[pip08456]

Originally Posted by jonbxx

By access, I mean access for trade, protection of mutual interests, etc. We don't necessarily need good relations with our neighbours to get a warm fuzzy feeling, we want and need good relations for our own benefit.

Remember Charles De Gaulle - 'No nation has friends only interests' (yes I know he's French...)

On the Northern Ireland thing, The EUs job was to represent Irelands place in the Peace Process, not the UKs. Ireland stance is that the border should remain open and the NI Protocol does that. What happens with Unionists in the North is the UKs issue. If the border is to stay open, the UK has to either anger Northern Irish Unionists by keeping the Irish Sea 'border' or Conservative back benchers (and most of the people on this forum) by aligning more closely with the EU. Based on that, Boris Johnson is throwing Unionists under the bus in a heartbeat

He was my hero!

Britain first began talks to join the EEC in July 1961. The UK's applications to join in 1963 and 1967 were vetoed by the President of France, Charles de Gaulle.