France and Germany are pushing plans to offer Britain and other European countries “associate membership” of the EU in a move that could rebuild the UK’s ties with the bloc.

The two countries have tabled a blueprint that would create four new tiers, with the most aligned states forming an “inner circle”.

 

In what will be seen as an olive branch, a new outer tier of “associate membership” would be open to the UK, laying the ground for a closer economic relationship.

 

Senior Tories welcomed the proposal with the former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine telling The Independent that Britain must urgently explore the idea as the “overarching majority of people in Britain see Brexit as a mistake”.

“The dam is breaking and there is increasingly a move towards integrating with Europe,” he said.

But the move prompted a furious reaction from Brexiteers who accused EU countries of “desperation” in their bid to enlarge the bloc.

News of the plans came after Sir Keir Starmer held talks in Paris with French president Emmanuel Macron, the final leg of an international tour designed to portray the Labour leader as a prime minister in waiting.

But as both main parties walk a tightrope over Brexit in the run-up to next year’s general election, Labour and No 10 ruled out any form of associate membership of the EU.

 

FULL STORY

For those who haven't yet got one, apply for the dark Blue U.K passport NOW , just incase they go back to being Red again 

17 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

For those who haven't yet got one, apply for the dark Blue U.K passport NOW , just incase they go back to being Red again 

The black passport is horrible; hopefully we'll get our burgundy one back soon.  

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

For those who haven't yet got one, apply for the dark Blue U.K passport NOW , just incase they go back to being Red again 

There are plenty of burgundy passport covers available for people who have the blue passport.

 

I'm sure the reverse will be true when we change back.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

For those who haven't yet got one, apply for the dark Blue U.K passport NOW , just incase they go back to being Red again 

Are those the ones made in Poland? Despite the removal of the EU flag, I like them - they are pretty sturdy and have a good feel of EU quality. 

2 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Are those the ones made in Poland? Despite the removal of the EU flag, I like them - they are pretty sturdy and have a good feel of EU quality. 

Yes, The U.K had to follow E.U rules and accept the lowest bidder and that lowest bid came from Poland  , now we have left the E.U, we can now make our own passports 

23 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Yes, The U.K had to follow E.U rules and accept the lowest bidder and that lowest bid came from Poland  , now we have left the E.U, we can now make our own passports 

So why aren't we doing so?

 

I just hope that this banter about passport colours is part of a satirical wind-up, an oblique way to condemn this thin-end-of-the-wedge tripe about re-entering the Brussels bo££ocks.

that header gave me my laugh for the day

2 hours ago, JayClay said:

There are plenty of burgundy passport covers available for people who have the blue passport.

 

I'm sure the reverse will be true when we change back.

Who says that the UK will Change back?

 

All that has changed is that the labour party has said some words, Michael Heseltine, who at 90 years old is a member of the house of lords and may not even be alive when any referendum votes are taken, has said some words, the EU, Germany and France have said some words.

 

None of them even bothered to mention the fact that there has to be another referendum and the results of that will be decided by the British voters.

 

It is all simply pie in the sky until the next UK general election results come in and may or may not change depending on that.

 

Keir Starmer is only saying what he hopes will happen, IF labour wins the next UK election. Michael Heseltine is irrelevant anyway and the EU, France and Germany have their hands full holding the EU together as more countries want to join an unequal cabal.

Inevitable that the EU would come crawling back to us once they realized what we brought to the table.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/19/recession-hit-germany-is-facing-a-flurry-of-global-headwinds-goldman-sachs.html

 

I think the best reply to the EU would be "Don't call us, we'll call you."

BREXIT has passed its zenith.

 

A couple of cold winters should finish off it’s already dying support.

 

IF the EU 'generously' allows the UK back the BBC News website commented

 

A put down

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66872827

 

Mr Starmer's European trip coincided on Tuesday with the publication, commissioned by the French and the German governments, of a think tank paper on EU reform.

It included mention of the UK as a possible future "associate member", making financial contributions in exchange for a closer economic relationship.

BANG!

Suddenly MPs were arguing once again about whether Brexit was the right or wrong choice for Britain and what the EU associate membership "offer" from the EU meant.

Newspaper headlines sounded the alarm. One proclaimed a Franco-German "plot", while another suggested it was Brussels' attempt to entice the Labour Party to get closer to the EU again.

 

"To think this paper is in any way connected with Keir Starmer's visit or even King Charles' visit to France is fanciful," one high-level diplomat told me. "Nothing to do with reality. We're having a completely different conversation."

"It's deja vu - like the old days of Brexit negotiations," said another. "UK politicians are talking to themselves, ignoring what we're actually saying in the EU."

 

35 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Who says that the UK will Change back?

Lol I knew that comment would trigger some people.

 

It's inevitable that we will rejoin the UK at some point. What's more, when it does happen, it'll be supported by both Labour and the Conservatives.

 

And before anyone asks, yes I do have a crystal ball on this particular topic, thank you.

Why are so many people desperate to have the laws in their own country decided by foreigners based in another country and the public have no say in them whatsoever except to obey. 

Just now, poppysdad said:

Why are so many people desperate to have the laws in their own country decided by foreigners based in another country and the public have no say in them whatsoever except to obey. 

