On Wednesday 30th March 2017, the UK formally submitted a letter, notifying the European Union of it's decision to formally withdraw from the 28 state trading power.
What has really and I mean really got under my skin, is the language and method we are using to conduct our "negotiations" with the EU. Patriotic nationalists are buoyed by the vitriolic bile spewed from prominent leave voters like Farage and Johnson, eschewing memories of a time long ago when Britain was actually a world power. (I'm sure we were very nice to the world then too......)
But anyone who has ever been part of a successful mediation will understand that compromise and knowing your strengths and limits are of the utmost importance. Goading or infuriating the EU is not going to do the UK any favours in the long term. We are one small country, against an alliance of 27 others that are our closest trading partners.
Moreover it is not like the EU is made up of countries who have no weight on the international scene. Germany have the strongest economy in Europe and the 4th strongest in the world. France are slightly behind the UK in 6th but are also a permanent member of the UN security council. Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Austria are also big economies with important pasts and will not suffer the UK's rhetoric lightly.
In essence, I want the EU to prove the UK is not a major player on the world stage anymore. I want it to throw those old ideals away and prove that integration is the best thing for all of us, under shared regulations and laws, agreed upon democratically inside the EU.
