David Cameron's speech on Europe

Soldato
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The full text of the speech can be read here.

I'm not Cameron's biggest fan by any stretch of the imagination but I agree with quite a lot of the content of that speech.

David Cameron said:
The next Conservative Manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative Government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners in the next Parliament.

It will be a relationship with the Single Market at its heart.

And when we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in or out choice. To stay in the EU on these new terms; or come out altogether.

It will be an in-out referendum.

Legislation will be drafted before the next election. And if a Conservative Government is elected we will introduce the enabling legislation immediately and pass it by the end of that year. And we will complete this negotiation and hold this referendum within the first half of the next parliament.

I think it's a bit optimistic to promise a referendum based on a newly negotiated relationship with the EU within the first half of the next parliament.

It's very difficult to say which way I would vote without knowing what the details of this new relationship but at the moment, for all its faults, I don't think it would be a good idea to leave the EU.
 
We will maybe get a referendum based on possibly negotiation of a strict set of changes if he maybe gets elected again in 2015.

In other new Red Ed has made an appointment to see the Queen in May 2015 to form a new government.
 
UKIP have just received a body blow, though.

I'd wait for the polls before thinking that, people will see this as just a carrot, not a promise to actually do anything.

For EU supporters to convince people to vote to stay in the Eurozone needs to pickup soon or the EU will go down with it and we'll be better off out. If it does pickup and continue to be the most powerful common market in the world, then we'll want to be in it.
 
And so it starts.........

All I see this as is a PR stunt/spin to win the general population over at the next election, chances of them actually listening to what is said from the referendum are slim. Haven;t we already had this at the last election, we'll allow a vote, then afterwards, actually we're not going to do that (I may be wrong on this though).

Besides I'm not sure how well informed Joe public is to make an informed decision on this instead of "NO SAVE MY TAX MONIES AND DITCH EU!".
 
If the EU goes down, it doesn't really matter if we're in it or out of it.

Whilst I have an aversion to federalism and the EU's legislative supremacy, as long as we stay well clear of the Euro I can sleep easy at night. As much as I detested Gordon Brown, I have to give him his due for steering well clear of that disasterpiece.

Seems like a triumph of idealism over reality for Cameron.
 
nah UKIP have some chops and I think (presume) most people understand that. Which is why their slowly but surely rising up the ranks...

UKIP is Nigel Farage, and Nigel Farage is an idiot. If you look behind his incredibly patronising tone, you'll see that what he's saying is actually incredibly patronising.
 
Why? It gives him five years.

UKIP have just received a body blow, though.

It says they won't start the negotiations unless the conservatives win the next general election so 2.5 years maximum.

Considering how slow the EU is to decide anything I just think it's a bit tight.

I'd hate them to rush a referendum before completing the negotiations.
 
Pandering the masses.

I'm sure it will increase the total number of votes they receive in the next general election, it will also soften the impact of the rise of UKIP (who have a voter base on the political right) so politically it was a smart move.

It's the key problem with FPTP voting system, having two groups who share similar ideologies is actually damaging - the "centre-left" vote has been split between the Lib-dems & Labour for some time - but the right has enjoyed only having one party, now that's changed with the rise of UKIP & the fall of the Lib-dems they needed something to stop the vote split in the next election.

This may be it, (pending on if the public swallows it or not).

Odd thing about politics in the UK - for Labour to win the next election UKIP gaining loads of votes & the Lib-dems falling into oblivion would be all they need to secure a win (which I'm not keen on either to be honest).

If only we had a different voting system......
 
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UKIP is Nigel Farage, and Nigel Farage is an idiot. If you look behind his incredibly patronising tone, you'll see that what he's saying is actually incredibly patronising.

Rather Nigel Farage being patronisingly truthful than Ed Milliband who opposes things for the sake of it and tells people what they want to hear without any solutions.
 
UKIP have just received a body blow, though.

More like a headshot, UKIP's plans for election basically consist of "Blame everything on immigrants, offer people an EU referendum". Nobody votes for a blame party unless they are offering something important/big that nobody else is. We will likely see the Tory supporters that have hemorrhage to UKIP return now.
 
Only good thing that will come of this is that it will tear the Tory party in half! Cameron is only where he is by pandering to the anti-EU half and the pro-eu half will simply revolt against him. It'll be the great end to an idiots political career because he has no way of controlling his own support.

