3mo ago

Britain is a weak link in Donald Trump’s new world order, so it needs to find friends… fast

www.theguardian.com

Britain is a weak link in Donald Trump’s new world order, so it needs to find friends… fast | Will Hutton

Should we try to bolster our friendship with Europe?

The author claims that the UK government "must unambiguously launch talks on a big, expansive trade deal with the EU coupled with a deal on European defence".

Do you agree?

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3mo ago

Britain is a weak link in Donald Trump’s new world order, so it needs to find friends… fast | Will Hutton

www.theguardian.com /commentisfree/2025/jan/12/britain-is-a-weak-link-in-donald-trumps-new-world-order-so-it-needs-to-find-friends-fast

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39 comments

Should we try to bolster our friendship with Europe?
I once had a girlfriend who started acting like a little removed, created much drama and dumped me for no good reason. Then she tried to come back to me a few months later. Can you guess what I told her to do? It rhymes with "thereof".
Hint hint Britain.
- Holding a grudge is for losers. UK is more than welcome to rejoin as far as I'm concerned, speaking as a Swede.
  
  Agreed and I feel like people are sleepwalking on this. Between Russian agression and concerns from the USA and China - we shouldn't just be welcoming the UK, we should be working hard to bring them back to the fold. If the EU want to keep living in a world where the EU is possible, they've got to start making stronger efforts to protect and shape it.
  
  Agreed, but none of the goodies they had last time around. Take it all or leave it 🤷
  
  I'd say anything's negotiable, really. No need to limit ourselves from either side of the table.
  
  Well, I don't care either way personally. I'm just saying, not everybody is ready to welcome them back, should they so desire.
  
  Can Canada join, please??
- The UK doesn't need to necessarily jump straight back into EU membership. There are other ways we can work together with Europe. Maybe at some point the UK government will consider rejoining the EU customs union and/or single market.
  
  There are other ways we can work together with Europe.
  My point was, Europe may not want to interact with a fickle country like the UK anymore than necessary again. They probably don't need the aggravation.
  
  Who could blame them? Lots of European people take a “you made your bed, lie in it” attitude. When we were in the EU, we were in on excellent terms, which will no longer be available, which will be a hard pill to swallow for many.
  
  Lots of European people take a “you made your bed, lie in it” attitude.
  The problem is, lots of Europeans also think the UK shat their bed, then got up and left. That's not easy to forgive.
  
  Still, it is better to forgive but not forget. The deals that lie in the future will....should benefit EU more and will have to have safeguards against parties in power throwing tantrums for selfish gains.
  
  Made their bed, shat in it, and in many cases refuse to leave/accept it’s a bad situation. I can understand Europeans who won’t forgive. I was fucking heartbroken when I woke up that morning and found out Leave had won. I wouldn’t shut up about what a stupid idea it was, on social networks and real life.
  
  Not my view for what it's worth. I'd happily welcome the UK back in.
  
  True, they probably don't want more aggravation, but they may well be open to closer co-operation on defence for example, which the article mentions.
  
  EU would definitely need a firm commitment this time.
  
  Yes and readmission should certainly include things that they didn't insist on before, thing that made it easier for the UK to leave - common currency and the like.
  
  There are other ways we can work together with Europe
  Like EEA membership.
- EU is willing to fuck over its own members who they consider to be 'periphery' (PIIGS) or having trade deficits (even though the trade deficits were keeping surplus countries like Germany alive). I think it's ultimately a good thing U.K. left that neoliberal union. Unfortunately, U.K. politics is broken and none of the parties, including Reform are willing to go beyond neoliberalism.
  Now that Germany doesn't have many markets to export to, it is suffering too.
- It rhymes with "thereof".
  ...clear...off?
  
  Exactly! 🙂

39 comments