Watching the bbc this morning........

[gasbanni]

A very switched on correspondent was saying the EU will be harsh with Britain in an attempt to dissuade other countries from holding referendums.

She was also saying the Brussels wasn't happy with the result because of the weak euro..........If the EU is such a fantastic institution why is the euro weak ?

I have absolutely no doubt that sterling will fluctuate and drop a little but very soon as the EU falters and Greece and Spain need bailouts sterling will be seen as a safe haven and flourish.
In the meantime if the pound drops it's good for exports.

THIS SCEPTERED ISLE THIS ENGLAND IS NOW FREE AND STRONG.

 

[bernardgreen]

I can't help comparing the way the UK set about quitting the EU with the way that Hungary and Czechoslovakia tried to quit the Warsaw Pact.

the EU will be harsh with Britain in an attempt to dissuade other countries from holding referendums

The diplomats at the EU will be fighting to maintain the EU "government system" which provides them and many thousands of staff with an income.

 

[JohnD]

I can't help comparing the way the UK set about quitting the EU with the way that Hungary and Czechoslovakia tried to quit the Warsaw Pact.

Yes, the comparison does highlight the differences.

Joining:
Hungary and Czechoslovakia were fought through during war, and ended up being occupied by a foreign army under the orders of a dictator.
Britain joined voluntarily when, after a great deal of open debate, the democratically elected government considered it would be to the nation's benefit.

Leaving:
To prevent them leaving, Hungary and Czechoslovakia were re-invaded by a foreign army and the political leaders were imprisoned.
Britain held two referenda, and will be using the agreed process to give notice of resignation, and orderly rearrangements will be agreed by all the democratic nations involved.

As you say, comparing the differences does show that they are so vastly dissimilar. Thank heavens we had the EU experience and not the Soviet experience.

 

[bernardgreen]

and ended up being occupied by a foreign army under the orders of a dictator.

the "occupation" was Warsaw Pact troops positioned to defend the Warsaw Pact countries from aggression by NATO. The countries were ruled by puppet governments who had to follow the policies set in stone by the leaders of the Warsaw Pact.

The similarity of UK government complying with policies set in stone by the leaders of the EU is there.

It took violent uprisings to defeat the puppet government when people wanted to legally quit the Warsaw Pact.

 

[JohnD]

Oh Bernard, you are funny.

 

[Himaginn]

The similarity of UK government complying with policies set in stone by the leaders of the EU is there.

Hilarious! If the policies were not set out, you'd be moaning about vague and shifting policies.
I think, as far as you're concerned, the EU is damned if it does, and damned if it don't.

 

[bernardgreen]

Hilarious! If the policies were not set out, you'd be moaning about vague and shifting policies.

Policies set by the Warsaw Pact were for the good of the most powerful country, no prizes for guessing which one that was.

Policies set by the EU were for the general good of the majority of member countries but could be adverse to some countries. A country can have stable polcies with them being controlled by the concensus of several other countries.

 

[cjard]

The diplomats at the EU will be fighting to maintain the EU "government system" which provides them and many thousands of staff with an income.

You mean the smaller-than-Birmingingham-city-council set of civil servants that comprise said system?

 

[Himaginn]

A country can have stable polcies with them being controlled by the concensus of several other countries.

Yes, I suppose it kind of works in Iraq.

 

[bernardgreen]

You mean the smaller-than-Birmingingham-city-council set of civil servants that comprise said system?

How many employees in Birmingham City Council that are directly involved with the management of the city ?


By Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter 10:45PM GMT 11 Jan 2014
It is perhaps the most outlandish of the European Union’s excesses; a £130 million travelling circus that once a month sees the European Parliament decamp from Belgium to France.
Over the course of the weekend, some 2,500 plastic trunks will be loaded on to five lorries and driven almost 300 miles from Brussels to Strasbourg.
On Monday, about 1,000 politicians, officials and translators will then make the same journey on two specially chartered trains hired at taxpayers’ expense.
A few thousand more will go to Strasbourg by other means, as the European Parliament switches from Brussels, its permanent base, to its “official” home in northern France.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Nick Gutteridge
PUBLISHED: 18:59, Thu, Mar 24, 2016 | UPDATED: 19:31, Thu, Mar 24, 2016

For the first time, the full detail of this “madness”, contained in official European documents, can be disclosed today by The Telegraph – and the price to taxpayers is astonishing.

Critics said that, if Brussels cannot even pass a reform upon which its MEPs are overwhelmingly agreed, it is impossible that more meaningful changes will ever get off the ground.

