As the FT has reported this morning:
Brussels is to sue the UK in Europe's highest court over tax breaks for commodities traders, according to EU diplomats briefed on the plans, escalating a battle that Britain said risked damaging the post-Brexit competitiveness of the City of London.
To some extent the details of this claim do not matter, although I have a strong suspicion the EU has a good case. The interesting question is why bring a claim for a multi-billion euro settlement now when relations are already strained and this can only fuel Brexit sentiment?
There is only one obvious answer. And that is that the Commission now thinks that the UK will crash out of Europe and as a result the Commissuon is intent on securing every remaining claim it has on the UK, come what may.
This is the sign that the Commission is giving up on us, in my opinion.
In that case why wouldn't you want to secure your options now?
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Maybe in the final analysis this is what it is all about?
The UK will become a tax haven after all and Mrs May’s hubbie (the real leader of the opposition maybe?) will be very happy.
Maybe this is just a shot across our bows and may mean that if we crash out we can expect more tax competition? A race to the bottom between the UK and EU?
What a world to bequeath the young.
So it’s a sign that the EU will take long-overdue steps to reign in the City Of London and will likely take further measures to protect themselves from it’s nefarious influence once we leave. That’s a very good thing.
And your other post today suggests that the Scots will be more likely to leave the UK and free themselves too. That’s a very good thing too.
Brexit is not, and never has been, solely a matter of Trade.
Richard writes “In that case why wouldn’t you want to secure your options now?”
Scottish Gov’t please take note
“The interesting question is why bring a claim for a multi-billion euro settlement now when relations are already strained and this can only fuel Brexit sentiment?”
Because that’s one of really the annoying things about Brussels (and Berlin). They always do that.They did it Greece and Italy as well. They are masters of counter-intuitive politics.
Or it could simply be that they are tired of waiting on a Brexit result one way or the other and thought
‘stuff it” this was next on our agenda we’ll just get on with it regardless.
Hi Richard, I think looking at why people did vote for Brexit helps to give insight into what could be done to resolve it, I have just watched this discussion looking at some of the whys, only half an hour (though ends a bit abruptly)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lOSj6WYCiEU
I found it very insightful. I have half formed ideas, on how such a rich and vibrant, culturally and economically and environmentally, country such as England can develop the need to feel oppressed by Europe – and I feel some of it could be do to the strange conflation of identity of being British – English, and not knowing the difference. That is, most people seem to use the terms interchangeably, without realising it, and I just can’t figure out what is so terrible about being English that people need to dilute it so much. Does England need to split into regions? I am sure the more local identity is more certain – that is, if you were discussing how you were a Geordie, you would not interchange that with being British,,, maybe! Half formed as I said. They didn’t explicitly touch on that subject in the discussion, but it does explain – for me anyway – some of the motivations behind Brexit – (and a bit on why they were different in Scotland).