Cracks in European Parliament over draft deal for Britain

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Cracks in European Parliament over draft deal for Britain



"'Substantial treaty change' is what Mr Cameron said he would deliver. But he hasn't delivered it. So on the deal itself, it's pretty clear that a lot of people will reject it"

STRASSBOURG: -- The draft deal to try and keep Britain in the EU has been on the agenda at a European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, where it has divided opinion.

The President of the European Commission is hailing it as fair for all.

“I have always said I wanted the UK to remain a member of the European Union on the basis of a fair deal,” said Jean Claude Juncker.

“The settlement that has been proposed is fair for the UK and fair for the other 27 member states. If the UK considers it is now at the limit of its integration, than that is fine.”

But some MEPs are angry about proposed concessions on migration. One Hungarian centre-right politician goes as far as saying that there could be retaliation, for example on capital flows.

“There is for example Tesco with huge investments not only in Hungary, but also elsewhere in Europe,” said György Schöpflin.

“And one or another Central European country might say to Tesco, if workers (from Central European countries) face some sort of discrimination in England, then we don’t have a problem if we use discrimination against you.”

The leader of the UK Independence Party is also blasting the draft deal, claiming that it consists of a vague series of promises, that do not go far enough.

“We were promised a substantial re-negotiation, a big change in Britain’s relationship. Indeed, ‘substantial treaty change’ is what Mr Cameron said he would deliver. But he hasn’t delivered it,” said Nigel Farage.

“So on the deal itself, it’s pretty clear that a lot of people will reject it.”

The stakes are high in all of this. A referendum vote to leave the EU would not only transform Britain’s role in world trade and affairs, but also shape the future of the bloc.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-04

[NongKhaiKid]

One of the countries expressing anger is Poland and I suppose it's nothing to do with the fact that Poles who go to Britain, including those going to work, do well out of the welfare system which is far more generous than anything at home.

[loppylugs1]

Would be good for the UK to pull out,give the foreigners visas,no welfare,no nothing

[Tatsujin]

Just pull out altogether, you can't be half in or half out, with every country having cut their own deals.

"Europe" is too diverse for there ever to be true union or integration, and I'd call this a failed experiment.

[retarius]

Make a decision for goodness sake. I'm not a Cameron supporter but lets have the referendum and live by the results. Britain signed up to the club but doesn't want to obey its rules…signed the Lisbon Treaty but doesn't want to abide by it. If you want to be in the club abide by its rules, if not then leave.

[retarius]

Make a decision for goodness sake. I'm not a Cameron supporter but lets have the referendum and live by the results. Britain signed up to the club but doesn't want to obey its rules…signed the Lisbon Treaty but doesn't want to abide by it. If you want to be in the club abide by its rules, if not then leave.

[MJP]

Just go back to being the EEC. But of course that would scrap the gravy train all the "politicians" and their cronies ride on.

[Asheron]

Make a decision for goodness sake. I'm not a Cameron supporter but lets have the referendum and live by the results. Britain signed up to the club but doesn't want to obey its rules…signed the Lisbon Treaty but doesn't want to abide by it. If you want to be in the club abide by its rules, if not then leave.

The youngest person alive in the UK, who had anything to say about membership in EU, is like 55? years now.

[lungbing]

Nobody in the UK has ever voted for the EU. I and many others voted to join the Common Market. As a trading nation that made sense for the UK.

When the countries of the EU had similar standards of living, France Germany, Benelux, Scandanavia etc it was fine for people to move from one to the other. But now with low living standard eastern european countries having joined it's all gone to pot. And they are seriously looking for Turkey to join. Imagine the Turkish hordes legally coming to the UK to claim benefits. Sorry, out the UK must go.

And it's politicians with one eye on getting a cushy EU job and pension that are the biggest danger to Brexit.

[Grouse]

Turkey will never be allowed in

I bet there is a net outflow of Poles

Hungary has been a waste of space ever since the Habsburgs

We will remain in

Wake me up if someone has something interesting to say

Edited February 4, 2016 by Grouse

[jacko45k]

Make a decision for goodness sake. I'm not a Cameron supporter but lets have the referendum and live by the results. Britain signed up to the club but doesn't want to obey its rules…signed the Lisbon Treaty but doesn't want to abide by it. If you want to be in the club abide by its rules, if not then leave.

A previous referendum was for something completely different than we have now.

The EU has gone very far from its original remit and it is the people of the country who are suffering the consequences, industry likes it.

The rules of the club seem to have crept up on us but I agree our politicians, who are more driven my financial concerns than truly representing and defending the people who elected them have allowed the slow progress to go too far. It is undemocratic, to allow laws to be created outside of Parliament. The UK can have serious changes imposed on them due to qualified majority voting. Perhaps it would be a fairer system if British people were treated as well in Hungary and Poland as their people are treated in the UK. Also the failure of the EU wrt the Euro, Greece and border protection is not a system that should be adopted in the UK. Staying out of the Euro ultimately proved we can do things better ourselves.

[teatree]

Make a decision for goodness sake. I'm not a Cameron supporter but lets have the referendum and live by the results. Britain signed up to the club but doesn't want to obey its rules…signed the Lisbon Treaty but doesn't want to abide by it. If you want to be in the club abide by its rules, if not then leave.

The people of Britain voted to join a common market, they did not join vote to join ever deeper economic and monetary union within the EU.

The EU has constantly moved the goal posts with its insidious incrementalism, and the complete federalisation of Europe is the final goal.

Even the most Eurosceptical would not consider leaving the EU had it had it remained as it was when the UK joined.

