Messy Telegraph

[Ultimatum]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...e-off-its-malign-influence.html#disqus_thread

Its refugee crisis is intensifying: harsh anti-immigration adverts taken out by the government in the Afghan press did nothing to stop its asylum numbers trebling last year. Under EU rules, Norway has to respect the principle of free movement of people – even when its refugee levels, adjusted for population, are 10 times that of Britain.

Conflating our obligations in the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Refugees and 1967 Protocol and European FoM. What a disgusting piece of trash.

The difference, of course, is that Norway isn’t even a member of the EU. It voted to stay out, and cut a free trade deal instead - but has still ended up with the problems.

"Le problems". This'll be quality journalism, I can already tell.

The fate of Norway has not, traditionally, been of much concern to Britain.

*The fate of Norway has not, traditionally, been of much concern to the englightened Westminster-level-of-knowledge bubble group.

Norway embodies what is, perhaps, the most awkward question facing the “out” campaign: how can we be sure that Britain does not end up in the same trap? Might we vote to reclaim British sovereignty, only to find out that such a thing was never really on the menu?

No.

This is no longer an abstract question, because the referendum campaign may now be only weeks away.

Considering the referendum will be held on November/December 2017, let's hope not. This could get boring.

David Cameron is optimistic about his main aim: persuading the EU to grant him the right to deny in-work welfare payments to immigrants for four years.

Except that's not his main aim. Perhaps to this idiot it is, but we know better: Cameron will unwrap a form of associated membership--packaged attractively with a bow of concessions on top. The British Model.
Which is odd, considering the journalist merely glosses over this next:

He is also pursuing what he sees as a greater goal: agreement for a two-tier Europe, whereby Britain and other northern European countries are sheltered from the worst of EU meddling.

Except "he" is not persuing this. It's been persued for years, already. This man needs to catch up, although fair game to him for nothing the onion layers of EZ/AM.

He hopes to agree a deal at a summit on 19 February, then convene an emergency Cabinet meeting to endorse an “in” vote. He’s currently thinking of July for the referendum itself.

The point: .
The judgement: ^

And he was so close too. The European Split will require significant treaty change: that, coupled with Electoral Comission recommendations of Bill proposal and Referendum issuing, means it won't happen in July.

It’s still unclear who will lead his opposition.

Leave.eu if they come round to adopting Flexcit, hopefully.
The only "leave" campaign with a plan--an essential part of battle strategy. It can be no other.

No10 is now confident that it won’t be Boris Johnson

Holy f*ck, thank a god for that. Why would we want a bumbling bufoon without the slightest grasp of EU politics to lead the most important democratic exercise this country has carried out for centuries?
Couple that with the fact that Conservative MPs will play along to Cameron's fiddle (package), we've dodged a bullet.

But behind this “Project Fear” lies a solid argument: what, exactly, will “out” look like? Because if you don’t know, how can you vote for it?

Solid argument? I hope this man loses his job.
It's the worst argument I've ever heard: http://www.eureferendum.com/documents/flexcit.pdf

Next time George Osborne goes wooing the Chinese, he could do so as a Chancellor who actually has the authority to agree to new trade deals.

This is partially correct. EFTA holds the power to form these FTA, but the UK would be the biggest player in that club.

But, as Norway found, these come with strings attached; it ended up having to swallow the very EU regulations and directives that we are trying to escape.

No they didn't. This is such a blatant lie.
I never realised Norway hadn't claimed it's 200 miles of exclusive economic competence of the sea from it's baseline.
Oh well, nevermind...

Worse, Norway still has to pay annual dues to the EU, working out at £81 a head. Not so much cheaper than Britain’s £105 a head.

Medium-term investment into a long-term goal.
No one's advocating staying in EEA/EFTA forever.

We can, of course, hope to negotiate our own British option but appallingly, Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty seeks to frustrate even this. If a nation votes to leave, it cannot be in the room when other EU members discuss the terms of its departure.

Wrong, wrong.