kwackers wrote:pwa wrote:The OP's Guardian article suggested that the driving force behind the EU taking a hard line with the UK was going to be the desire to stifle anti-EU sentiment within the remaining EU nations.
And what is anti-EU sentiment? What was it for us?
The idea that you can do just as well sorting out your own deals.
So rather than give us a cushy number in order to 'help us out' they're effectively saying "these are the rules you signed up for, have a nice day".
If it turns out worse for us who's to blame? Us.
If we make a success of it then perhaps the EU would be better broken up - but I'm not holding my breath.
I don't get this idea that they've got it in for us by not allowing us to sidestep the very rules that hold the EU together!
We helped form those rules, we obviously thought they were good at the time...
I'm not talking about us. I'm talking about what is left of the EU and how its leaders are trying to deter dissent among its own people. From a strictly commercial standpoint it is in the interest of the EU to maintain high levels of trade between the EU and the UK, with a minimum of obstacles. The only reason to impede trade is to deter separatist tendencies in the remaining EU states.