But if people want to join they should be honest about it, because if you’re building support for join you shouldn’t lie to the voters and say we can avoid € and Schengen and secondly because of you want to join you should have more respect for the system your joining and not try piss off Brussels.

Not really, the whole problem I and others have with the OP message is it doesn’t hold up to the facts. The moment the A49 acquis is mentioned it collapses. I’m not stuck in a doom loop of complaining, I’m not bothered about 90/180 or the NI protocol etc etc and I’d be happy for better relations.

I don’t think that’s true, certainly from my perspective but also don’t see why better economic relations needs by in to this idea of an eu identity?

More fantasy figures 🤦‍♂️ until the join/FBPE crowd are honest with what join actually means (€ and Schengen) we’re going to around in circles

Zelenskyy makes a big announcement: “We have already reached 10-year agreements with three key countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. We already have requests from 11 countries – the Middle East and the Gulf, plus we’re also gradually turning our attention to the Caucasus.

1/

You can either engage with people’s concerns and discuss it sensibly or you can be rude and refer to people who disagree with you as little Englanders but you won’t be winning any hearts and minds I’m sure. Have a great evening 😊

Being wary of handing over control of your central bank and % rates isn’t illusory sovereignty it’s fundamental economic policy. I’m happy to engage but if you’re first instinct is to be xenophobic when all I set out were economic points on why people may not want to adopt the 💶 then 🤷

Depends who you’re talking to I guess, certainly hasn’t been my angle. Still not sure how it relates to the whole European identity point though? I agree it’s not a thing in the UK but that’s exactly why I wouldn’t vote join, I most I know just want an economic relationship rather than join.

I’ve been very polite Stephen in setting out my points but if you’re not prepared to engage politely we should probably leave it there tbh

I think you’re misunderstanding me? I’m not asking the EU27 to change anything? I think there’s room for cooperation with the EU just as the EU would cooperate with any other third country. In terms of the identity thing I’m not sure why you find it so weird?

I was more concerned about the effects of a global recession the UK which is more open to economic headwinds due to its economy. Being a heavily leveraged home owning nation with one of the largest mortgage markets in Europe UK consumers are more concerned with who controls interests rates.

Outside 🇬🇧 certainly. I don’t think most people in 🇬🇧 have an 🇪🇺 identity day like the 🇫🇷 or 🇩🇪 or 🇮🇪. It’s just really not a thing here nor ever was really to any extent. I terms of practical cooperation I think there’s plenty of room on both sides if red lines move.

Facets of war: recently, the Single Shoe Service by @adidas was launched in Ukraine. Now, those who need it will be able to buy a single shoe for half the price of a pair. This service most possibly will be in high demand among Ukrainian defenders seeking comfort while recovering from injuries.

Reports of a third attempted arson attack on Jewish targets in North London this week. It's getting really scary and more people need to start taking it seriously.

(And to anyone replying with a "but Israel" post - you're a big part of the problem.)

Oh I totally agree and the sooner they discuss the better; being dishonest and pretending that the Euro doesn’t need discussing is really not helpful. My point is that I think the result of that discussion will almost certainly lead to a cooling in full join as an option. But yes let’s discuss it!

Perhaps, but I think it’s bigger than that, I think it’s a structural issue. The UK economy and public outlook aren’t naturally aligned with the euro in the way they are in many member states.
Making it a much harder sell than just “making the case” hence why I think it gets left out.

Being an outlier doesn’t automatically mean being wrong, it can just mean approaching things from a different perspective. Fact is for many people, 🇪🇺 is primarily about practical cooperation rather than identity or political integration, most people don’t have any attachment to an EU identity.

It’s not that I think it couldn’t ever work, just that the risks feel quite high given how differently 🇬🇧 economy is structured, given these differences I don’t see how the 💶 benefits outweigh the costs. It will be interesting to see how the conversation develops, though, as you say.

That’s a very fair way of looking at it, Kathy. I think that’s probably where a lot of the complexity sits, the degree to which 🇬🇧 and 🇪🇺 economies and priorities align or diverge over time will shape future economic discourse. From my perspective, it’s that uncertainty that makes me cautious.

Never said it’s good or bad but what it is is the reality of what the UK has meaning that comparative to many Euro economies uk nationals are more wary of handing over control of interest rates to a 3rd party

Well each to their own but I’m not convinced that the euro works for the UK and it would appear that I’m not the only one according to the polls

I don’t see why as I’ve explained before not everyone has to or has a feeling of being European which in and of itself is an arbitrary notion. The idea that because I don’t feel European makes me an exceptionalism doesn’t make any sense tbh

I’m not convinced its fit for 🇬🇧. 🇬🇧 structure is quite different from many of the larger € economies, and it’s not clear that a € monetary policy would work in 🇬🇧 interests. That uncertainty is a big part of why I’d favour staying out, even if there’s a case for closer cooperation in other areas.

Bluesky also seems to have a disproportionate number of older users too imv for whole these thing matter less. It’s not that people are against Europe, it’s that the trade-offs of the euro don’t obviously work in 🇬🇧 context especially looking at it from a younger.

Currency isn’t just about transactions, it’s about control over monetary policy. For an economy like the UK’s, with a large services sector and a highly leveraged housing market, that flexibility matters. That’s why, in my experience, there does seem to be a generational divide on this.

A lot of the arguments I see for the euro tend to focus on convenience, things like avoiding FX fees on holidays or smoother travel. But for people still working, paying mortgages, and exposed to interest rate changes over decades, the issue looks very different.

I feel this is exactly why the UK will not be “rejoining” the EU. The UK simply doesn’t see itself as European in the same way as the EU27

It’s a fundamental issue that doesn’t really get addressed in many of the “rejoin” discussions. It defo needs to be part of the conversation, because leaving it out tends to make those scenarios feel a bit unrealistic and deliberately misleading. Better to discuss the reality rather than the fantasy

This pretty much reflects where I am on the 💶, and in my experience a lot of people my age feel similarly. There does seem to be a clear generational divide on it. For me, the 💶 is one of the key reasons why 🇬🇧 is very unlikely to rejoin the 🇪🇺.