Does the UK still have the same say within the EU?
Over the last few months we have seen the UK government criticised by EU partners, stitched up in the recent EU ministerial posts saga and effectively sidelined by many EU partners. There is no doubt that the UK is now a less prominent figure within the EU, perhaps based on the fact that the UK has yet to adopt the euro. So will the UK ever regain its prominence within the EU?
The likes of France and Germany are now the figureheads of the EU and have on a number of occasions attempted to belittle and ridicule the UK government. This is a massive turnaround from just 12 months ago when Gordon Brown was hailed as the saviour and his blueprint for recovery in the UK was adopted by many EU partners. However, once it became apparent that the blueprint was flawed he was effectively cut adrift by his former friends and colleagues from within the EU and left to fend for himself.
Until the UK officially adopts the euro as the main currency in the country it is unlikely that any UK government will have the same prominence and power within the EU that we have enjoyed for some time. The Conservative party has already confirmed it would look to reduce the power of the EU although this has the potential to sideline the UK even more than ever and could impact upon the economy. In reality, the UK needs the EU as much as the EU needs the UK.
Share this..
Related stories
Could China wreck a possible G20 agreement?
As Gordon Brown fights to keep the G20 together and singing from the same hymn book it has been revealed that Chinese authorities may be looking to cause problems at the forthcoming London summit. It is well-known that EU and US governments have been in talks about a stricter and more widespread regulatory system that this would appear to be something the Chinese authorities are not in favour of....
Read MoreCould JP Morgan really leave the UK?
As we covered earlier today, financial giant JP Morgan is on the verge of pulling out of a £1.5 billion office development in the Docklands. The company had planned to make London its European headquarters and the new £1.5 billion project was going to be the central point of the company's expansion in the future. However, the UK government appears to have upset the US giant with the ongoing bank...
Read MoreBuy to let entrepreneurs set to sell up for £180 million
Fergus and Judith Wilson have announced plans to dispose of their buy to let property empire which is valued at around £180 million. The couple have become something of a "pinup" in the buy to let sector having built up a property portfolio from zero which is now valued at around £180 million with only £45 million of debt. Despite the fact that the buy to let market has suffered over the last f...
Read MoreSterling hovers at historic low against the euro
In what many believe will form the basis of the future push for Britain to join the euro, the divergence in the currencies has never been more evident than today. The 1% reduction in Bank of England base rates has seen sterling come under serious pressure and fall to near record lows against the euro in particular. So what next for the embattled UK currency?
The problem with the UK...
DSG International reports record Christmas sales
DSG International (the owner of the Dixons, Currys and PC World product brands) has today revealed record Christmas trade with like-for-like sales up 8% on the same period last year. After a couple of disappointing retail trade updates over the last few days it seems that we are back on to the positive path with the DSG International reporting sales of a TV and computer every two seconds in the 12...
Read More