THE farcical travelling circus which sees the European Parliament move between Brussels and Strasbourg every month has now cost British taxpayers up to a mind boggling £300 MILLION, it can be revealed today.
Under the current scheme all of Brussels' 751 MEPs along with their papers and official documents are carted between the Belgian capital and Strasbourg, 400 kilometres away, every month.
British workers are forking out eye watering sums of money every day on the ridiculous vanity project, which was only ever set up to stroke France's bruised ego.
It is believed that France would block such a move out of spite, leading to the current impasse which has already seen more than an estimated £2 BILLION pounds poured down the drain.
The outrageous largesse has been blasted as yet another sign that David Cameron's much vaunted promise to secure reform of the EU is unachievable
Despite MEPs repeatedly voting to stop the folly nothing has changed, because ending the madness would require a treaty change agreed by all 28 member states.
Tory MEPs have estimated the cost of the gargantuan operation at around £130 million every year, which includes £250,000 for transporting documents, £2.5 million for relocating translators and £1 million for extra catering services.
An official EU report estimated the cost at slightly less - around £93 million a year - but even that figure would mean the scheme has cost £1.7 billion

 

[Himaginn]

No-one says the EU is perfect. All governments have their peculiarities and the EU is no different. But it doesn't bother us anymore.
Like everything else, the report exaggerates, it's 114 million Euros, not £130.
That doesn't excuse it but it does highlight the typical twisting of facts practiced by Eurosceptics.
Additionally, that 114 Euros is the annual cost, not the intimated monthly exaggerated cost suggested by the article.

Roughly €114 million is spent every year to move the European Parliament between its Brussels and Strasbourg seats every month, according to a new assessment by the European Court of Auditors. EurActiv Germany reports.

http://www.euractiv.com/section/fut...price-tag-on-eu-parliament-travelling-circus/

 

[gasbanni]

You mean the smaller-than-Birmingingham-city-council set of civil servants that comprise said system?

How many employees in Birmingham City Council that are directly involved with the management of the city ?


By Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter 10:45PM GMT 11 Jan 2014
It is perhaps the most outlandish of the European Union’s excesses; a £130 million travelling circus that once a month sees the European Parliament decamp from Belgium to France.
Over the course of the weekend, some 2,500 plastic trunks will be loaded on to five lorries and driven almost 300 miles from Brussels to Strasbourg.
On Monday, about 1,000 politicians, officials and translators will then make the same journey on two specially chartered trains hired at taxpayers’ expense.
A few thousand more will go to Strasbourg by other means, as the European Parliament switches from Brussels, its permanent base, to its “official” home in northern France.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Nick Gutteridge
PUBLISHED: 18:59, Thu, Mar 24, 2016 | UPDATED: 19:31, Thu, Mar 24, 2016

For the first time, the full detail of this “madness”, contained in official European documents, can be disclosed today by The Telegraph – and the price to taxpayers is astonishing.

Critics said that, if Brussels cannot even pass a reform upon which its MEPs are overwhelmingly agreed, it is impossible that more meaningful changes will ever get off the ground.

THE farcical travelling circus which sees the European Parliament move between Brussels and Strasbourg every month has now cost British taxpayers up to a mind boggling £300 MILLION, it can be revealed today.
Under the current scheme all of Brussels' 751 MEPs along with their papers and official documents are carted between the Belgian capital and Strasbourg, 400 kilometres away, every month.
British workers are forking out eye watering sums of money every day on the ridiculous vanity project, which was only ever set up to stroke France's bruised ego.
It is believed that France would block such a move out of spite, leading to the current impasse which has already seen more than an estimated £2 BILLION pounds poured down the drain.
The outrageous largesse has been blasted as yet another sign that David Cameron's much vaunted promise to secure reform of the EU is unachievable
Despite MEPs repeatedly voting to stop the folly nothing has changed, because ending the madness would require a treaty change agreed by all 28 member states.
Tory MEPs have estimated the cost of the gargantuan operation at around £130 million every year, which includes £250,000 for transporting documents, £2.5 million for relocating translators and £1 million for extra catering services.
An official EU report estimated the cost at slightly less - around £93 million a year - but even that figure would mean the scheme has cost £1.7 billion

Where's JohnP and heraginn when you need them.........let's hear their crowing about how this is sensible

 

[blightymam]

No-one says the EU is perfect. All governments have their peculiarities and the EU is no different. But it doesn't bother us anymore.
Like everything else, the report exaggerates, it's 114 million Euros, not £130.
That doesn't excuse it but it does highlight the typical twisting of facts practiced by Eurosceptics.
Additionally, that 114 Euros is the annual cost, not the intimated monthly exaggerated cost suggested by the article.

Roughly €114 million is spent every year to move the European Parliament between its Brussels and Strasbourg seats every month, according to a new assessment by the European Court of Auditors. EurActiv Germany reports.

http://www.euractiv.com/section/fut...price-tag-on-eu-parliament-travelling-circus/

You're right, it doesn't excuse it regardless if it's in euros or sterling. The point has been made.
Perhaps if they'd not wasted a hell of a lot of money in the first place then it wouldn't have been ammo for the brexit campaign. So who's really to blame here?