• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Leaked Letter shows David Cameron plotting against leave campaign (EU)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tak3n

Banned
Will come as no surprise at all, but whilst he was supposedly renegotiating our relationship with the EU he was coercing FTSE 500 companies to warn about Brexit

So you can now view with suspicion all the 'the world is doomed' rhetoric from all the huge businesses

"I am working with Peter Chadlington and Stuart Rose [head of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign) with a view to contacting FTSE 500 companies who have annual reports due for publication before June and persuading them that they should include Brexit in the list of key risks. All public companies are required to set out in their annual report an analysis of key risks."

Labour MP Gisela Stuart, chair of the Vote Leave campaign, said the Prime Minister had “serious issues” to answer.

“We now know he has been doing deals with businesses to exaggerate the risk of a vote by the UK to leave the EU,” she said. “He must now tell us urgently how many businesses he cut secret deals with? Who are they and what were they promised in return?”

Downing Street said it did not comment on leaked documents.


In a letter to Mr Cameron from Serco chief executive Rupert Soames, sent 11 days before the renegotiation deal was completed, and the EU referendum formally announced, the business leader refers to talks held with the Prime Minister earlier in the month.

He writes that, following up on the meeting, he is planning to contact FTSE 500 companies to urge them to mention the risks of Brexit in their annual reports.



At the time of the meeting and the letter, dated 8 February, Mr Cameron’s official position was that he could still campaign for a Leave vote if his renegotiation failed to secure the changes he wanted.

He told the House of Commons on February 3: “I am not arguing – and I will never argue – that Britain couldn’t survive outside the European Union…If we can’t secure these changes, I rule nothing out.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...r-plot-conspiracy-remain-brexit-a7033186.html
 

Walshicus

Member
We're including a forecasting line for the EU membership referendum. I know for a fact the this was an internal decision.

Complete non-story.
 
As an American, why exactly do some in the UK want to leave the EU?

Many people believe that leaving the EU will secure our boarders from immigrants coming in to take jobs , which is not the case most of the time. Also a portion of our laws come from the EU, allot of people dont like this as the people who set these laws are unelected EU officials from other countries.
 

Matt_

World's #1 One Direction Fan: Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you~~~
Person campaigning to keep the UK in the union campaigns to keep Britian in?
I for one a shocked. Shocked!
 

Tak3n

Banned
Person campaigning to keep the UK in the union campaigns to keep Britian in?
I for one a shocked. Shocked!

I think you missed the point, this letter was whilst negotiations were ongoing with the EU, so in effect he lied to parliament, as on Feb 3rd he made a statement saying he would not be campaigning for staying if he did not get the reforms, where behind closed doors the campaigning was all ready underway

lying to parliament is very serious for a politician
 
I thought it was pretty common knowledge at this point that he doesn't want the UK to leave and only allowed this to go to a referendum to help mobilize the right wing to support him and re-elect him last election.
 
Person campaigning to keep the UK in the union campaigns to keep Britian in?
I for one a shocked. Shocked!

I'd rather companies come out with their own views and not have unknown influence pushed onto them.

I hope we stay in, but this sort of stuff shouldn't be encouraged.

There's enough uncertainty out there, and stuff like this is going to be fuel for the leave campaign.

Edit: Can we get a link OP?
 

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
As an American, why exactly do some in the UK want to leave the EU?

because they think that the country will be better if we leave the EU

for instance we will have greater control over our borders, we will not have to follow EU regulation, and we will not be paying money to the EU
 

Kyari

Member
I thought it was pretty common knowledge at this point that he doesn't want the UK to leave and only allowed this to go to a referendum to help mobilize the right wing to support him and re-elect him last election.

Its the same reason he allowed a Scottish referendum. He's allowing for the illusion of choice while strongly assuming that change won't come about due to voter disinterest, only educated voting, etc.
It almost backfired over Scotland and its quite possible it will over the EU as well.
 

openrob

Member
As an American, why exactly do some in the UK want to leave the EU?

I dont really think that many people care tbh which makes it all the more weird that this has come about. Like I think that some have a bit of general frustration with having to give up some sort of power tp Europe, but nothing they have said or done exactly goes against UK's ideals.
 
If the UK leaves the EU, the EU will crumble, and the UK will suffer some of the greatest effects from it, that's just the way it is. It is known.
 

kiguel182

Member
If the UK leaves the EU, the EU will crumble, and the UK will suffer some of the greatest effects from it, that's just the way it is. It is known.

The EU will probably end up better than the UK. They aren't even in the Euro. We would survive. As long as Germany doesn't leave.
 
The EU will probably end up better than the UK. They aren't even in the Euro. We would survive. As long as Germany doesn't leave.

More or less. The UK relies on a lot of trade that, due to their special considerations, manage to get mostly freely from the EU proper.

However, even as tenuous as the UK's position is with the EU, them leaving their agreement aside gives a message to the rest that they could leave, especially if they don't immediately do badly.

Thus ends the Liberal International Relations era in Europe.

Privyet.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
The scaremongering title is hilarious.

You wouldn't say "Leaked Letter shows David Cameron plotting against Scottish separation campaign"--because a) it's not a problem that the prime minister of a country has a position on issues of national unity, and b) it's not a problem if during the course of the campaign he feels his role is better behind the scenes rather than in public depending on who they are trying to target.

