r/ukpolitics • u/TurboSardine • 13h ago
Think Tank Burnham's EU dreams would be an expensive nightmare
https://capx.co/burnhams-eu-dreams-would-be-an-expensive-nightmare15
u/Isollife 13h ago
From a think tank whose first sentence in their About page reads "In a world too often trending in the opposite direction, CapX exists to make the case for popular capitalism"
Hmm yes, the world is totally trending away from populism and capitalism, wish we had even more of that.
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 13h ago
We should really caveat that this is an opinion piece / commentary style article and not factual. Many of the points are up for debate and have been disproven, and typical of right leaning opinion pieces they will always be sceptical of the EU and regulations.
I also don't agree with one of the very first points which is that the EU would be overly punitive against us. That makes no sense. He's largely presented the worst case scenario of joining the EU and then described Burnham as opportunist in trying to win over lib dem and greens yet, is it opportunist when a majority in the country wants to rejoin the EU? I think that's unfair framing by the article personally.
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u/Proud-Mail-6432 13h ago
These people have been pumping this dross out for years. They’re the media arm for the shadily funded right wing think tank Centre for Policy Studies. They dishonestly pitched Brexit as being amazing and now that their lies have bumped into reality and they are seeing how wildly unpopular Brexit is they’re playing the “project fear” (ugh) card. There’s absolutely no substance to this entire article
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u/GrayAceGoose 10h ago
Well, that's your opinion, but in mine they're not going to treat us like the prodigal son - instead they'd probably want to teach us a painful lesson and make us punished pariah to set an example.
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 10h ago
And logically how do you get to that viewpoint?
Because it makes no sense to me to be overly punitive to a member whose come crawling back. Noone is assuming they're the prodigal son. The experience we've had is the deterrent and the fact that we want to rejoin is proof that countries are better in than out, making an example and punishing the UK is actually counter to their goal as it would likely mean we didn't rejoin. There's no logic in that approach. The EU is about self-interest; having the UK back serves that, removing red tape serves that, having the UK return serves that as a poster child for how bad it is outside of it.
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u/GrayAceGoose 9h ago
By not being a glutton for punishment, so logically it's not in my interest to crawl towards it. Afterall EU is about self-interest, and we did the worst thing possible: we left to persue our own. And for that we must be punished to teach us and the other countries a painful lesson. Regrettably I think our sins will never wash off, and like with slavery reparations or decolonising our guilt, nothing we do will ever be enough to quench their vengence. There's no fattened calf or rebate waiting for us, so the logcal thing to do is to become the poster child of how good it can be outside. 😎
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 8h ago
That doesn't explain how you get to the viewpoint that they would be overly punitive towards us. And speak for yourself on the rest, most of us are walking around feeling pretty clean.
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u/NataleNati Brownostalg 13h ago edited 11h ago
Brexit is already an expensive nightmare.
If we have to pick between expensive nightmares I’d much prefer the one that allows British SMEs to sell into the EU again.
Also ending the UK’s post-Brexit status as a “second chance” opportunity for migrants who’ve been rejected by the EU seems likely to help the small boat issue too - for those who care so much about that.
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u/squeezycheeseypeas 12h ago
Given how much people hate Brexit these rags are really desperate to spew out content like this to keep the last few people that think Brexit was a good idea on side and scare a few that were teetering.
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 12h ago
It's all aimed at the right wing voter anyway. None of this will convince centrist / left wing voters.
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u/squeezycheeseypeas 12h ago
Yeah you’re probably right but my mind went to the ones that had been convinced through their campaigning and now that reality has bitten and the disappointment is real they want to keep that group convinced. Think that may be a bit too subtle and too niche perhaps.
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 12h ago
That's fair. Hopefully people are a bit wiser to it these days after all the publication it for afterwards, especially Cambridge analytics, but that may also be wishful thinking. I think it's going to be at those fringe voters who don't know either way.
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u/B225AKP 13h ago edited 12h ago
Brexit was never legitimate.
The referendum was a non-binding advisory vote in which both main Vote Leave groups were found to have broken electoral law by the Electoral Commission, called by a reckless Prime Minister who abandoned his post immediately after.
He was eventually replaced by another reckless Prime Minister who not only took us out of the EU but also took us out of the Customs Union and Single Market, which were not mentioned in the referendum question; the British public were never consulted about leaving the Customs Union or Single Market.
It was illegitimate, a costly mistake, and anti-democratic.
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12h ago
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u/AnalThermometer 9h ago
Rejoining has become a populist position to avoid difficult decisions. All the real problems the UK face are self-made and fixable by Parliament alone, very boring ones about planning laws and debt repayment that don't make good soundbites. Burnham wants the EU debate because it's frankly easier than facing up to structural issues that can't be solved within his time.
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u/Apprehensive-Bid-740 12h ago
To rejoin The EU, The UK would have to impose mass austerity to get its debt down and deficit below 3% because of EU rules - stability and growth pact.
How would rejoiners swing this in a campaign ?
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 12h ago
That's not actually true. It's part of the convergence criteria but not an absolute barrier to accession.
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u/Apprehensive-Bid-740 12h ago
You just said it's part of the convergence criteria - so is it true or untrue ? Rejoining The EU means austerity. We imposed austerity before based on EU recommendations.
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 12h ago
It's not true which i just said. Croatia joined in 2013 with a 5%+ deficit. The EU's Maastricht criteria target a deficit of 3% or lower for countries adopting the euro, new member states are not forced to meet this exact threshold on day one of joining. No the EU doesn't mean austerity, anymore of the right wing in government will mean austerity.
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u/Apprehensive-Bid-740 12h ago
You babbling. Rejoining The EU means imposing austerity. You're denying the truth.
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u/CuriousGeorgeToday 12h ago
Presents the facts is babbling? Okay, just because it doesn't fit your lie, sure pal. Right wing equals austerity.
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