Scandinavia and the World
Scandinavia and the World

Comments #9501703:


It's nothing 7 7, 11:48pm

@Pancoleon

Strange that you compare the House of Lords to the European Parliament when the European Commission exists. Seems more sensible to compare like for like.

The House of Commons and European Parliament are both forms of proportional representation based on direct votes of the population. (MEPs marginally less directly so, due to differences in election proceedures between EU member states)

Whilst the House of Lords and European Commission are both (somewhat indirectly) appointed by the elected representatives of the House of Commons or European Parliament and thereafter cannot be dismissed except by one of their own peers. Sure the same arguments against the EC are largely applicable to the House of Lords, but the ongoing debate about UK electoral reform and the House of Lords doesn't preclude applying those same ideals elsewhere in the meantime.

And yep, a large number of trade deals that previously had to be routed through EU will have to be rewritten, but that was largely the point. They can be rewritten more specifically to the needs of the British markets rather than the messy opposing mix of needs that make up the gross EU market, whether that benefits more or less than the added bargaining power of the EU is yet to be seen, but to claim that it's definitely a negative is overreaching at this point.

Likewise, British imports from the EU exceeded British exports to the EU by £34 billion in the first quarter of 2016. Therefore any impediments or delays in continuing UK/EU trade is going to leave EU citizens more out of pocket than UK ones, that's a sizable incentive and bargaining chip in the UK's favour when that negotiation begins.

And finally, the idea that a government supported by an outside union is somehow less able to resist the will of its people than an independent one is patently false. A government can be denied it's power by the concerted will of the people governed, but if it's able to call on outside resources it can still use that power, be it financial, political or physical to quash the interests of the people for its own, and those of it's sponsor. The third world is unfortunately rife with history of brutal dictators and puppet governments formed on that very principle and it's why colonialism is now a dirty word rather than something to aspire to. The British government isn't inherently more, or less, corruptible than the EU, but there's a whole lot more the British people can do to fix the British government than they can the EU.