[Osem]

Originally Posted by Chris

Norway's deal was built on the assumption that Norway was going to join the EU. It was drawn up by a political class that was all in favour of membership. The pesky electorate went and vetoed the idea of joining the EU and that was the end of that.

The point, however, is that Norway negotiated its own deal, as did Switzerland, based on what each of them wanted from the EU, what the EU wanted from them, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each side.

The UK is neither Norway nor Switzerland and a post-membership deal between the UK and the EU would not ape either of them. It would be designed to fit the UK's needs, and the EU's needs, and would reflect the relative strengths and weaknesses of each.

IIRC, right now, the UK (5th biggest economy in the world, jus' sayin') is growing strongly and its prospects are looking rather shinier than the EU's. And I can't see, for example, BMW or VW putting up with any threat of import tariffs. I suspect access to the common market on favourable terms will be pretty easy to come by and, let's face it, that is exactly what most people who are old enough to have voted in the last referendum thought they were getting.

Yes, I think the UK is in a far stronger bargaining position than might easily have been the case not that long ago. Being tied too closely to the EU is a bad thing politically and economically. Time to call their bluff, get out and start building a new future with more control over our own affairs methinks.