EU referendum are you in or out

[tufty]

The who?

Nah, Daltrey's pro-Brexit.

He'd probably make a better Foreign Minister than Jeremy Cunt, though.

Also...

[Absolute_Zero]

all the rules, none of the control.

Too much is made of this. Contemporary example from the bumptious buffoon's parting shot / resignation letter...

as mayor of London, in trying to protect cyclists from juggernauts. We had wanted to lower the cabin windows to improve visibility; and even though such designs were already on the market, and even though there had been a horrific spate of deaths, mainly female cyclists, we were told that we had to wait for the EU to legislate on the matter.

First, the new rules were approved in 2014.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27032476

"If national governments back the changes,"
His party in government were unenthusiastic.

Second, and more germane to my point...
Much that comes down the pipe from Brussels, actually originates at higher (usually UN-related) levels. In this case, the UNECE in Geneva. It wouldn't do to apply standards alone to the EU when large numbers of lorries criss-cross the EU's external borders.

Norway is mocked as being (supposedly) governed by fax from Brussels. The reality is frequently more interesting. As above, the EU itself is a rule taker... Norway, when representing itself or the EEA at the supra-bloc level, has direct input into a process that it would otherwise --as a member of the EU-- be diluted amongst the other 27/28.

e.g. the proverbial fax lands from Brussels regarding the latest fisheries sanitary standards... assuming Norway, as a member of the EEA, wishes to continue to export into the EU from its self-controlled fisheries-- well, that would originate from the Codex Alimentarius/Fish and Fisheries Product Committee. Chairman: one Bjorn Knudtsen... nationality implied.

[Absolute_Zero]

...

[merman]

all the rules, none of the control.

Too much is made of this. Contemporary example from the bumptious buffoon's parting shot / resignation letter...

as mayor of London, in trying to protect cyclists from juggernauts. We had wanted to lower the cabin windows to improve visibility; and even though such designs were already on the market, and even though there had been a horrific spate of deaths, mainly female cyclists, we were told that we had to wait for the EU to legislate on the matter.

First, the new rules were approved in 2014.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27032476

"If national governments back the changes,"
His party in government were unenthusiastic.

Second, and more germane to my point...
Much that comes down the pipe from Brussels, actually originates at higher (usually UN-related) levels. In this case, the UNECE in Geneva. It wouldn't do to apply standards alone to the EU when large numbers of lorries criss-cross the EU's external borders.

Norway is mocked as being (supposedly) governed by fax from Brussels. The reality is frequently more interesting. As above, the EU itself is a rule taker... Norway, when representing itself or the EEA at the supra-bloc level, has direct input into a process that it would otherwise --as a member of the EU-- be diluted amongst the other 27/28.

e.g. the proverbial fax lands from Brussels regarding the latest fisheries sanitary standards... assuming Norway, as a member of the EEA, wishes to continue to export into the EU from its self-controlled fisheries-- well, that would originate from the Codex Alimentarius/Fish and Fisheries Product Committee. Chairman: one Bjorn Knudtsen... nationality implied.

An aside...
Nigel Farage had the opportunity as an MEP and member of the Fisheries committee to do some good for the fishing industry in the UK. He failed to attend all but one meeting.
This week he tweeted a picture of him fishing. He caught a protected shark species, the sort there are EU rules to protect so that the fishing industry has future stocks to catch. I'd call him a twat but that's an insult to female anatomy.

Oh, and he's currently in tax-haven Bermuda doing a radio show telling the politicians how they've got it wrong. He is threatening a return to frontline politics - because failing seven times to become an MP is obviously not enough.

[merman]

Meanwhile in Westminster, everyone's playing "where's Gove?" after he pulled out of a scheduled press conference. As the speccy toad-face looks around for more backs to stab...

[(o)(o)]

[(o)(o)]

[Cloudane]

Given how terrible we are at making decisions, could it even be a good thing that we stay under the relative sanity of the EU (dumb ideas about taxing links on the internet notwithstanding) without the ability to influence i.e. fuck it up?

[Dio]

No. Because as you rightly note the EU has its own twattery too and we should be fighting that.

We'd have probably had more success over that if we hadn't spent most of our time behaving like we didn't want to be there.

[Absolute_Zero]

Someone in Brussels (I forget who) amusingly said something to the effect of: the UK used to demand opt-outs, now they demand opt-ins.

[Cloudane]

Bloody GDPR!

[PFVA]

At least all of that is happening at a time when it will be the least noticed in the rest of Europe:

1) It's summer and a lot of people are already taking their vacation. Sun or lack of it is what worries a lot of them.

2) The World Cup is on. If someone mentions problems in the UK lots will think of England's team and say "not this time, they're doing very well."

3) At least in the 3 European countries involved, lots more of people have their attention concentrated in the fact that Cristiano is leaving Real de Madrid for Juventus. Reasons have been throughly discussed and speculated including the fact that he will pay a lot less in taxes in Italy than in Spain.

[gravy]

Given how terrible we are at making decisions, could it even be a good thing that we stay under the relative sanity of the EU (dumb ideas about taxing links on the internet notwithstanding) without the ability to influence i.e. fuck it up?

Yep, at least it's got long-term framework for things that matter freer of short-term politicking that election driven government

Without the EU's we're one shit government away from trumpily opting out of any commitments that bring benefits beyond a five year horizon.

Chlorinated chicken here we come

[(o)(o)]

[merman]

Two more Brexiteers quit their posts, the threat from the ERG (positively rabid anti-EU group backed by Rees-Mogg) is at least one resignation a day until Parliament breaks for its summer recess*. An interesting tactic - "you are not doing what we want, so we'll step down from positions of influence unless you change what you are doing".


*with an issue as big as Brexit and the disintegration going on, Parliament should not be going on its holibobs. They should stay there until there is a workable plan for Brexit worth the paper it's written on, not the shitty nobody wins compromise Theresa Maybe hammered out at Chequers last week...