Hopefully this will go the way of the Scotland independence thing, in theory it could be desirable to some people but the reality of it all is it is just impractical and will loose us a lot of money for basically nothing at all.

UKIP is Nigel Farage, and Nigel Farage is an idiot. If you look behind his incredibly patronising tone, you'll see that what he's saying is actually incredibly patronising.

And is an idiot of the highest order! :D
 
Its mostly about the election as it always is, the majority of folk in the UK (around 60% i believe) want out, so it automatically gives all those voters a reason to vote, for conservatives.

Considering what previous administrations have said and...done the opposite, I find it hard to believe that we will get a referendum, however considering Scotland is now allowed, perhaps I will drop some doubt about the intention.

As with a lot of people, I can no longer stand being humiliated in some fashion by EU decisions, albeit some are highly welcomed by me (Digital rights catching up for one), it still doesn't solve the underlying problem of a federalised state that forces to be obedient, via the rather currently stretched reasoning of "We are in this together"...

I am bored of people moaning about border issues, immigration that jumps massively every time a crappy nation (in comparison to the UK) is allowed in, other nations fishing in our waters, pointless waste of time "solutions" on fish quotas and now to be dragged into an "official" EU backed banking cartel... (because the US federal bank works wonders...)

The Free movement, tax alleviation, University access and other such means are not worth it when the core workings of society is all coalesced into hairy arse'd politicians in Brussels.

When people started to become disenchanted by the EU in the last few years, It was not a sign for the EU to start going into overdrive and going beyond its boundaries, now that creates hatred, which is a perfect atmosphere for European terror groups to start agitating the area again, I could almost say that it has already begun.

Europe either dials it back or we look elsewhere. (In my opinion)
 
Leaving the EU would be a terrible mistake for the UK.

The only thing that would save the British economy in such an event would be that the core EU countries would see it for the 'much more harm than good' scenario it undoubtedly would be for all concerned should UK to leave the single market, and would let us stay in that.

Even so, why does anyone in this country think leaving the EU would save this country money or make our lives any easier?

Repatriating all the powers and what not would necessarily either create a lot of 'home based' bureaucracy, or the UK would renege a lot of protections/laws/social benefits of being in the EU that I think people would very soon start to miss.

Either way, leaving the EU is really something that only people with no view of history other than "the frogs are cowards and the Germs are *******s" would ever think is a sensible idea in the 21st century. People need to remember that this debate wouldn't be happening if not for the financial crisis, Euro crisis and general global stagnation/recession/depression. The EU didn't cause this, it's major problems are symptoms of the former.

P.S. I'm not saying the EU is perfect or can't be made more democratic and accountable, it definitely can. Leaving is not the answer.
 
Cameron is a slimy toad and will say anything without the slightest inclination of actually carrying it through.
 
I can't think of anything worse than a referendum.

The majority of votes cast will be based on little if any actual research and mostly kneejerk and uninformed opinion often gathered from sections of the press. I find it genuinely scary that the future of our country may be decided in this way.
 
Leaving the EU would be a terrible mistake for the UK.

The only thing that would save the British economy in such an event would be that the core EU countries would see it for the 'much more harm than good' scenario it undoubtedly would be for all concerned should UK to leave the single market, and would let us stay in that.

Even so, why does anyone in this country think leaving the EU would save this country money or make our lives any easier?

Repatriating all the powers and what not would necessarily either create a lot of 'home based' bureaucracy, or the UK would renege a lot of protections/laws/social benefits of being in the EU that I think people would very soon start to miss.

Either way, leaving the EU is really something that only people with no view of history other than "the frogs are cowards and the Germs are *******s" would ever think is a sensible idea in the 21st century. People need to remember that this debate wouldn't be happening if not for the financial crisis, Euro crisis and general global stagnation/recession/depression. The EU didn't cause this, it's major problems are symptoms of the former.

P.S. I'm not saying the EU is perfect or can't be made more democratic and accountable, it definitely can. Leaving is not the answer.

I agree with this. With all its' flaws and bureaucracy the EU is still the best option for most people living in Britain. Leaving it would allow far too many powers which protect us to return to the hands of a government with absolutely no interest in the vast majority of our population.
 
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