From defence to trade, the incoming US president is upending the old order – and standing apart from our neighbours leaves us dangerously exposed, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
Honestly, IMO Britain needs to just let go of this 'special relationship' nonsense with the US that we seem to think we have. It only applies when the US wants us to join in one of their wars, or hassle Europe about something which we can't even do properly anymore since we left the EU. Otherwise the US really doesn't give two shits about what we're doing.
We're a European country, not an American state. We should act as such and move closer to being part of Europe, instead of trying to suck up to an isolationist powder-keg on the other side of the world. (Which I'm assuming will be the case once the MAGAs are in charge.)
It only applies when the US wants us to join in one of their wars,
bwahahaha....
not when the UK is begging the US to save them in a war, it's when the US wants to JOIN the UK in one of their wars.... pffft... .goddamn..... that is the funniest, dumbest shit I've read in ages.
Yes, the majority of Brexitiers are from former UKIP and Conservative ranks. But I'm constantly surprised how people don't understand that a sizeable minority of Labour voters pushed Brexit over the line. These are Labour voters that the party still wants to court.
Labour isn't going to grow a pair. Because growing a pair would send them straight out of office after they fought so hard to get back in.
That is the realpolitik. But as the demographic moves on, and anyone able to change their mind looks how it has turned out, we calls to rejoin in some form will be overwhelming.
There's no certainty that another referendum would be in favour of rejoining. Most people have bigger problems than the green line not going up quite as fast or Tarquin not being able to do erasmus. If anything so little changing after brexit for the vast majority of people has just cemented the idea that we don't need the EU. The prospect of getting drafted into WWIII is hardly going to help.
Taking us back in without another referendum is theoretically a possibility. It could provoke a backlash at the next election though, so even if they pushed it through before then we could just end up with Farage as our next PM and leaving again. The EU would hopefully realise this and not let it happen, since it would be a massive pain for everyone.
Even if you had another referendum, and it was in favour of rejoining, if it was just a slim margin again, are we going to want to rejoin, and will the EU want us rejoining, given the very likely prospect of calls for a third referendum?
Without the EU giving us some kind of deal more favourable than we had before (which is unlikely), or some kind of structural reform of the EU, it's doubtful.
So serious question. Would the EU even allow Britain back in at this point? I imagine the terms would be much less favourable if they did. I imagine the pound wouldn't be allowed anymore for a start. You want back in? Adopt the euro.
I think you could make the argument that Britain rejoining makes the EU look good - if the UK leaves and does better, it might give other countries the idea that they'll be better off leaving too. But if the UK changes its mind and comes back after not even 10 years of being out, it might send the message to others that you're better off staying the course.
Especially if we're willing to come back for a worse deal than we had before we left, which I'd assume would be the case. We pissed away an amazing position within the EU, I'd be very surprised if they were willing to let us just plop back into our old role.
Would the EU even allow Britain back in at this point?
Can only guess. But If they even considered it. I expect they would want a clear majority vote. 66% or above would be my guess.
I imagine the terms would be much less favourable if they did
Likely the same as any new nation joining.
I imagine the pound wouldn’t be allowed anymore for a start. You want back in? Adopt the euro.
Like many new nations joining. That would be less simple. As Joining the Euro has economic requirements. I can actually see the UK promising to adopt the Euro one day. Then never really working to do anything beyond accept it in the UK along with GPB. Because joining the Euro is always an eventual requirement for new nations, rather than an immediate one. If Europeans can spend euros in the UK. I can't actually see the EU forcing the UK to join any time soon.
That is of course ignoring point one is unlikely to happen.