Europe

[Furunculus]

1. And yet you will never leave because as I already said your locked into making sure Continental European integration never happens unless your in it.
Britain's ability to meddle in continental affairs had ended with the rapprochement between France and Germany no longer did you have the ability to play France off Germany or vice versa.

2. The dream of people like yourself died the day the European Coal and Steel Community was thought up from that moment on Britain had to be in Europe.

3. You overestimate EU interference I would like to point out your politicians are at the meetings where these things are thought up and Britain had her veto if they really were that important they would have exercised it no question.

4. Also Britain's bent towards services mean that the EU allows it to provide services anywhere in the EU without having to worry with all the old obstacles that used be in place to protect local services.
Britain does very well out of the EU but most of it is indirect benefit and not measured in a 19 century way in terms of how many ship's, coal and steel meaning it is impossible to relate to but very easy to knock for political gain.

5. Politicians are always knocking elites here at home the cry is "Look what there doing up in Dublin" etc etc thats because our politicians are more rooted in the area they come from in Ireland we effectively run a tribal system of government with indoor plumbing and electricity.
In London your politicians are far more removed from there constituients meaning how do they connect with people ta da "Look at what there doing over in Brussels" simple really.
The EU is a bureaucratic organisation but no more or less than the average council in England as apparently the tabloids are screaming all the time about looney councils banning Santa etc.

6. I for one hope Britain never leave because it is only Britain who can advance policies that encourage free trade thereby enriching the whole.
Too much time is spent by continental politco's trying to legislate for things like food prices and the ability to set up something as simple as your own business a company like Ryanair could never have happened in Ireland without the EU bringing about a marketplace where Ryanair could operate.
They way I see it John Bull is defending me from a system which would be designed to protect and not grow

1. And i don't want to leave, but at some stage in the game you have to assess the value of what you get by being in versus that of getting out. if we get a sensible EU that very clearly states the limits of its encroachment on sovereign power then fine, if we are subjected to ever more creeping federalism with no defined finish line then i'd rather be out. and strategies change, we have proven to be an adaptable bunch for quite some time now.

2. what people like me, you mean the ones who approve of visible and mutable lines of democratic accountability, where the demos have faith in their governance by the kratos, and the kratos in reliability of their demos? yes, i am one of those.

3. yes, we do indeed have a problem with our politicians forming a cartel that squashes all attempt at public debate on what we ACTUALLY want from the EU, as has been witnessed by the rise of anti-EU parties in recent UK euro-elections.

4. while at the same time eroding our competitive advantage via social financial and employment legislation. 48 hour week, and bankers bonus regulations being just two examples.

5. i agree that politicians in the UK have an unhealthy habit presenting europe in confrontational terms, they can't really do much else however while there is no other public debate about what we ACTUALLY want from the EU. if you've been telling the electorate for decades that ever-deeper-union really doesn't mean federalism then you have too lie and distort the appearance of every federalising EU initiative.

6. a jolly good reason for you to want the UK in the EU, but not very convincing or substantial reason to convince a brit he wants to be in EU. but remember, i too want the EU, however there is no reason anyone should write a blank cheque. everything has a value, and if the price-tag is significantly greater than the value then you don't buy, the essential point is to make an assessment of that value.