That’s apparently irrelevant.
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It’s a good question, but I don’t think you can expect there to be zero scepticism in any democracy. In the US there are millions of people who think the most recent election was a fraud. How’s that for scepticism? In large parts of the world dissent isn’t allowed at all. The fact that you hear about dissent in Europe shows that there is healthy debate. Nationalism is rife from Brazil to the Phillipines and it is a worrying trend from which Europe is not immune. The EU is far from perfect in many ways, but I’d rather live here than in any of the current alternatives (apart from maybe New Zealand)
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EU’s has to solve its own structural problems before tackling whatever changes and challenges there are there to be dealt with. It hasn’t functioned as a union in a very long time.
Affluent northern states dictate the economic policies of the more impoverished southern ones according to their own interests.
Two member states are under direct threat by a third party and the most powerful nation in the union not only refuses to consider imposing sanctions but continues to sell arms to the said third party.
Former eastern bloc countries flat out refused to accommodate refugees that were amassing in the countries of the periphery even though the burden and the expenses were supposed to be shared equally.
When there is such profound lack of empathy and solidarity among member states there can be no talk of a real union. It’s a loose collection of states looking out for their own individual interests with Germany the dominating factor.
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I think what we’ve seen in the UK is a reaction to the onslaught of Austerity that basically turned lots of people who wouldn’t give two monkeys about politics against politicians. Into that void the far right was able to push it’s agenda of anti EU and it was lapped up. The message was easy - blame the EU.
That has now grown to such an extent that the UK is a completely fractured as a society.
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Euroscepticism long preceeded austerity though. I’m not entirely sure why it’s been painted as a nascent movement propelled by the right when it’s been found in traditional Labour politics for decades.
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I wouldn’t argue that but your average Brexit voter probably didn’t care less before 2010 (say).
I say right, as I believe it was the far right that initiated the mantra of the EU being problematic. That certainly fits their agenda.
As I said they were able to full the void created by the growing hatred of politicians. In a similar vein Corbyn also thrived on the left side of that argument.
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So we want more of a union, more empathy, more solidarity? Fine with me, but so often the Eurosceptics argue in one direction when it’s convenient and then in the complete opposite direction (more sovereignity, individual interests, too much political alignment, superstate, this was supposed to be just about trade, why do we have to pay so much for poorer countries etc).
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fwiw, i think that there is a large swathe of UK (but predominantly English) culture that genuinely feels superior to other cultures. It stems back to the long gone days of the empire when Britian was truly a global force and a leader in innovation. Equally there are similar traits in other countries but they just haven’t managed to push their boat out yet.
This snobbery is fueled in GB by the right wing media that we all know so well.
Being a member of a club where it needs to abide by the rules as an equal to so many inferior nations is just a step too far for one with such delusions of grandeur.
Another driver for scepticism is big business afraid of regulation and losing a slice of its pie.
Its not wholly a Conservative / labour issue per say, its just that the nationalistic/anti foreigners tend to share the starboard side of the boat with the tories so they become very acquainted.
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Abso fucking lutely. It is rife even to this day, and you don’t even need to go abroad to see it.
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In 2014 Boris Johnson said " the EU is a wonderful thing. If we did not have it we would have to invent it". That suggests there was no serious Euroscepticism in the UK at that point.
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No; all it shows is that Bozo is a duplicitous cunt who will say whatever best suits his political career.
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When I asked a friend why he thought the UK would come out of Brexit well he said " well, we’re English, we always come out on top" Says it all really.
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DOES IT!?! Haha
Fuck, like Johnson’s now the UK’s weather vane all of a sudden.
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While I do not disagree with what you write, you haven’t answered my question, namely, what socio-economic system, as an alternative to capitalism, do you propose.
Listing neo-liberal capitalism’s defects is one thing. Suggesting an alternative is another.
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To use recent terminology
Soft capitalism or Capitalism lite.
perhaps Canada style Capitalism. But we certainly dont want Australian style capitalism.
Sorry I got carried away.
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In the European elections that year UKIP got more votes than any other party.
“No SeRiOuS eUrOsCePtIcIsM iN tHe Uk At ThAt PoInT.”
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Did you really had to write that way 
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I don’t think anyone is denying that.
I’d argue that it was building to a peak in an around that time. Peaking in 2016 (obviously)
It wouldn’t surprise me if it has fallen off a little since, not much though.
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Probably not but I’m exceedingly bored of that particular poster responding to me with nonsense.
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