WI: The UK doesn't join the EEC/EU?
- Thread starter Pikers3
- Start date
I think I've read that even though Norway is outside the EU a good deal of its legislation has been made to incorporate the EU laws due to the amount of trading they do with the EU. The UK could be in the same situation. How much if any funding do/did the depressed regions of the UK get from the regional development fund? Would that make any difference?
A thought is that being outside the EU, would that mean that the UK could support UK companies with national supports that aren't allowed under EU law.
I'm not sure how much a benefit the Commonwealth would be in terms of a trading bloc, by this stage weren't they for all intents separate?
For the EU you would have the Franco-German center setting policies much more, perhaps earlier and deeper integration? As a side note if the UK stays out then it's 50/50 about Ireland, what about Denmark and Norway, without the UK joining would they go in or stay out as well, (baring in mind Norway stayed out anyway.)
A thought is that being outside the EU, would that mean that the UK could support UK companies with national supports that aren't allowed under EU law.
I'm not sure how much a benefit the Commonwealth would be in terms of a trading bloc, by this stage weren't they for all intents separate?
For the EU you would have the Franco-German center setting policies much more, perhaps earlier and deeper integration? As a side note if the UK stays out then it's 50/50 about Ireland, what about Denmark and Norway, without the UK joining would they go in or stay out as well, (baring in mind Norway stayed out anyway.)
After being Vetoed once and walking away from the talks (assuming that's what happens or is it that they never applied?) how willing would the rest of the EU nations be?
Also if it's later, perhaps Brussels is more involved with integrating Greece, Spain and Portugal, they might question bring the UK into the situation to complicate things.
If UK didn't join then its likely Ireland wouldn't have either due to the old Punt being tied to Sterling-result although (maybe?) no Celtic Tiger also no big downswing and thaasaaands of unoccupied houses. Why should UK joing the EU anyway after not bothering in '74 (due perhaps to the electorate saying no ta). What would the UK have to gain from joining EU? EFTA is quite enough and we can keep preferential trader status for NZ, Australia, Canada etc, might even get to keep some UK industry going, certainly our Fishing industry wouldn't have been as decimated as it was in practice and agriculture would also be in better shape too.
It wasn't the money that stopped Ireland from joining it was the fact of the overwhelming trade with the UK at the time and the concern about how membership without the UK would affect that.
You are way over simplifying the crash by the way, without EU membership Ireland would remain the little poor island in the Atlantic.
Would the fishing fleet still have to comply with net sizes and such in this?
One thing to remember is that Britian joined the EEC and not the EU. If the EEC had remained the EEC I could see Britian being better off than it is now. It would be trade and only trade, but we turned our backs on the Commonwealth therefore loosing out of a lot of customers. EU population just over 500 million, Commonwealth pop over 2.25 billion. Also Britian sticks to the EU laws, where other countries (cough France cough) only do when it suits them.
It costs Britian the best part of £60 million a day to be told what to do by people who are not elected, by anyone.
Over all I think Britian would be 5-10% better off by never joinning.
And that brings to an end of my little rant.
It costs Britian the best part of £60 million a day to be told what to do by people who are not elected, by anyone.
Over all I think Britian would be 5-10% better off by never joinning.
And that brings to an end of my little rant.
One thing to remember is that Britian joined the EEC and not the EU. If the EEC had remained the EEC I could see Britian being better off than it is now. It would be trade and only trade, but we turned our backs on the Commonwealth therefore loosing out of a lot of customers. EU population just over 500 million, Commonwealth pop over 2.25 billion. Also Britian stucks to the EU laws, where other countries (cough France cough) only do when it suits them.
It costs Britian the best part of £60 million a day to be told what to do by people who are not elected, by anyone.
Over all I think Britian would be 5-10% better off by never joinning.
And that brings to an end of my little rant.
Right now the UK trades more with Ireland then it does with India, so yes the Commonwealth may have over 2 billion in people how engaged would the UK have been with them in terms of trade?
The other point not to be a smart arse is how much of the purchasing power is that 500 million against the 2.25 billion?
Indeed and in any event I don't recall that the UK necessarily lost or walked away from all its trade relationships more just that it put more effort into closer relations.
In the long run NZ for one benefited as our principal export industries massively diversified away from monopsony
An interesting idea would be if Britain's relationship with the EU stayed in the "EEC" area, which I think was explored in a TL once, I can't remember the name, and it resulted in Britain being seen as massively unpopular by the continent and poisoned the waters between the Europhiles and Eurosceptics in the Conservatives.
Another effect was that Britain's relationship with the EU was more positive in the sense of "they're our partners so if they want to federalise, then why should we care?".
Another effect was that Britain's relationship with the EU was more positive in the sense of "they're our partners so if they want to federalise, then why should we care?".
Exactly, I'm not saying that being part of the EU has been perfect, I wonder how much of decline of economic sectors would have happened anyway even without being part of it.
I would be interested in seeing what the trade with the continent was before the UK joining and what the estimate for how much the trade has affected the UK.
I suppose the issue with staying outside the EU and still in the EEC would be that the UK would have no voice at the table over policies that would affect the EEC anyway.