Nice to know that the money we put into Ireland wasn't wasted, maybe they might pay us back in a few years, if they are now doing so well. Cant argue with statistics, and never will, too easily bent to whatever you want to make them, just ask a politician, they just love stats. Best to look and see what is actually going on around you.
Yeah agree, Cameron brought him over to back him up. Not much of a back up bearing in mind he will be in the dole queue in about 7 months
Sorry Pete, David Cameron didn't bring him over to back him up at all. Actually he's on a farewell tour of the World. He'd have been here wether this was going on or not.
Does Dave really want us to stay? His negotiations were woeful. Surely his advisers would have told him not to tell the world that he hopes we stay in, even while negotiations are on going. Surely his advisers tell him how us peasants tick, and that by insulting us all the time we'll just do the opposite. But then I don't know, because he's seen how we laugh at Nige and Boz. Perhaps it's just one big show to take our minds off TTIP.
I definitely think your mate Dave, (not on first name terms myself), wants to stay in, he has all along. His "negotiations" were woeful, but that's because he didn't want to ask for too much as he knew he would have got two fingers, so they made it look like tough negotiations for our benefit. I still think the out campaign is sunk already, just a few odd balls on the out side, along with people being threatened that their jobs are on the line. Most will just vote for the status quo when it comes down to it. And I dont mean those two blokes who play guitars,.........badly.
Yep. Probably right. We must remember that public opinion counts for nothing when it's time to vote. Somehow, no matter how much people bleat on about what they will do, they always seem to do otherwise when it comes down to it.
Yeah but would he have made the same speech He might be on a farewell tour, but he's doing his best to tell us how to vote. Perhaps when he gets back home Latin America will have taken over the US, with a bit of luck.
I don't think he's telling us how to vote, he's stating his opinion. I think a lot of people are being just a tad hypocritical over this....... Aren't our press, politicians etc doing the same thing with regards to the Donald Trump for President campaign. I seem to recall a lot of people trying to ban him from entering the UK. PS.... I am not in anyway endorsing Donald Trump I think he's one of the biggest idiots that ever walked the planet.
Thing I get from it is he is stating the US opinion, not his personal opinion. And from that I get he is saying to the people of the UK, vote out, and we dont want to know you anymore. What the hell was all that about the second world war. The EU didn't exist then. Or did it, oh yes it did, just in a different form, and we didn't want to belong to it then either.
I think what Obama is saying is, anywhere where the US has ever been to war, they own a stake in. It's a good strategy in a way. Given how keen they seem to be to meddle, they must own shares in almost the whole world by now. To be fair though. He is absolutely right about one thing at least. He has the right to express his opinion. I'd be utterly ashamed to be British if we were to try to take that away. Especially from an ally, and especially when we freely grant the right to have an opinion to convicted terrorists like that Abu hamza geezer we used to host.
I agree with you, Clueless, Obama has as much right to comment on the EU as anyone else. Whether we take any note of his views, either way, is a matter for us to decide. I like Obama, he's smart, politically socially minded, articulate, and intelligent, but I don't agree with him on this matter. In fact, to my surprise, I read his comments as saying that America regarded us as a medium/tool for dealing with the EU and that if we were out of the EU then we would be given the same regard as a Banana Country and that we would be at the back of the queue when it came to trade relations While, to be honest, I don't think our Special Relationship is as valuable or as strong as it used to be I took the statement of "back of the queue to mean that it meant even less to the American Government. As far as I can see, in reality, the trade agreements with the EU will have to continue because Business and Economic workings don't just stop because of the Politicians otherwise the damage to the EU would be self inflicted. So I believe that Businesses will ignore the Politicians flapping around and they will follow the money......which in this case is, carry on as normal.
His whole speech was to back up Cameron, its so easy to see that they are closing ranks. As to a Banana Republic, dont rely on me,mine only flower occasionally.
I agree, Pete, but again I am surprised that Obama allowed himself to be "show boated" by Cameron unless he really does believe that having the ability to use the UK as a tool to communicate with the EU is valuable to America. But my stance on that is that, as an independent country, maybe it's time to stop our UK Politicians being subservient politically to the US and ignore the obvious pressure being applied which will only serve to benefit US interests rather than ours. Our trade with the US is not that great to be honest, because we export around £4.5 Billion to them and we import around the same from them. If we leave the EU, we'll still be in NATO, the longstanding security arrangements and exchange of information will carry on as none of the European countries could afford, security wise, to stop co-operating with the UK Security Services.
I agree that O'bama (he's actually Irish ) is entitled to come here and give his point of view. I think his speech was articulate, well presented and made some good points. So, now he can butt out of our decisions! The point that really made me laugh was when he said we would be towards the back of the queue and that they would be concentrating on the EU. This implied that we wouldn't be able to negotiate anything until the EU deal had gone through and, possibly, other deals. So what happened to being able to negotiate more than one deal at a time with more than one country? In normal business you are dealing with lots of suppliers and customers at the same time. He's trying the good old Flimflam
I think what irks me the most about the way the mainstream media are handling the current Obama comments is that they didn't have a peep to say against it when he did the same thing in the Independence referendum, but are now fairly browning their breeches about it. If it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander, media-types!