Quote Originally Posted by Peter View Post
Just for the avoidance of doubt, Ireland was not part of the British Empire. It was part of the United Kingdom. As such it was denied any right to any degree of self government. There is no parallel whatsoever with that and the EU.
Nit picking. Straw nits, too. I doubt those who sought to establish what bacame the Irish Free State cared whether they were extricating themselves from the UK or the British Empire. My point is about the concept of sovereignty, rather than trying to draw exact parallels between voluntary and involuntary supra-national constructs.