Switzerland, Norway and others not in EU, do profit from the "Special Relationship", with the big difference that it was organized from the beginning and their governments actually had a plan.
A plan that was not "let's screw the EU from the inside to our advantage".
Can't find that interview from a Norway official or EEA representatives that basically said "Hell no, we don't want you to screw up our relationship with the EU like you did. You are toxic.".
I wonder what polls are saying about how Europeans see the UK right now.
edit2: just found again this interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtNr4z3YrYo in which Farage says the UK will be (I think he meant remain) a member of the EEA on Brexit day. It didn't since they were only member by virtue of being a member of the European Union.
Nor did I said they were, rather Switzerland, Norway and others (too lazy to search which ones I still miss) governments, managed to negotiate their position with EU to their best interests.
It's not neccissarily "their best interest" for one as there is no objective "best."
A key difference is that in Norway and Switzerland the "political elite" is pro-European and often wants closer ties up to joining, in UK however the brexit is the culmination of a decades long "RU/Europe/Brussels is evil" campaign and the British government gives little reason for the EU to believe in good reason for their negotiations.
Can't find that interview from a Norway official or EEA representatives that basically said "Hell no, we don't want you to screw up our relationship with the EU like you did. You are toxic.".
I wonder what polls are saying about how Europeans see the UK right now.
edit: found it https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=189&v=tsyudJFE8DA
edit2: just found again this interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtNr4z3YrYo in which Farage says the UK will be (I think he meant remain) a member of the EEA on Brexit day. It didn't since they were only member by virtue of being a member of the European Union.