and I’m still holding out for one. No deal is thankfully almost dead and yeah a soft Brexit more likely too. Although the soft Brexit is pointless it’s at least something that recognises the split in the country and feels like a sensible compromise that could broadly satisfy both points of view. Still pointless though and not nearly as good as remaining 😊
Funny reaction on Radio 4 this morning by an icelandic politician when asked about the UK joining the EEA and a customs union. His reply was "why would you do that"?
When the N.I issue was mentioned he replied that the border between Norway/Sweeden works OK.
He did not appriciate that dissident republicans would see killing a border guard, as a major propaganda victory.
Have you not been keeping up? Even the MPs campaigning for it seem like they aren't putting it forward tomorrow when they can set the agenda.
Seems the penny has dropped on that one and it's dead.
Richard Taylor
"William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
Sid Waddell
Sometimes Pat, a view from someone with no major dog in the fight can be quite illuminating.
Why, indeed, would we do that? And who is proposing a return of border guards??
Simon Blease
Monmouth
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