Originally Posted by omnidirectional:
“If we remain in the EEA like Norway and Iceland (and we'll almost certainly have to, to protect banks and businesses) the UK will still be subject so EU law in certain areas, we just won't have any influence over it. Norway must implement around 20%-30% of EU laws and allow freedom of movement in order to access the single market.
Those voting leave to "get our democracy back" or "stop immigration" will be left disappointed, and have probably just made things even less democratic by removing our say and influence over the EU.”
Norway are consulted on EU regulation. They may not have a final vote but I think you'll find that ours never did us much good anyway.
I totally agree that many Brexit voters are going to be disappointed that we are not building a wall, tying union jack hankerchiefs around our heads and going off to Margate for a lovely whites only holiday but those people are idiots. Me, I was looking to vote remain until I did a LOT of research and listened to a lot of wise people from all political parties and in the end had to vote leave. I simply could not accept the creeping takeover of member states. It'll be income tax next, you'll see. Bit by bit they are being absorbed into this mess. The EU is like a Boa Constrictor. You breathe in and they take up the gap.
We will be EEA / EFTA and we will access the single market and we will still have free movement. We will still pay a fee to access the market which is fair enough. Just like eBay or Amazon charge a fee to sell on theirs. No problem with that. No problem with free movement. If our youngsters won't pick fruit, we need someone who will. 99% of these seasonal workers come here, carry out a job we need doing and take their pay home. That is fine. Very few attempt to get a council house and claim £40k a week in benefits. If most of the UK youth are too classy or lazy to vote, never mind work, good luck to anyone who wants to earn the money.
That is my hope but there are so many more benefits. We get to cut out own deals with any other country around the globe, outside of EU fumbling. We can sell lamb to Japan or basil to Brazil or condoms to Canada and pay the EU nothing. We no longer have the Supreme Court overseeing our own justice system. We get to set our VAT. We will no longer be responsible for the debts of others and there is much, much more. At the end of the day, if the single market goes belly up, we won't be caught up in it too much.
It's a shame that idiots voted leave for racist reasons. I fully accept that this element of the vote probably tipped the balance and that is depressing. But it doesn't mean everyone who voted leave is a racist or a bigot or ignorant. I voted with a clear idea of what I was voting for and I'm a bit fed up with people suggesting I'm an ignorant bigot. I'm not and as far as I can see, most of the hysteria comes from people who don't actually have a clue what they are on about. Despite the insults, I would no include Mr Faust in that category.