EU blackmailing the UK

[houseinthesnow]

So it comes to pass. The EU have decided unless we agree to their unreasonable demands they will halt all travel, including air and road travel whilst still fishing in our waters apparently!

It is nothing short of piracy.

The true nature of the EU has been exposed for some time, hence our departure - but now no one can be any doubt just to the levels they will sink to.
The EU have no interest in trade relations, nor cooperation, they only seek control and power. The trading relations is and was always, window dressing to create a superstate - and it seems they are now not afraid to inflict as much damage as possible to stop a member leaving.
Even the most passionate remainer will now see how deeply disturbing this behaviour actually is.

One could argue it is an act of war in fact.

It should be treated as such.

I will happily eat beans to the end of my days than be blackmailed by the EU. We all knew it would get nasty at the end, but who they knew they were capable of this. I suppose we can't be that surprised given the past. The gloves are off now for sure - and that goes both ways we should remind them.

Hard hats on.

It's would be funny if this wasn't so serious...

"Leave means leave" = accepting you may well end up adopting third nation status with respect to the EU and all that goes with that.

And to slightly paraphrase somebody else:

...when the UK was in the EU many in the UK were seemingly always demanding "opt outs"...now it's really on the way out of the EU the UK many are now demanding selective "opt ins"....

Is it any wonder many are going

Absolutely agree with you 100% OP. But we will be in the minority on here. Some people are blinkered when it comes to criticising the EU unfortunately. I can’t believe any sane person would actually agree to the demands the EU are making. But they’re trying to make the prospect of leaving as unattractive as possible because they fear other countries will follow us once they’ve seen how it all pans out. TBH, they’re behaviour is making me more determined that we have made the right decision in voting out.

I don't know much about gyms (if you pay membership fees for years, do you end up owning it or get a refund?) but we paid into the EU club for decades. Decades. Will we get a refund?

@pinkearedcow

What you mean is, unless we reach a deal, from 1st January the EU will treat the UK as a non-EU country and apply the rules it has in place.

What a very silly OP. Act of war? If it is an avt of war, it's a war (some of) the UK started.

^This. I really don't see what's so hard for people to grasp about this.

their

@Tootletum, come on, there is much more to Brexit than tax evasion. Many, well several, parties pushed for Brexit and will benefit over time.

You're choosing to become a country outside the block. The EU has essentially said ok, we'll treat you as a country outside the bloc. That seems very fair to me

From my understanding they aren’t cutting us out. They still want certain things to remain the same even though we will be a country outside the block.

Definitely agree the UK travel ban is going to sting them more than us.

We are enmeshed with the EU and if it is going to be a clean break divorce, No Deal. Then it is going to hurt the EU as well as the UK. Many areas of the EU to more or lesser extent rely on production in the UK and vice versa.

From the people I know who voted leave, they had already made up their minds as soon as David Cameron announced the referendum

@Zilla1

I don't know much about gyms (if you pay membership fees for years, do you end up owning it or get a refund?) but we paid into the EU club for decades. Decades. Will we get a refund?

It's cost the UK more money to leave the EU than we paid into it over the entire time the UK was a member.

But yay, blue passports!

These attitudes are a major part of why the majority voted us out of the EU and why Trump was voted in in America.

That's absolute bollocks, if someone voted simply because other people were 'mean' to them or didn't like their opinions then those people might need their bumps feeling.

@GCAcademic, come on, everyone knows it was the wrong sort of free movement the EU needed to stop. Not lorries. Or holiday owners and their puppies. The EU is being spiteful with their blanket approach.

I heard that it's more important to the EU that the UK gets a bad deal than the EU gets a good deal.

They would rather lose trade than lose face

So be it

Even the most passionate gym attendee will now see how deeply disturbing this behaviour actually is.

One could argue it is an act of war in fact.

We can start our own gym. It will be better than their gym. I reckon Brrrrrrr will join us, given their post about how appallingly their gym has treated them. I know some people with no experience of manufacturing gym equipment, and no actual factories in which to produce them. We'll give them the contract to fit out our gym, make our prices higher than the other gyms, and employ unqualified instructors, and just wait for the money to pour in. Oh, and we'll be toned gym goddesses too. Because of our better gym. And just being better, more special gym users, loved by everyone. They're all just jealous.

