"Not sure about going back into to EU as a full member yet.."The problem with the EU is that there is only one class of membership - and that requires members to sign up to "ever-closer union" and, at least for new members, the euro. It will be interesting to see how Croatia gets on now they have been forced to introduce the euro and join the Schengen area. Yes, the UK managed to achieve opt-outs from some of the more burdensome requirements, but many europhiles saw them only as a temporary delay - Tony Blair, having signed up to unrestricted free movement of people, would have also had us in the euro if Gordon Brown had not restrained him. So governments of both parties went on signing away various elements of our sovereignty and ability to control our own affairs, without any of them acknowledging the need to seek a mandate for doing so - even when the Labour manifesto had promised to hold a referendum before signing up to the Treaty of Lisbon, they went ahead and did so without the promised referendum. David Cameron was snubbed by Brussels when he asked for concessions that he could take to the British electorate for approval, and so when a referendum was finally granted, it was a once-in-a-generation chance to stop things going any further. If the powers-that-be in Brussels would only accept that their desire for ever-closer union is not shared by the people of many of their member nations, then there might be a chance of setting up different levels of membership, with some nations being primarily part of a free trade grouping, while others continued towards some form of federalism. There should nevertheless be a requirement that every individual nation should approve any new arrangements by a referendum every time the goalposts get moved.
Richard Greenhough ● 1356d