David Cameron hints at EU referendum after election

[dipsydoodle]

David Cameron has given his clearest hint yet that he will back a referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU if the Tories win the next election.

He said there will be opportunities for the British people to give "fresh consent" to the UK's EU membership.

Closer economic ties between eurozone countries "will give us opportunities for changing our relationship with Europe", he said.

However, he added he thought it was not in Britain's interest to leave the EU.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19761017

[non sociopath skin]

1. "After the election"? Well, that lets him off the hook, then.

He'll be on the board of a couple of banks by then and well out of it!

The Skin

[T_i_B]

2. Looks very much like an attempt to neutralize UKIP

Personally I think the Tories spend too much time trying to woo voters who they consider ideologically pure and not enough time listening to the concerns of everyone else.

Personally, I'm just really concerned that discussion of what is first and foremost a great trading bloc is almost always done in total ignorance of the international trade issues surrounding it. Leaving the EU would not actually reduce red tape for business at all but it would put UK businesses at a big disadvantage compared to our near neighbours.

That doesn't mean that everything to do with the EU should be supported. far from it. The EU isn't even vaguely accountable enough, the CAP is a terrible policy and the Euro is the most horrendous mess. Too many pro-EU types tend to be quite uncritical of the EU, which is no better then UKIP style nuttiness quite frankly.

There is an awful lot wrong with the EU but if we leave the EU we won't be able to do anything to change that, and we would still be affected by much of it.

[fedsron2us]

3. Definitely Cameron trying to head off potential UKIP defectors

with promises of a referendum tomorrow. As always with this subject the issue is far more complicated than most of the enthusiasts on either side would admit. Britain can never 'leave Europe ' for the simple reason that its geography, history and culture mean it will always be part of it. However, there is a tendency on the other side of the fence to assume that the EU is Europe when in reality it is just one of the passing political and economic constructs that have existed within the continent over the past 2000 years. Britain may enjoy advantageous trade access and more political influence by being a member of the EU but it is highly unlikely that the UK's exit would make a huge difference to either factor. As a separate state Britain would still be a member of EFTA which is governed by its own treaties and to which the the UK belonged before it joined the EEC. Equally now individual states no longer have the power to veto EU policy Britain's political influence arising from being within the Union is probably not much greater than it would be outside it. Anyway it is the fate of the Euro and the associated social, economic and political fallout which will decide the EU's fate not what happens in the polling booths in the UK.

[T_i_B]

4. The UK staying in (or not) will be part of the EU's fate

Although the Euro will be the greater factor. The ongoing Euro crisis will also no doubt influence more and people to turn against the whole EU project.

I don't know about you but I'm expecting UKIP do to very well in the next Euro elections, that in turn will spook the Tories, who are already very concerned about the possibility of UKIP doing well outside of Euro elections and splitting the right wing vote. Personally I think the Tories spend too much time trying to woo UKIP voters and not enough time doing anything for anyone else as it is but there you go.