Europe?

[emjaybee]

Someone said a couple of days ago that things were a little, shall we say, "staid" on here at the moment.

I just wondered what peoples thoughts were on the Europe referendum.

I know that Europe was responsible for downgrading vacuum cleaner power.

I also know that they have plans to limit the power of electric kettles, this has been temporarily shelved until after the UK referendum. No, really, they have and it has been!

I'm still undecided, but I am leaning towards a UK exit at the moment.

I would love to know what others thoughts are.

 

[zippy656]

Personally I can't see what benefits we would get if we left.

All our exports to the EU would have a tax on them, and all imports would cost more.


Cars are ONLY built here as we are in the EU, so I'd think they would leave and got to Spain or Grease.

So I'm voting to stay in

 

[don simon]

I think in.
I have benefitted from the freedom of movement and lived in Spain for a good few years.
From a commercial point of view I think it is a positive as we have a trade agreement with 300m people and can still trade with the rest of the world.
In the current climate we are slowly losing the steel industry while Sweden has a thriving industry (apparently), London has some of the most expensive transport costs while Madrid is ridiculously cheap. That is to say that the problems we have here are not necessarily EU restrictions.
We have a wonderfully diverse multicultural society.
We have benefitted greatly from EU subsidies, just ask the farmers.
We have grown as an economy and should make contributions to poorer countries in order to help them become wealthy in the future and therefore contributors.
The current border problems are an EU problem and not a Greek problem, therfore the UK should be sending Border Control staff to help plug the weakspot and not be acting alone. There is no "I" in "team".
If we spent a bit more time learning and undestanding Europe rather than looking at ourselves as being different, we'd be in a much better place.
I was surprised, on my return to the UK, about how little European news makes it to the TV or papers (apart from EU bashing and the bolotics).
HTH.

 

[panelbeater]

out out out

 

[jims-terrano]

One of my big problems is that there are dodgy politicians who I don't trust in both camps all advocating their camp is better. I do suspect that the so called good deal that dodgy Dave has allegedly got from the EU is not as good as he makes out.
I do know that the EU has brought positives such as trade, employment laws and others.
If we are on our own then as said we may not be as good a prospect for industry to be in this country. France could quite easily close down border controls which may result in an uncontrollable influx of people wanting to enter the UK (this could be good or bad).

There are many aspects to this decision that are not being publicised both good and bad.

I would welcome any members from other countries to voice their opinion about the brexit as it's become known as.

If we stay should we commit fully and join the Euro currency?
Will a "in" vote be seen as a green light for us to join the Euro currency?
What effect will it have upon our children?

 

[perelaar]

I think UK is better off staying in. But then again, I'm Belgian, not living in the UK, and working for the EU institutions.

A few reasons:
- with UK out, EU has no incentive to control illegal immigrants trying to get to the UK. In other words: the more people get to the UK, the less we have in our own countries.
- EU subsidies will cease. Biggest chunk: agriculture. Meaning a lot less income for your farmers, and a lot more for EU farmers (since the total expenditure will not change)
- all trade agreements will have to be renegotiated, a process taking months if not years. During that time, very difficult export from UK to EU (your biggest export market...)
- cost of exports will rise, with as direct result most likely several car companies leaving the UK. They are now in the UK because labour costs are lower than on the continent - but with export taxes rising, and a lot of empty factories and unemployment in Spain, Portugal, Greece.. who knows.
- More on export: even after brexit, if you want to export your products to the continent, they will have to conform to our regulations. So nothing changes. One might say manufacturers will make 2 models, for export and for UK use, but that hardly is economical.
- No more free traffic of people, and no more benefits for UK people living in Europe. Funnily enough, those living outside UK for >15 years have no say in the matter.
- Your current issue with immigrants will not be solved. You might be able to better control economic immigration (cf the Eastern Europeans coming to the UK), but what with those already there? And of course, they are there for a reason: because there is a lot of low-grade badly paid manual work to be done. Who will do it after the brexit?
- comparisons with Norway are a bit lopsided, since unlike Norway, the UK does not have almost unlimited income from offshore oil and gas.
- tourism: if travelling to / from the UK will get even more difficult than it already is, casual tourists will look elsewhere. Heavy border controls, lots of waiting around in airports, cars being checked vs just hopping in the car and driving to a neighbouring capital city.

