General Chat

...President Obama has intimated that if we vote to leave the EU, the USA will be reluctant to do any business with us. This from a president who has achieved absolutely nothing in his two terms in office.

'IF' Obama has achieved nothing , which I dispute, then you can blame that on the Republicans who blocked his every move.

He won't even be in office by then.. silly man

Achieved nothing? What a ridiculous thing to say.

http://pleasecutthecrap.com/obama-accomplishments/

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/21/obama-will-be-remembered-history-great-accomplishm/

Why is it silly of him to say what he thinks? he''s still going to be an American after he stops being president isn't he. Our relationship with Europe either with or without being part of the EU certainly affects the USA, in many ways, why shouldn't he give an opinion?

it's more of a threat than an opinion, he is scaremongering to please David
Cameron..

"Barack Obama has urged Britain to stay in the EU, saying the UK is "at its best when it's helping to lead a strong Europe" - and warning that the UK would be "at the back of the queue" for negotiating a trade deal with the US if it voted for Brexit."

of course we will not be bottom of the trade list with USA.

From the UK governments website

"Negotiations between the US and EU for the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP) should generate even more opportunities for the UK. This will remove trade barriers by lowering tariffs and making regulations similar.

Benefits of doing business in the US include:

world’s largest market
world’s largest private sector
low regulatory barriers
minimal language barriers
access to global supply chains that can lead to exports for other markets
one of the most innovative consumer markets in the world
productive and skilled labour force with high mobility
ease of doing business due to similar business culture
strong rule of law"

I would assume that Obama thinks as current president of the USA he has at least SOME idea of what is best for the US in terms of trade deals, even if he isn't going to be the one 'in charge' at the time.

That does not give him the right to make threats..

we would get by :-D

with or without him

Stella, he really doesn't need to please Cameron. or make a "threat", neither will be in power when and if Britain exits the EU. And it isn't either of them who will decide whether we are in or out is it.

It wasn't a threat it was an explanation of how the trade negotiations would go. The USA would negotiate with Europe first.

Yes Joy, we would get by ..

it would be a little difficult at first but we would make new negotiations to suit us not USA or the rest of Europe, and we could control our borders and immigration ourselves without being told what we should be doing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3553788/Obama-flies-Brexit-storm-President-faces-furious-backlash-downright-hypocritical-decision-tell-British-voters-stay-EU.html

A 'little' at first Stella? it would take at least 2 years to effect just the withdrawal from Europe, renegotiate trade with Europe, accept trade tariffs etc...there is no 'at first' about it, it would take years possibly decades, think of all the companies who have factories here...will they stay or will they go back to Europe?

The Brexit lot don't have an answer...they just keep on bleating about how great the British are, what a world power we have always been blah blah...but truthfully we are just a very small country, we no longer rule the waves, it's a dangerous way of thinking that all it will take is a stiff upper lip and a bit of British spirit to restore us to some state of Nirvana, where we have full employment, decent housing and full pockets...dream on!

I immediately thought TTIP - then found this:

https://www.rt.com/uk/340605-ttip-obama-uk-visit/

You exit if you want to, but don't come crying to me when it all goes sour. I won't be here lol.

Stella, if we leave we will have a land border to worry about.

This debate, i believe is not about whether we are or are not better off in Europe it is about Obama making threats to trade with USA if we go against his wishes..

Stella, the OP "bob Report 22 Apr 2016 20:52

...President Obama has intimated that if we vote to leave the EU, the USA will be reluctant to do any business with us. This from a president who has achieved absolutely nothing in his two terms in office."

So no the OP was not about the benefits of staying in or leaving the EU as such.

That is the electorate's decision as Obama stressed.

Obama's comments were based on, I assume, a certain amount of experience in how his country sees international trade now and in the future. He has stated the US's current trade plans are to trade with a large bloc, that may of course change when he is no longer president.

Rose, I never intimated whether I would vote leave or stay :-D
There are so many pros & cons.
If we leave, 'Teflon Dave' will have ultimate power - especially when he overturns the House of Lords. The 'entitlement' of him and his buddies will know no end :-|

If we stay, we may be victims of TTIP, and 'Teflon Dave' will be even more of a smug bustard.

I ignore all the cr*p about financial losses/gains.
We pay the EU and get a lot of it back.
I want oligarchs who are buying up Britain to pay proper stamp duties on their properties, and the likes of Starbucks/Amazon/Costa/McDonalds to pay their rightful tax, but that's probably nothing to do with the EU, though they are 'looking in to' McDonalds.

Maggie, I don't know enough about TTIP to comment with any degree of certainty and nor is my opinion on the EU based on political party lines. As most know I don't hold a high opinion of DC so whether he thinks in or out, whether any of them do, is not an influencing my decision lol.

There are as you say pros and cons, and I am trying to weigh them all up without prejudice and as in elections I will go with what I think has the fewest cons and/or the most beneficial pros ;-) Some of those things I consider 'pros' are not necessarily what other people think, but i do try to listen to both sides.

What irritates me is the assumption that all the things we are "told to do by the EU" are bad or over restrictive, some may be inconvenient, some may be expensive, but some may well be beneficial in the long run, and which we may not have done had it been solely 'left to us' to decide.