It's my way or the highway says Theresa May

[BlasterBates]

According to government statistics EU trade as a proportion of UK global trade increased last year, which actually contradicts the Eurosceptic argument.

[original PM]

Restricted to a single continent? Then you fail to understand the volume of FTA and bilateral trade and non-trade agreements that we are a part of through that membership.

If you want to continue the analogy though, you’re choosing not to use the toll motorway to get to your destination faster, instead you’re choosing the free A road that takes twice as long and has even more potholes....

But is the cost worth it? Maybe i just plan my journey better.

And how much quicker is it - also can I still pay a toll and use the motorway? or if I want to do that do I have to accept the other 'benefits' of the EU - like freedom of movement?

[meridian]

But is the cost worth it? Maybe i just plan my journey better.

And how much quicker is it - also can I still pay a toll and use the motorway? or if I want to do that do I have to accept the other 'benefits' of the EU - like freedom of movement?

Bear in mind that the current cost is negligible. Take our current contributions, less rebate, less CAP that comes back, less redevelopment fund payments to our regions, to work out the net cost to the country as a whole.

Is the cost worth it? Nobody knows for certain, Brexiters refuse to provide a cost breakdown of leaving (the additional and ongoing costs of maintaining our own agencies, creating new trade and non-trade agreements, creation of new non-trade barriers with our largest trading partner, etc) so we have nothing to compare against.

Freedom of movement? I see being able to move and work freely in 27 other member states as a benefit, yes. However: We’re free to restrict both EU and non-EU workers now, what additional restrictions do you need to be able to do that we can’t already do under existing rules?

[darmstadt]

FTFY

[original PM]

Bear in mind that the current cost is negligible. Take our current contributions, less rebate, less CAP that comes back, less redevelopment fund payments to our regions, to work out the net cost to the country as a whole.

Is the cost worth it? Nobody knows for certain, Brexiters refuse to provide a cost breakdown of leaving (the additional and ongoing costs of maintaining our own agencies, creating new trade and non-trade agreements, creation of new non-trade barriers with our largest trading partner, etc) so we have nothing to compare against.

Freedom of movement? I see being able to move and work freely in 27 other member states as a benefit, yes. However: We’re free to restrict both EU and non-EU workers now, what additional restrictions do you need to be able to do that we can’t already do under existing rules?

If freedom of movement is such a benefit why does Junker insist we cannot have a trade agreement without it - it is not like he is going to try to give us more benefits than he can get away with.

[BlasterBates]

If freedom of movement is such a benefit why does Junker insist we cannot have a trade agreement without it - it is not like he is going to try to give us more benefits than he can get away with.

......because it would mean a kick up the backside for the UK. If Brexiteers were to say they wanted freedom of movement then the EU would refuse.

Anyway May has caved in on that point she's offered "freedom of mobility"

[darmstadt]

If freedom of movement is such a benefit why does Junker insist we cannot have a trade agreement without it - it is not like he is going to try to give us more benefits than he can get away with.

Go ahead, knock yourself out although beware, there's some big words:

Treaty of Rome

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-cont...ISSUM%3Axy0027

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-cont...3A12007L%2FTXT

[original PM]

Go ahead, knock yourself out although beware, there's some big words:

Treaty of Rome

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-cont...ISSUM%3Axy0027

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-cont...3A12007L%2FTXT

I am not sure why you are quoting some EU legislation - we are leaving.

[meridian]

If freedom of movement is such a benefit why does Junker insist we cannot have a trade agreement without it - it is not like he is going to try to give us more benefits than he can get away with.

It might not be a benefit to you, but it is a benefit to other people (including many of the posters here who are British but living and working on the mainland).

Like it or not, in “people policies” the EU is quite socialist.

[original PM]

It might not be a benefit to you, but it is a benefit to other people (including many of the posters here who are British but living and working on the mainland).

Like it or not, in “people policies” the EU is quite socialist.

But we know why the countries in mainland Europe are for freedom of movement - and it is because they have no choice because they cannot police the full length of all the borders.