Great Britain is causing the biggest problem.

[Arturo Bassick]

First of all it is Spiegal and second it is Schroeder therefore it is rubbish.

But.

GB is far from the nay sayer it is portrayed to be and has been shown to be far more supportive of European legislation even when it is not helpful to her citizens.
GB stands and opposes poor legislation proposed in the EU and is constantly berated for doing so. GB is usually right. The legislation is poorly defined and its consequences will be bad for all.
The rest of the EU complains that GB is being obstructive. Then implements legislation that fails.
The other side of the coin is that GB implements far more legislation than other EU nations. Irrespective of damage to our economy and populace we plough on implementing ridiculous legislation.
Other EU nations simply ignore legislation they do not like until forced to implement. The EU has to go to all sorts of expenses in the courts when some nations are refusing to be good Europeans like GB.

It is also obvious that other European nations are far more defensive of their own sovereign rights than GB.
GB has shown to be willing to give up certain rights as European members where other members vociferously defend theirs. The only real time we made any fuss was when Maggie demanded her money back from legislation that was forced (and still is) through to benefit French farmers incapable of competing in a modern farming world.

I work on the mainland and would be damaged if GB pulled out, but I believe we should.
The EU needs to be either a relaxed trading agreement or a fully committed United body.
I can not see all nations giving up sovereignty and identity for the later so the former it must be.
If you want to see how hard it would be to achieve real union then just look at GB. A small union formed hundreds of years ago whose member states are still trying to shatter it.

[StopTheEarthIwantToGetOff]

Withdraw? My guess is the UK will be kicked out before they get the chance.

Hmmm. Chances in reality of UK getting kicked out of EU? Nil I would say EU Budget Contributors. Since when do you kill a gold egg laying goose? Think before thou utterth piffle.

[minestrone]

When I was much younger two of my friends decided to test their masculinity by boasting that they would swim across a loch and I was there to document this folly, so they stripped, got up to their ankles in the water and crapped it, they then turned on me as I was a competitive swimmer saying I should be leading the way and now it was my fault their expedition failed.

If Germany ( and I am part German so I give them no malice ) want this Euro nonsense to work they have to prove it works and stop sniping that we have failed them in some way when their plans fail by their own devices.

Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland etc are basket case economies which they wanted to join into and thankfully we decided not to.

[scooterscot]

If you want to see how hard it would be to achieve real union then just look at GB. A small union formed hundreds of years ago whose member states are still trying to shatter it.

I would argue it is centralised London government that is shattering the union, not the members. Even England seems somewhat divided with the folks in the north (Manchester and the like) feeling ever excluded from those in the south.

To me a union suggests equality. The UK has some of the largest gaps between rich and poor across the entire continent. For me distribution of wealth is driving the union apart. People wonder why parties SNP and the like get such support?

If we want a stronger union make it so and stop supporting policies that keeps wealth inside the M25.

[scooterscot]

Hmmm. Chances in reality of UK getting kicked out of EU? Nil I would say EU Budget Contributors. Since when do you kill a gold egg laying goose? Think before thou utterth piffle.

Hello sociopath.

When the goose starts betting against the sovereignty of other countries. Give with one hand take with the other. Some member.

[minestrone]

I would argue it is centralised London government that is shattering the union, not the members. Even England seems somewhat divided with the folks in the north (Manchester and the like) feeling ever excluded from those in the south.

To me a union suggests equality. The UK has some of the largest gaps between rich and poor across the entire continent. For me distribution of wealth is driving the union apart. People wonder why parties SNP and the like get such support?

If we want a stronger union make it so and stop supporting policies that keeps wealth inside the M25.

Bollocks.

It is a much trumpeted sound bite that Scotland gets the crust mainly sounded by the SNP, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are very well healed cities. You are playing on the perception of wealth differential and the difference that opinion makes with the view that London is rich a we are all poor.

Quite why you try to turn a German politician having a go at our political infrastructure to a condemnation of the union is quite staggering.

[DodgyAgent]

I would argue it is centralised London government that is shattering the union, not the members. Even England seems somewhat divided with the folks in the north (Manchester and the like) feeling ever excluded from those in the south.

To me a union suggests equality. The UK has some of the largest gaps between rich and poor across the entire continent. For me distribution of wealth is driving the union apart. People wonder why parties SNP and the like get such support?

If we want a stronger union make it so and stop supporting policies that keeps wealth inside the M25.

Equality is a "catch all" cliche that is supposed be "good". It is'nt. I for example would not want to be equal to you, I quite like having friends.

[scooterscot]

our political infrastructure to a condemnation of the union is quite staggering.

You'd think it was something that started 5 minutes ago. I'm not condemning it, why do folks only see what they want to see?! I'm all for union I just hate wealth.

[scooterscot]

I for example would not want to be equal to you, I quite like having friends.

Indeed, and I quite like having fiends with real employment.

[scooterscot]

Bollocks.

It is a much trumpeted sound bite that Scotland gets the crust mainly sounded by the SNP, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are very well healed cities.

And another thing. Who wants well healed? I want affordability. Good reliable public services. 10 years from now you'll be arguing we have equality when the tram system is replaced by horse & cart and a monorail is whizzing round EC1