@Meowchickameowmeow

These attitudes are a major part of why the majority voted us out of the EU and why Trump was voted in in America.

That's absolute bollocks, if someone voted simply because other people were 'mean' to them or didn't like their opinions then those people might need their bumps feeling.

Unfortunately, it's not bollocks.

Too many people vote on the basis of uneducated bollocks. Not wanting a woman for a president being one of them.

Oh and for campaigns based so heavily on nastiness, xenophobia and sneering at anyone who disagrees as "wealthy elite" (while the sneerers actually are the wealthy elite) Leave seem awfully fond of whingeing that they themselves are being sneered at.

I agree with you OP, but we are sadly in the minority. All other arguments aside, I will try to put into words why I dislike the EU so much. Back in 1973, the Common Market was presented to us as a wonderful opportunity for the UK to trade preferentially with the other 8 countries (as it was then). I was 100% behind it when the idea was not universally popular. However, over the years, the now-EU has grown into an ugly monster, masking the 'trade advantages' with ever-growing power over member countries, admitting poorer countries which the richer countries such as the UK have to support monetarily, trampling on individuality and growing ever closer to a United States of Europe, with its own Army and rules made centrally which are mandatory in every country. That is why I dislike the whole concept now. I can just imagine the outcry on MN if the 'United States of Europe' were to conscript all young men into Federal Service or worse, to go to war. I don't think many posters on here would be happy for their little darlings to go to war, would they?

cdtaylornats presumably you're being deliberately obtuse and actually understand that if the UK decided on higher chicken welfare standards for UK chickens, the UK could indeed ban import of any chicken not reared under the same standards. All other countries, including EU ones, could decide either not to export chicken to the UK or to raise their standards to access UK markets.

The EU doesn't force non EU countries to follow its food standards laws, it simply declines a trade deal involving food imports with countries who don't legally commit to maintainat least those standards.

If the UK wants higher standards, great! The UK can decline any trade deal with countries and trading unions with lower standards.

"'United States of Europe' were to conscript all young men into Federal Service or worse"

Which will never, ever happen, but do carry on believing this type of shite.

@Namenic you are falling for the classic Remain argument that the EU are a monolithic block. Our trade with the EU mostly is France, Germany, Italy with some contribution from others.

No deal will impact German cars, French agriculture and fisheries and Italian wine and fashion; out of all proportion to Austria's trade with us.

I look forward to the French fishermen, farmers and vintners to poverty - form suggests they'll adopy Guy Fawkes day with Macron as the guy.

I’m in kungfu, my brother knows a bit about welding I reckon, for uh £108m he’ll build a gym thingy maybe

@CloudMoon

Aaargh, that's so annoying: the biscuits aren't level!

Imagine if this were a Labour government selling out country down the river for a handful of magic beans. Enjoy them OP. Better make them last.

@houseinthesnow

Are you on glue do you really think British businesses are going to stop trading with the EU or I’m going to start driving a range rover over my BMW mini.

Even Land Rover owned by a ranging brexiteer has moved manufacturing to France.

Do you not get businesses will still trade with the eu because the shipping costs are cheaper than shipping to Australia and other far away countries.

By the way what does the U.K. manufacture that places like Australia and other far away countries will need to buy from us rather than just buy from a country nearer to them.

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I’m in kungfu, my brother knows a bit about welding I reckon, for uh £108m he’ll build a gym thingy maybe

Awesome. Now would probably be the time to admit that I know nothing about running a gym, but hey, since when has that been a barrier to anything?

£108 million seems a bit steep. He should do it for the warm, fuzzy feeling of being involved with such special, special people and their amazing gym-project.

Most of the Brexiteers I know voted with a racist motive. Their prime reason for leave was, and I quote: 'too many immigrants'. They were quite vociferous about it too.

The warlike and xenophobic rhetoric spewing out of the right wing press reminds me of the 1930s and the rise of hatred and fascism and we all know how that ended.

God help us!

@UrAWizHarry

"'United States of Europe' were to conscript all young men into Federal Service or worse"

Which will never, ever happen, but do carry on believing this type of shite.

Ditto EU army. Never going to happen.