I know, right. 52% of the population voted exactly for that.

 

It was much better when we did have a say.

9 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Lol I knew that comment would trigger some people.

 

It's inevitable that we will rejoin the UK at some point. What's more, when it does happen, it'll be supported by both Labour and the Conservatives.

 

And before anyone asks, yes I do have a crystal ball on this particular topic, thank you.

Using my mystic meg crystal ball the date will be 2072

2 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

Using my mystic meg crystal ball the date will be 2072

My ball doesn't give a date. Inevitability takes an unspecified amount of time to manifest itself.

 

I'm sure it'll be well before 2072, though.

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine telling The Independent that Britain must urgently explore the idea as the “overarching majority of people in Britain see Brexit as a mistake”.

The mistake was the huge one made by the government in the exit terms & conditions.

Not a mistake that the majority at the time wanted out of the EU for legitimate reasons.

They could have left the EU and agreed to being an associate member at the time..

But government screwed it up completely.

1 minute ago, JayClay said:

My ball doesn't give a date. Inevitability takes an unspecified amount of time to manifest itself.

 

I'm sure it'll be well before 2072, though.

Nope 2072 anyone that was 18 in 2016 will be aged 74  and EU likes to link dates so 1972 when the UK joined the EU

and the majority of the 33,577,342 million people who voted in 2016 will have moved on to Paradise or a different realm 

 

1 minute ago, vinny41 said:

and EU likes to link dates

What?

17 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Lol I knew that comment would trigger some people.

 

It's inevitable that we will rejoin the UK at some point. What's more, when it does happen, it'll be supported by both Labour and the Conservatives.

 

And before anyone asks, yes I do have a crystal ball on this particular topic, thank you.

Nothing is inevitable in politics, especially things that are years into the future.

 

Several quotes for you.

 

A week is a long time in politics.

Harold Wilson

 

https://oupacademic.tumblr.com/post/66321507640/misquotation-a-week-is-a-long-time-in

 

The Liberal politician Joseph Chamberlain is recorded in 1886 as having said: ‘In politics, there is no use in looking beyond the next fortnight.’

 

Both were correct.

58 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

BREXIT has passed its zenith.

 

A couple of cold winters should finish off it’s already dying support.

 

Not a very pleasant sentiment. But typical. 

33 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Lol I knew that comment would trigger some people.

 

It's inevitable that we will rejoin the UK at some point. What's more, when it does happen, it'll be supported by both Labour and the Conservatives.

 

And before anyone asks, yes I do have a crystal ball on this particular topic, thank you.

So we can rejoin ourselves, most generous.

 

But your ball needs cleaning.

1 minute ago, nauseus said:

But your ball needs cleaning

Just had a shower 

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The mistake was the huge one made by the government in the exit terms & conditions.

Not a mistake that the majority at the time wanted out of the EU for legitimate reasons.

They could have left the EU and agreed to being an associate member at the time..

But government screwed it up completely.

It always seemed that the UK was some kind of "associate" member anyway. There were few such offers from the EU in 2016 - all of their conditions meant staying in really. 

3 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Just had a shower 

Try using soap.

41 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Lol I knew that comment would trigger some people.

 

It's inevitable that we will rejoin the UK at some point. What's more, when it does happen, it'll be supported by both Labour and the Conservatives.

 

And before anyone asks, yes I do have a crystal ball on this particular topic, thank you.

You cling to that hope. It's never going to happen.

Despite some tactical polling now showing support for rejoining, the people of the UK would never accept the new EU terms for rejoining once those terms were made clear before any referendum.

We'll never rejoin. 

 

It should be pointed out this suggestion hasn't come from the EU its

The paper has been written by an official “Franco-German working group on EU institutional reform”, made up of experts, academics and lawyers, set up by both the French and German governments earlier this year

 

Here another group that are looking to move key decisions away from member states and expand the powers of the EU commission

 

The draft also proposes renaming the European Commission the “European Executive” and drastically expanding the powers of Parliament, as well as granting EU institutions exclusive competence — or the right to negotiate on behalf of its members — to decide on environmental and climate matters.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-lawmakers-pitch-far-reaching-treaty-reform-plan/

 

Europe has been talking about reform since 2006 so anyone thinking there will be a quick decision should think again

 

 

6 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

It should be pointed out this suggestion hasn't come from the EU its

The paper has been written by an official “Franco-German working group on EU institutional reform”, made up of experts, academics and lawyers, set up by both the French and German governments earlier this year

 

Here another group that are looking to move key decisions away from member states and expand the powers of the EU commission

 

The draft also proposes renaming the European Commission the “European Executive” and drastically expanding the powers of Parliament, as well as granting EU institutions exclusive competence — or the right to negotiate on behalf of its members — to decide on environmental and climate matters.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-lawmakers-pitch-far-reaching-treaty-reform-plan/

 

Europe has been talking about reform since 2006 so anyone thinking there will be a quick decision should think again

 

 

This is just a proxy group promoted by the EU. The ultimate goal of total control of Europe (and however large they can make it in the meantime) by the EU has always been the same.