Latest post of the previous page:
I'm not sure I understand why. Can you elaborate?Dave B wrote:Scrap the bloody Commission for a start?
Latest post of the previous page:
I'm not sure I understand why. Can you elaborate?Dave B wrote:Scrap the bloody Commission for a start?
Not really, just that most of the anger seems to be placed on the rules and regulations generated by the commission. Feels like our Civil Service being allowed to set a lot if the rules.Alan H wrote:I'm not sure I understand why. Can you elaborate?Dave B wrote:Scrap the bloody Commission for a start?
I think so! The 28 heads of EU Commission are appointed by the heads of Government of each State. In that sense they are 'unelected', but that's really pejorative: they are there to represent the Government and are not some secret, faceless, anonymous bunch of bureaucrats as is sometimes suggested. They really are the EU's equivalent of the UK's unelected, faceless, bureaucrats of Whitehall: we could no more get rid of the EU Commission than we could Whitehall as some Leavers might want.Dave B wrote:Not really, just that most of the anger seems to be placed on the rules and regulations generated by the commission. Feels like our Civil Service being allowed to set a lot if the rules.
Perhaps I am just caught up with the rhetoric and propaganda but the weight of "administration" seems to drag everything down.
That's where the other EU bodies come in.Crucially, the Commission has only a limited role in EU law-making. It can decide some less important rules, and in general it is the only institution that can propose new laws, but it doesn’t have the power to pass them on its own.
The language of calling them bureaucrats, unelected, etc, come from those opposed to the EU and from those who don't understand it!...many of the proposals that it brings forward have been requested by national political leaders. And there is no guarantee that a Commission proposal will become a law.
The authority to make law belongs to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
The Parliament is directly elected by EU citizens every five years. The Council of the European Union, sometimes called the Council of Ministers, is where representatives of all 28 member countries negotiate.
These two institutions debate, amend and pass EU law. Each one has a veto.
Put differently, a Commission proposal only becomes an EU law when it attracts the support of two majorities. It needs both a majority in the Council, representing at least 55% of EU countries and 65% of the EU population, and a majority in the Parliament.
Britain’s cats would vote to leave the EU but refuse to go out once the door was opened, they have announced.
Despite yowling desperately to be let out, they would take one look at the climate on the other side of the door before silently returning to the settee and licking themselves.
Attempts to force them through the door would be met by either entirely fake affection and purring or psychotic rage, pretty much at random.
Cats went on to reserve the right to keep asking to leave the EU every so often so they could take a look outside and see if it smelled interesting.
Local cat Snuffleman Purrliams told us that it was important to keep your options open, and if the post-Brexit world looked cold and unpleasant they’d go and check all the other exits as well.
EU President Tusk was nonplussed by the cat’s position.
“We usually say it’s better to have people inside the tent pissing out, but with a great big mangy ginger Tom we’ll make an exception.
“They just piss everywhere and it honks to high heaven.”
In related news, French cats have confirmed they’ll keep right on spitting at you and coming into your garden for a crap when the UK leaves or not.
Does it include dodgy deals?Dave B wrote:Irritating Dunce Smith has made a comment on PM that "little Switzerland" has done 60bn in "overseas" trade whilst the EU has done 6bn.
Um, is that just "extra-EU" trade or does it include trade within the "family"? Does Switzerland's figure include their trade with the EU?
Thus is the picture painted in murky tones.
He possibly included his mates' tax fund transactions.Alan H wrote:Does it include dodgy deals?Dave B wrote:Irritating Dunce Smith has made a comment on PM that "little Switzerland" has done 60bn in "overseas" trade whilst the EU has done 6bn.
Um, is that just "extra-EU" trade or does it include trade within the "family"? Does Switzerland's figure include their trade with the EU?
Thus is the picture painted in murky tones.
I made the mistake of watching a few minutes - that's all I could stand - of Channel 4's Brexit programme last night. Louise Mensch, Anne Widdecombe and as much heat and as little light as the dreadful BBC programmes (not that I watched that much of them either). I think the behaviour of the media is one of the main things that needs to be changed if we are ever going to have a decent, accountable Government.animist wrote:thanks for these great posts on the stupidity of Brexit, Alan. I have reposted many of them into Facebook, where sadly the level of intelligent discourse on this important topic is somewhat lower than here!