this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2025
67 points (100.0% liked)

UK Politics

3309 readers
241 users here now

General Discussion for politics in the UK.
Please don't post to both !uk_politics@feddit.uk and !unitedkingdom@feddit.uk .
Pick the most appropriate, and put it there.

Posts should be related to UK-centric politics, and should be either a link to a reputable news source for news, or a text post on this community.

Opinion pieces are also allowed, provided they are not misleading/misrepresented/drivel, and have proper sources.

If you think "reputable news source" needs some definition, by all means start a meta thread. (These things should be publicly discussed)

Posts should be manually submitted, not by bot. Link titles should not be editorialised.

Disappointing comments will generally be left to fester in ratio, outright horrible comments will be removed.
Message the mods if you feel something really should be removed, or if a user seems to have a pattern of awful comments.

!ukpolitics@lemm.ee appears to have vanished! We can still see cached content from this link, but goodbye I guess! :'(

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Should we try to bolster our friendship with Europe?

The author claims that the UK government "must unambiguously launch talks on a big, expansive trade deal with the EU coupled with a deal on European defence".

Do you agree?

all 31 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Nacktmull@lemmy.world 42 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

If there just was a union of european countries to be part of, that would be perfect ... oh wait.

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

UK should rejoin EU ASAP. Ideally 6 months ago.

[–] Tagger@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

I mean, ideally 5 years ago

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Should we try to bolster our friendship with Europe?

I once had a girlfriend who started acting like a little bitch, created much drama and dumped me for no good reason. Then she tried to come back to me a few months later. Can you guess what I told her to do? It rhymes with "thereof".

Hint hint Britain.

[–] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 29 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Holding a grudge is for losers. UK is more than welcome to rejoin as far as I'm concerned, speaking as a Swede.

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

Agreed and I feel like people are sleepwalking on this. Between Russian agression and concerns from the USA and China - we shouldn't just be welcoming the UK, we should be working hard to bring them back to the fold. If the EU want to keep living in a world where the EU is possible, they've got to start making stronger efforts to protect and shape it.

[–] Eril@feddit.org 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Agreed, but none of the goodies they had last time around. Take it all or leave it 🤷

[–] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

I'd say anything's negotiable, really. No need to limit ourselves from either side of the table.

[–] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] bitchkat@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

If you can take a ferry to the EU from Canada, you should be able to join.

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 month ago

Well, I don't care either way personally. I'm just saying, not everybody is ready to welcome them back, should they so desire.

[–] SleafordMod@feddit.uk 15 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The UK doesn't need to necessarily jump straight back into EU membership. There are other ways we can work together with Europe. Maybe at some point the UK government will consider rejoining the EU customs union and/or single market.

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

There are other ways we can work together with Europe.

My point was, Europe may not want to interact with a fickle country like the UK anymore than necessary again. They probably don't need the aggravation.

[–] SouthEndSunset@lemm.ee 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Who could blame them? Lots of European people take a “you made your bed, lie in it” attitude. When we were in the EU, we were in on excellent terms, which will no longer be available, which will be a hard pill to swallow for many.

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Lots of European people take a “you made your bed, lie in it” attitude.

The problem is, lots of Europeans also think the UK shat their bed, then got up and left. That's not easy to forgive.

[–] The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org 6 points 1 month ago

Still, it is better to forgive but not forget. The deals that lie in the future will....should benefit EU more and will have to have safeguards against parties in power throwing tantrums for selfish gains.

[–] SouthEndSunset@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

Made their bed, shat in it, and in many cases refuse to leave/accept it’s a bad situation. I can understand Europeans who won’t forgive. I was fucking heartbroken when I woke up that morning and found out Leave had won. I wouldn’t shut up about what a stupid idea it was, on social networks and real life.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Not my view for what it's worth. I'd happily welcome the UK back in.

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

EU would definitely need a firm commitment this time.

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Yes and readmission should certainly include things that they didn't insist on before, thing that made it easier for the UK to leave - common currency and the like.

[–] SleafordMod@feddit.uk 5 points 1 month ago

True, they probably don't want more aggravation, but they may well be open to closer co-operation on defence for example, which the article mentions.

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

There are other ways we can work together with Europe

Like EEA membership.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It rhymes with "thereof".

...clear...off?

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago

Exactly! 🙂

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

CANZUK cough cough

[–] futatorius@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

That's an excellent idea. Undo Brexit, and strengthen NATO so it can survive the inevitable Trump back-stab.

[–] ShareMySims@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Ah, yes, continuing to prioritise economy over society, and even humanity, that's sure to start working out (for anyone other than the billionaires in power) any fucking day now... 🙄

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

If your economy is in chaos, you'll quickly find yourself unable to care for society.

Healthcare, pensions, other benefits, infrastructure, schooling, law enforcement, fire services... the list goes on.

And I'm not sure what you mean by continue to prioritise economy. The economy hasn't been prioritised in a long while. Brexit, covid handling, slashing infrastructure spending, etc have been awful for the economy.

The only way out of the mess we're in is to make meaningful steps in improving the economy.

[–] SleafordMod@feddit.uk 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

We need a good economy so we can afford things like the NHS, but yes the economy ideally would benefit every Brit, rather than just a few rich people.

[–] ShareMySims@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

No, we need to abolish capitalism so we can have free access to healthcare (and food, water, shelter), not to continue playing by the rules set out for us by those who profit from commodifying our basic needs and human rights.