Sure! But do we really need a third French Environment? Marseille, Calais and Dover?
Herr Bottman. PLEASE let us not turn this into an international slanging match!
Otherwise we British might have to recount our very great achievements over the past 944 years and compare it to that of the Countries of other members.
Our government might have run our country into the ground, but only in the same way that The French government did in the 1820s the Russians in the 1910s, Germany in 1930s and The Iranian Government is doing now...
Sorry for the O/T post... But before Capt. Traddles starts deleting/moving posts to elsewhere, I shall have my tuppence/ eurocents worth:
The Dover sale is bad for pride, but that is about it. Most companies operate internationally anyway and money is being moved around the planet more and more quickly (that's how the big banks, governments and other sort of criminals could disguise the fact the worldwide recession started in 1998!). So if you spend money with a British company it will likely be that your money ends up in the caymans anyway.
As for this mad idea (no offence McG) that suddenly Dover will become French sovereign territory, the realities are somewhat different. The P.O.D. will still be registered in Britain at companies house and will continue to be answerable to British law. Much in the same way that the Eurostar (Anglo-French co operation!!!) is owned by the French and Belgians, as we had to sell our share to cover BA/NX et al pension deficit due to theft by a disgraced government; would you therefore say that once you are on a FRENCH Eurostar, that you are automatically under French law? No. Likewise, Britain has sold off its airports to the Spanish- whos laws apply to Gatwick/Heathrow?
The list goes on. And on. And on. And as for other aspects of foreign ownership... Whos laws apply if you go to a Kraft/cadbury factory in Britain? Simple answer... None... as they are being systematically closed down just as anyone with a brain realised would happen... financed with British taxpayer money too!... Have the French borrowed British money to buy the port as well, I wonder?
Last point. Saddam Hussein, when he realised he would not keep Kuwait, set fire to all the oilfields, destroyed infrastructure (scorched earth policy)... When neo-fascist governments (and yes, I DO know the meanin) realise they are going to lose elections and be spat out for war crimes trials, they too go for scorched earth policy.