http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-19941383

Another potential nightmare for Clegg?

This is more of a problem for Cameron. He is less Eurosceptic than his party. This is to avoid losing more support to UKIP.

As if the Tories haven't trashed the economy enough as it is, now they want to withdraw from the EU and introduce barriers to trade?

You can't trade with the EU without meeting the requirements of EU directives and regulations anyway, so the only thing we'd "gain" by leaving the EU would be still having to comply with EU legislation but not having any say in the laws being made.

its not about leaving the EU


As for meeting the requirement of the directives and regulations that only applies to what you trade ie meeting the safety regulations etc, otherwise china could not produce anything for the EU!!!

Britain can't pick and choose which directives it wants to follow. The only negotiating position it would have would be to try and wrest powers back during negotiations for a new treaty, which may or may not fly depending on the mood of the other EU nations. If the Tories are determined to try and "repatriate" powers to Westminster - and I'm not sure I believe them since this is the party that signed Maastricht - then they may be left with no option but to leave the EU and join the EEA instead.

EU legislation - especially consumer legislation - is vastly superior to the British stuff it replaced and it's the British people who would lose out due to the short-sightedness of some right-wing reactionary nutjobs in the Tory party.

what about the left-wing reactionary nutjobs in the labour party that also want out of the EU?

Well they're not in power, so they don't count. Their numbers are also greatly reduced from the days of Tony Benn et al.

Not just consumer legislation. Employment rights would be better within the EU than out especially under a Tory led government.

Probably not. I image it will only happen if the tories win the next election. I'd be very impressed if they had the balls to do that before the election.

You can be in the free trade zone without being in the EU. Norway has been smart enough to be in the free trade zone without joining the EU.

There are a few countries who do that.

it may be a good idea, it may not. However, I do struggle to believe anything in which Michael Gove is involved will be anything other than a major cock up in implementation.

Ah, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein - four countries which are subject to EU law but have no say in how it's made. What an improvement!

I was thinking he might have to 'take a stand' again , but you're right, and it's all assuming Clegg even has a job NEXT year ffs

because we get a real say in EU law as citizens of the holy roman empire

At least we do have some say.