[loppylugs1]

Turkey will never be allowed in

I bet there is a net outflow of Poles

Hungary has been a waste of space ever since the Habsburgs

We will remain in

Wake me up if someone has something interesting to say

Think its your alarm clock needs attention.

Very different now the mood in the UK with the EU,good timing with the asylum issue coming to a head,another million spilling in before the referendum,I'm not holding my breath here but if betting man Id say the UK is out of the EU by a huge majority

[JAG]

Make a decision for goodness sake. I'm not a Cameron supporter but lets have the referendum and live by the results. Britain signed up to the club but doesn't want to obey its rules…signed the Lisbon Treaty but doesn't want to abide by it. If you want to be in the club abide by its rules, if not then leave.

The youngest person alive in the UK, who had anything to say about membership in EU, is like 55? years now.

I am 58, and missed voting by a year.

[farangmick]

Turkey will never be allowed in

I bet there is a net outflow of Poles

Hungary has been a waste of space ever since the Habsburgs

We will remain in

Wake me up if someone has something interesting to say

Think its your alarm clock needs attention.

Very different now the mood in the UK with the EU,good timing with the asylum issue coming to a head,another million spilling in before the referendum,I'm not holding my breath here but if betting man Id say the UK is out of the EU by a huge majority

Goldman Sachs predicting the pound will fall by 20% if we vote for Brexit, so so will my pension. Propaganda scare stories. I'm still voting F.U.EU. Not sure about the huge majority though.

[i claudius]

Turkey will never be allowed in

I bet there is a net outflow of Poles

Hungary has been a waste of space ever since the Habsburgs

We will remain in

Wake me up if someone has something interesting to say

Think its your alarm clock needs attention.

Very different now the mood in the UK with the EU,good timing with the asylum issue coming to a head,another million spilling in before the referendum,I'm not holding my breath here but if betting man Id say the UK is out of the EU by a huge majority

Goldman Sachs predicting the pound will fall by 20% if we vote for Brexit, so so will my pension. Propaganda scare stories. I'm still voting F.U.EU. Not sure about the huge majority though.

To misquote a saying" well they would say that ,wouldn't they?" We were also doomed if we did not join the euro, well that didn't happen

[SgtRock]

Quote

Cracks in European Parliament over draft deal for Britain

Those cracks might just be about to become canyons.

Quote

A new poll has suggested more Britons favour leaving the EU over staying in, with 45% supporting “Brexit” compared with 36% against, while a fifth remain undecided.

The YouGov poll for the Times was carried out in the two days after publication of an outline deal that David Cameron negotiated which could change the UK’s relationship with Brussels while keeping it within the European Union.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/05/britons-leaning-towards-brexit-but-a-fifth-undecided-yougov-poll-suggests

[i claudius]

Turkey will never be allowed in

I bet there is a net outflow of Poles

Hungary has been a waste of space ever since the Habsburgs

We will remain in

Wake me up if someone has something interesting to say

Think its your alarm clock needs attention.

Very different now the mood in the UK with the EU,good timing with the asylum issue coming to a head,another million spilling in before the referendum,I'm not holding my breath here but if betting man Id say the UK is out of the EU by a huge majority

Goldman Sachs predicting the pound will fall by 20% if we vote for Brexit, so so will my pension. Propaganda scare stories. I'm still voting F.U.EU. Not sure about the huge majority though.

Would this be the same Goldman Sucks that helped Greece cover up billions in deficit so that they could join the E.U ,the same one that, bundled up and sold risky home loans that resulted in the home loan crash in 2008 in America , or the same one that told us oil was going to hit 200 dollars a barrel , or maybe the one that was just fined 3.8 billion dollars for selling toxic bundles of mortgages just before the crash , or no is it the Goldman Sucks that called its investors muppets ., surely not , Even Carney at the bank of England has just told them to stop scaremongering as they are talking rubbish .

oh and they were all for Britain joining the Euro and they are spending a fortune at the moment on the pro Europe campaign

GOLDMAN SUCKS , THE W---ERS YOU CAN TRUST .

Edited February 5, 2016 by i claudius

[MaeJoMTB]

Goldman Sachs predicting the pound will fall by 20% if we vote for Brexit, so so will my pension. Propaganda scare stories. I'm still voting F.U.EU. Not sure about the huge majority though.

To misquote a saying" well they would say that ,wouldn't they?" We were also doomed if we did not join the euro, well that didn't happen

British money lost 20% by not joining the Euro, so yeah it did happen.

(1.6 when the Euro was created Vs 1.3 now)

Edited February 5, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[Richard W]

The youngest person alive in the UK, who had anything to say about membership in EU, is like 55? years now.

I am 58, and missed voting by a year.

That makes the youngest who voted 58 years old now - there are 58 year olds who did vote in the referendum.

British money lost 20% by not joining the Euro, so yeah it did happen.

(1.6 when the Euro was created Vs 1.3 now)

And it's probably just as well it did happen. British unemployment is much lower than French unemployment, and southern Europe is a disaster area. I've seen it claimed that a single currency for the whole of England has disadvantages, never mind the whole of the EU.

[Richard W]

It is undemocratic, to allow laws to be created outside of Parliament.

The European parliament gets to vote. The problem is that it can't amend proposals, it's take it or leave it, rather like referenda.

The UK can have serious changes imposed on them due to qualified majority voting.

Tunbridge Wells has laws foisted on it by the rest of the UK.

Perhaps it would be a fairer system if British people were treated as well in Hungary and Poland as their people are treated in the UK.

That, of course, requires thorough-going federalism. It would also involve an element of levelling down.