"Carlos Ghosn, Nissan chief executive, said government "support and assurances" allowed it to decide to make the two new cars in Sunderland"

You MIGHT be right on the other hand the devil is in the detail. Perhaps we are now subsidizing them to do something where we didn't need to before

As I recall - and this is off the top of my head - Nissan announced a freeze on investment in Sunderland (and a number of other international companies have done the same) because of uncertainty over Brexit including a concern over freedom of movement - a ban on which they regard as bad for them - and also they wanted guarantees over the increased costs of tariffs (especially as the trio leading negotiations (Davis Johnson and Fox) favour Hard Brexit which would involve trade on WTO terms which allows tariffs.

Suddenly Nissan are happy so they have clearly heard something that removes or mitigates their above concerns. Perhaps leaving the EU means we have taken back control to subsidize profitable Japanese companies but we would need the detail to know. British companies might be wondering what they need to do to get help. Will it just be Japanese car firms and US banks that get to be protected from Brexit

As I recall - and this is off the top of my head - Nissan announced a freeze on investment in Sunderland (and a number of other international companies have done the same) because of uncertainty over Brexit including a concern over freedom of movement - a ban on which they regard as bad for them - and also they wanted guarantees over the increased costs of tariffs (especially as the trio leading negotiations (Davis Johnson and Fox) favour Hard Brexit which would involve trade on WTO terms which allows tariffs.

Suddenly Nissan are happy so they have clearly heard something that removes or mitigates their above concerns. Perhaps leaving the EU means we have taken back control to subsidize profitable Japanese companies but we would need the detail to know. British companies might be wondering what they need to do to get help. Will it just be Japanese car firms and US banks that get to be protected from Brexit

Creary! Rearry? In your imagination maybe.

It is not meaningless at all. We cannot manage the country in our own interests while being a member of the EU.

Provided you assume that the Interests of the EU, and the interests of the UK are not aligned, and that the EU does not consist of representation from the UK, which it does (and selected on a basis of proportional representation, which is arguably far more democratic than UK democracy).

Also of course the capacity of the EU to actually pass policy on the UK outside of issues of trade, without the UK's permission and involvement is also fairly negligible, to non-existent. As for the issue of trade decisions, the UK is a voluntary member.

The issue of 'UK being ruled from Brussels' is massively overstated by euro-skeptics, and really not an issue worth the referendum, far bigger and relevant issues, notably around economic migration and UK working classes wage demands were always more significant.

Remember, when it comes to EU policy, the government you voted in, actually agreed to the policy, as did your representatives in the European Parliament.