No one wants to trigger any referendums until the crisis is long over. Look at the horrendous figures – 64% youth unemployment in Greece, 42% in Portugal – so who would expect anything but a raspberry to any question that is asked.
The EU is out of favour – no surprise in a crisis worsened by austerity policies that leave rich Germany angry at paying for poor nations, and poor countries outraged at what is imposed on them in the name of a failed economic theory.
These seem to be the arguments as to why we should stay in.
Eh?
“But reasons to stay are blindingly clear. US banks and financiers only stay in the City as a gateway to the EU. Japanese car-makers are only here to trade in the EU. President Obama sent an envoy to warn Cameron that a “bridge” to the US was useless if the UK were outside the EU. Cameron presides over the G8 soon, where a long needed EU-US trade deal will bring tariffs tumbling: the UK alone can never win such a deal.”
That’s right, the EU is great because it’s best for the City and for globalisation. Pollylogic!
So, no referendum until the crisis is over, and then no referendum because it isn’t needed, there’s no crisis anymore!
Also, if US banks are only here for the Euro and Europe, why don’t they, er, go to Europe?
By Polly’s logic, John Major should have cancelled the election in 1997, because anti-Conservative sentiment had peaked.
…..President Obama sent an envoy to warn Cameron that a “bridge” to the US was useless if the UK were outside the EU……
So being in the EU enables us to be a better vassal of Uncle Sam!
Unusual argument for a lefty.
To be honest I stopped counting the number of unusual arguments for a lefty here.
I had a very similar argument made to me by a transnational bureaucrat – apparently withdrawal from the EU would cost us our UN Security Council Seat, for example. However, whilst an argument couched in UN influence terms might carry some weight, Toynbee’s arguments, which are , as Serf (#5) points out are unusual for a Marxist, appear to hinge on Foreign relations/ External Investment.
Why thus, if we need these ‘US financiers’ is she supporting the ‘Courageous State’ which will set the top tax rate at 85% and thus shut down every single US banking operation in the City? Why, if being in the EU is so crucial is the second largest banking sector located on the continent happily sat outside it? From the gallery came there silence! I would say that I have retweeted this a few times- it could bring yet more voters into the UKIP camp, bemused by the author’s incoherence and repelled by her unrepentant Stalinism
Van_Patterson, did you tell him that the UK has the UN seat by right and that the EU wants to take it from us to give to them?
According to John Brignell at Numberwatch.
A Toynbee: An egregious failure of logic. Constant repetition is known as a polytoynbee
Leaving that gang of tyrants and murderers known as “The UN” would be as much of a blessing as leaving the EU. Richard North at EU Referendum blog has several articles pointing out that the increasingly obnoxious and anti-freedom international “law” treatys are being put forward at the UN level, even above the EU themselves. Anti-gun, anti-vitamin and pro-green/ pro-femminazi crap emerges from the UNhumans constantly. Being in the EU the UKs voice is muted as one of 27, controlled by the EU brass. As a separate nation we would have one full vote and the power to tell them to stuff their crap altogether.
We should withdraw from the Security council and “return” our chair by sending them a toilet seat as a token of the esteem of free people everywhere.
Mr Ecks (#10)
You’re absolutely right – the UN is seriously underrated when it comes to imposing transnational bureaucracies on unwitting populaces. I would certainly put it behind the EU in terms of current annoyance but it has the potential to become far worse. Many in the fashionable glitterati are apt to poke fun at some of the ‘right wing’ loons who see one world governmental conspiracies and a ‘New World Order’ but there may be more than the odd kernel of truth in what they are saying…
I think she is just concerned about the fate of the poor benighted Tuscan villa owners if we pull out.
@Kevin
I am poor, benighted and a (sort of) villa owner in Tuscany and I can assure you that polly fucking fascist toynbee doesn’t speak for me….
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