Our replacement for the EU?

[Ruadh495]

But can we realistically remain in the EU now? Everyone knows we are considering leaving...

I couldn't see anything better than the EU either, that's why I voted "remain" despite the best efforts of the Remain campaign (Yes, that's intentional), but if we do get out what are the options? Can we form our own club?

The problem with the EU (in my opinion) is that it now encompasses too diverse a group of nations, both economically and in terms of social attitudes. Freedom of movement became a problem as a result. The same problem would apply to the Commonwealth.

A grouping of nations which are both economically and socially similar should work, say (in no particular order) Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Canada. Maybe Britain, maybe Germany, Austria. Poland considered for future membership pending economic development. France (to my perception) is socially different, but that could just be my perception. Switzerland won't join anything. New Zealand but for the geographical isolation, maybe Australia. The USA is too big and too competitive.

Am I being racist here? Those are all rather "white" countries. They just seem to me to have similar social values and levels of economic development which would allow them to work well together under the same rules as the current EU. Perhaps South Africa, Namibia and Botswana under the same caveat as Poland, though I'm not sure they have true multiparty democracy yet. Singapore?

 

[flecc]

The problem with the EU (in my opinion) is that it now encompasses too diverse a group of nations, both economically and in terms of social attitudes. Freedom of movement became a problem as a result. The same problem would apply to the Commonwealth.

A grouping of nations which are both economically and socially similar should work, say (in no particular order) Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Canada. Maybe Britain, maybe Germany, Austria. Poland considered for future membership pending economic development. France (to my perception) is socially different, but that could just be my perception. Switzerland won't join anything. New Zealand but for the geographical isolation, maybe Australia. The USA is too big and too competitive.

Am I being racist here? Those are all rather "white" countries. They just seem to me to have similar social values and levels of economic development which would allow them to work well together under the same rules as the current EU. Perhaps South Africa, Namibia and Botswana under the same caveat as Poland, though I'm not sure they have true multiparty democracy yet. Singapore?

I agree with EU type of restrictive management and control, but the Commonwealth doesn't operate in that way. It's a very informal body within which we all muddle along together with considerable tolerance.

We could have equally informal trading agreements operating within flexible boundaries, we don't have to follow the norm. As I've already observed twice earlier, that's how international trade has been done for over 5000 years, and its worked well.
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[trex]

defence cooperation is much more important to Germany, France and Italy than to us because of our over reliance on Nato. Let's just stop a second and think about this. Would we be better off getting closer to Germany, France and Italy? My view is yes, we would.

 

[anotherkiwi]

You sound as though you don't like the English people very much, so why do you feel the need to involve yourself? If you harbour such contempt, surely you would be better off keeping your hooter out and doing whatever it is that you do, elsewhere.

Funny you should mention that... Upon thought I do seem to get on better with people of Scottish origin. Roots?

There are people who deem themselves superior beings in every country of the world. I do not get on well with that kind of people. There seems to be a rather large concentration in the south of England...

Being the son of colonisation does tend to mean that there is always someone, wherever you are, telling you to "go back to where you came from" and the problem is I am not quite sure where that is any more.

 

[flecc]

There are people who deem themselves superior beings in every country of the world. I do not get on well with that kind of people. There seems to be a rather large concentration in the south of England...

The post British Empire complex probably.

Outside of MPs temporarily here, not many in London, so probably more a home counties phenomenon.
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[trex]

...
that's how international trade has been done for over 5000 years, and its worked well.
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it has worked for 5,000 years and will definitely work for the foreseable future but there is no additional benefit from economy of scale and standardization that we see in the Single Market.
The EU has no competition at the moment. I don't take what Joseph Stiglitz said too seriously, the EU won't disintegrate even if the Euro fails.

 

[flecc]

The EU has no competition at the moment. I don't take what Joseph Stiglitz said too seriously, the EU won't disintegrate even if the Euro fails.

True, the EU is quite capable of evolving to overcome the common currency problems. It will probably outlive the current form of Chinese government, given that China has had three forms of governance during the life of the EU. Basic communism to 1966, the Cultural Revolution and the post 1976 liberal communism.
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