And it's absolutely not plotting for political groups and invested interest groups to work together on a national plebiscite issue. Companies often can't tell the extent to which they should publicly involve themselves in political issues. It makes sense for the stay campaign, which is based around arguing that the economics of leaving are poor, should ask economic actors to disclose their position on the economics of leaving (their position is that the economics are poor). This is typical of all separation referendums, in fact.

You are of course free to ignore arguments about why leaving is bad because the people making them take the position that leaving is bad. You should ignore my post, as a British citizen not residing in the UK I can't vote but if I could I'd vote to remain.
 

Mii

Banned
So Brits, is there a consensus yet on what to expect of this vote? From here in the States it feels like all the momentum is on the Leave side.
 
As an American, why exactly do some in the UK want to leave the EU?

It's creating basic social issues which are beyond a few fiscal percentage points here and there for large swathes of the country.

Can you imagine a public school in America where the majority of kids don't speak English but rather dozens of different languages for instance?
 

Tak3n

Banned
The scaremongering title is hilarious.

You wouldn't say "Leaked Letter shows David Cameron plotting against Scottish separation campaign"--because a) it's not a problem that the prime minister of a country has a position on issues of national unity, and b) it's not a problem if during the course of the campaign he feels his role is better behind the scenes rather than in public depending on who they are trying to target.

And it's absolutely not plotting for political groups and invested interest groups to work together on a national plebiscite issue. Companies often can't tell the extent to which they should publicly involve themselves in political issues. It makes sense for the stay campaign, which is based around arguing that the economics of leaving are poor, should ask economic actors to disclose their position on the economics of leaving (their position is that the economics are poor). This is typical of all separation referendums, in fact.

You are of course free to ignore arguments about why leaving is bad because the people making them take the position that leaving is bad. You should ignore my post, as a British citizen not residing in the UK I can't vote but if I could I'd vote to remain.

When said party is making statements to house of commons stating they will campaign for a 'out' if he does not get his way,whist having conversations about a different plan of action in private, I feel it certainly becomes a problem, as it says all along what a croc of shit all of his rhetoric was (he wont be alone in that political world)

Also I am guessing you left a long time ago as you get a 15 year grace period, that got challenged in the high court but was upheld
 

Tak3n

Banned
So Brits, is there a consensus yet on what to expect of this vote? From here in the States it feels like all the momentum is on the Leave side.


it is at the moment, but 'better the devil you know' is a hugely powerful argument, and with people just dont like change and there will be large amount of last second 'remain' votes as people play safe... on the flip side if it was a vote to enter the EU i would expect a landslide for 'no' which is a bit ironic

the leave campaign need to start to try to overcome the 'change is bad' argument, after all we all thought the world was flat, and square wheels were how it worked... change can be good, but there is no denying there would be 10 years of crap before we could see the light
 

Ogodei

Member
The UK's got the best of both world's where it's at. The only thing sucky about the EU is the Euro (and Germany's ruthless insistence on keeping inflation lower than it needs to be for countries who aren't Germany, and demands of austerity as the only medicine for economic setbacks).
 
The UK's got the best of both world's where it's at. The only thing sucky about the EU is the Euro (and Germany's ruthless insistence on keeping inflation lower than it needs to be for countries who aren't Germany, and demands of austerity as the only medicine for economic setbacks).

I feel sorry for countries in the Euro zone that aren't Germany and to some extent France.
Diabolical what is being forced upon some countries.
 
As an American, why exactly do some in the UK want to leave the EU?

The main thing against Europe is that it isn't Democratic and it is unfair to less powerful member states. The main things for Europe is that it isn't Democratic and looking at our Democratically elected politicians that's a big relief. Also the UK is one of the more powerful member states so take your lumps Greece while we count the cash.
 
I feel sorry for countries in the Euro zone that aren't Germany and to some extent France.
Diabolical what is being forced upon some countries.
We doing pretty well in Holland here, thank you. Euro is fine and people wanting our old currency back are idiots.

You have a point on Southern Europe, because they can't use their own currency anymore to make their markets more attractive. But for others, the Euro really isn't a reason for economic troubles at the moment.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
When said party is making statements to house of commons stating they will campaign for a 'out' if he does not get his way,whist having conversations about a different plan of action in private, I feel it certainly becomes a problem, as it says all along what a croc of shit all of his rhetoric was (he wont be alone in that political world)

I don't think as semantic debate over whether or not "campaign" includes all forms of communications or just public campaigning is really all that relevant. I think it only becomes relevant if you assume the prior belief that the leave campaign is justified and are looking for bogeyman to blame in the event it fails. Like, I just don't think the distinction between the fact that he is in communication with actors about the exit campaign, or that he's taken a position, or that he's campaigning, or whether or not he said he would campaign or not... I just don't think any of that matters. If you want to point out that he claimed he wasn't going to campaign and now he is so obviously they're scared because Brexit is going to win!!!! or whatever, then count that as a win. I just don't see the sense in arguing about process. It strikes me as just a boring thing to care about.

Also I am guessing you left a long time ago as you get a 15 year grace period, that got challenged in the high court but was upheld

That is correct, I would not qualify to vote.
 

RetroDLC

Foundations of Burden
With all the bullshit being thrown around by both sides, just remember that staying in the EU gives us another layer of protection against the Conservatives withdrawing the UK from the bill of human rights. I'm voting in because if we leave, everyone but the rich will be considered livestock and it will stress relations with NI and Scotland too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom