6 ms·

I think Cameron was absolutely certain the result would be remain. Unfortunately for him, the nation and the Tory party it wasn't.

Asooka 10y ago
It might be good for them to cool off for a couple of decades and rejoin. It's not like Britain is dependent on EU subsidies or anything.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  It's subtle. The UK is a net contributor to the EU, but it also has the financial center of the EU in London. On top of that some areas of the UK are net recipients of EU money, others are contributors. Losing the financial center alone may already tip the balance out of favor, and for some areas (notably Scotland) the loss will be much larger. Back of the envelope has the UK in worse shape without the EU and access to their market than with. Regardless of what will happen now, the UK will lose the financial center (it will most likely end up in Frankfurt am Main), Scotland will secede from the UK and will apply (assuming a majority votes for that proposal) to the EU as an independent entity, much like Ireland. The one thing this referendum has already achieved is that the position of the UK on the world stage is marginalized further.
  - noir_lord 10y ago
    Simply put, London hands over money to the EU which hands most of it back to regions that London wouldn't have handed the money to in the first place (Scotland, North of England, Wales...somewhat ironically since many of them voted leave..). I think the reason we are no longer part of the EU is in part bad PR on the part of the EU on what it actually did. Which is why "what is the EU/what does the EU do" type queries have trended on google after the referendum. People suddenly wondering how fucked/non-fucked we are since the result.
  - BrutallyHonest 10y ago
    And of course, Hong Kong and Singapore will also stop being financial centres, since they haven't been in the EU to begin with.
    - matthewmacleod 10y ago
      That's disingenuous and you know it. One of the main attractions of London as a banking centre is its EU membership. Sure, there are others, but it seems extremely likely that companies will relocate because they judge access to the EU market as more important.
      - BrutallyHonest 10y ago
        Possibly, although I wouldn't rush it. Worth seeing which countries will remain in the EU by the time UK finalises the exit.
        gggggggggg 10y ago
        There might not be a UK by the time the exit is finalized, that is the brutally honest subject of this thread.
        _9MOTHER9HORSE 10y ago
        There might not be an EU by the time Scotland gets a vote to secede and begins an application to join the EU. Fascinating time to be alive.
        cygx 10y ago
        There might not be an EU by the time Scotland gets a vote to secede Doubtful: As long as France and Germany are on board, the EU will survive in some fashion. The comment[1] of German economist Max Otte[2] regarding the British vote? Good riddance, now we can stop accomodating UK sensibilities. Also remember, when the UK wanted to join the EEC? De Gaulle sent them packing twice... [1] http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/otte-interview-zu-brexit-101.html http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/otte-interview-zu-brexit... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Otte https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Otte

Asooka 10y ago

It might be good for them to cool off for a couple of decades and rejoin. It's not like Britain is dependent on EU subsidies or anything.

jacquesm 10y ago
It's subtle. The UK is a net contributor to the EU, but it also has the financial center of the EU in London. On top of that some areas of the UK are net recipients of EU money, others are contributors. Losing the financial center alone may already tip the balance out of favor, and for some areas (notably Scotland) the loss will be much larger. Back of the envelope has the UK in worse shape without the EU and access to their market than with. Regardless of what will happen now, the UK will lose the financial center (it will most likely end up in Frankfurt am Main), Scotland will secede from the UK and will apply (assuming a majority votes for that proposal) to the EU as an independent entity, much like Ireland. The one thing this referendum has already achieved is that the position of the UK on the world stage is marginalized further.
- noir_lord 10y ago
  Simply put, London hands over money to the EU which hands most of it back to regions that London wouldn't have handed the money to in the first place (Scotland, North of England, Wales...somewhat ironically since many of them voted leave..). I think the reason we are no longer part of the EU is in part bad PR on the part of the EU on what it actually did. Which is why "what is the EU/what does the EU do" type queries have trended on google after the referendum. People suddenly wondering how fucked/non-fucked we are since the result.
- BrutallyHonest 10y ago
  And of course, Hong Kong and Singapore will also stop being financial centres, since they haven't been in the EU to begin with.
  - matthewmacleod 10y ago
    That's disingenuous and you know it. One of the main attractions of London as a banking centre is its EU membership. Sure, there are others, but it seems extremely likely that companies will relocate because they judge access to the EU market as more important.
    - BrutallyHonest 10y ago
      Possibly, although I wouldn't rush it. Worth seeing which countries will remain in the EU by the time UK finalises the exit.
      - gggggggggg 10y ago
        There might not be a UK by the time the exit is finalized, that is the brutally honest subject of this thread.
        _9MOTHER9HORSE 10y ago
        There might not be an EU by the time Scotland gets a vote to secede and begins an application to join the EU. Fascinating time to be alive.
        cygx 10y ago
        There might not be an EU by the time Scotland gets a vote to secede Doubtful: As long as France and Germany are on board, the EU will survive in some fashion. The comment[1] of German economist Max Otte[2] regarding the British vote? Good riddance, now we can stop accomodating UK sensibilities. Also remember, when the UK wanted to join the EEC? De Gaulle sent them packing twice... [1] http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/otte-interview-zu-brexit-101.html http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/otte-interview-zu-brexit... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Otte https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Otte