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Monday 6 June 2016

Could we Brexit and have a relationship with the EU like Switzerland or Norway?

Yes, quite possibly. But would we like it?

Here's what Samuel Knopf, a Swiss guy says.

They have free movement of people with the EU. So they *don't* get to control their borders any more than we do. Relative to it's population size, Switzerland takes in more immigrants than the UK.

Their products have to conform to EU regulations, just like ours do.

They have to pay money to the EU, just like we do. Norway contributes 80% of that the UK contributes, per head. Norway is in the same situation as Switzerland.

And they have no say at all in what the EU rules are, or in who can join the EU. Just like we would if we left.

And that's what they signed up to. So why did they sign up to these conditions? Because negotiations went on and on, and Switzerland had a 10 year recession, because international trade is as important to them as it is to us. And they got so fed up with the recession, they agreed to all the conditions that the EU demanded.

In 1992, they decided to sign up to the EU rules. And their recession ended.

So do we want to do a Switzerland?

It looks to me like we'd be giving up a lot, and not getting much in return.

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