 

[macabethiel]

I would sooner be one of the United States of America !

I voted to Join the Common Market not for a Federal Europe.

The EU has never published any audited accounts since its inception so where is all the money going? I suspect corruption like there was in FIFA.

We seem to be paying a lot of money to Politicians in the European Parliament. The economic argument for staying or leaving is very finely balanced so I believe it's all about power. As part of the EU we are a powerful trading block against the likes of China, USA, Russia etc.

On our own we can survive but there will be changes we can negotiate trade agreements that would work for us but it seems odd that now Both main parties want us to stay?

I will vote to leave as I think our Sovereignty matters to us British and it will make the politicians do some work during the changes instead of just filling in expenses claims.

Here in Derby we have the Toyota Car Plant but lets be realistic the Japanese who are not in the EU built it here with a lot of money from our UK Government. South Africa is not in the EU but it builds a lot of cars for Mercedes-Benz so you can export to the EU without being in it.

I would sooner become one of the US States than be a part of Europe as it is now. We are not the British Empire any more and the Commonwealth is not what it was. We are a small country we should start acting our size.

 

[emjaybee]

Little known FACT.

The EU exports MORE to the UK than the UK exports to Europe.

We pay £100 million more into Europe a week, than we get back. Imagine what we could do with that!

Agriculture, NHS, Education, Steel industry could all use some of this money.

The WHOLE of Camerons deal can be easily ignored or undone by Europe. There is not one bit that is legally binding.

Border controls ? I LONG for more stringent checks on vehicles and people entering our country. Ferry operators and the Chunnel would have to check passports and visas before allowing people across the channel. So that argument doesn't hold water either.

The Euro? No thanks, the UK got out of recession faster because we haven't got the Euro.

 

[perelaar]

Can only speak for my own agency (managing an awful lot of EU subsidy money): every single eurocent going out is checked and rechecked. And recovered, in case of fraud...

But then again, no politicians around - just a lot of very intelligent hardworking people who had to pass a proper exam to get the job.

 

[perelaar]

Little known FACT.
The EU exports MORE to the UK than the UK exports to Europe.
We pay £100 million more into Europe a week, than we get back. Imagine what we could do with that!

You have a source for that?

 

[emjaybee]

You have a source for that?

Yup! Independent European analyst talking on Radio 4 a couple of days ago. They were on to refute the "Leave" campaigns claim of £350m to Europe.

The facts are that we give Europe £350m a week. They give us £250m a week in grants/subsidies etc. The rest of the money"apparently" is used for the less developed countries in Europe, I'm guessing the eastern countries. (don't quote me on the last bit).

 

[rustic]

I am not fully aware of all the consequences, I doubt many people are.
Years ago Japanese car manufacturers were only allowed a certain quota of cars to be imported into the EU.
So Nissan, Toyota built factories across Europe, so side stepping the Japanese quotas. From what I can guess, and it's only that, is that the Japanese car manufacturers in the UK, Nissan and Toyota spring to mind, won't be able to export these cars in great numbers into Europe, as it would be part of their Quota, so there is a chance the car production might be moved into the remaining part of Europe. I just don't know.
We would then have to import these cars into the UK and pay a premium too.
Now what about the Brits living abroad, in France, Spain, Cyprus, pensioners drawing their pensions within Europe, will they have to move out, sell up, at a low sales cost... I just don't know.
What about health care abroad, we currently have reciprocal health care, E111 springs to mind.
To be fair, the full picture is unknown, I doubt anybody really knows the full story.
What ever we choose, you can bet we will be worse off, we usually are...:doh

 

[solarman216]

Can only speak for my own agency (managing an awful lot of EU subsidy money): every single eurocent going out is checked and rechecked. And recovered, in case of fraud...

But then again, no politicians around - just a lot of very intelligent hardworking people who had to pass a proper exam to get the job.

Doubt that that happens in real life, the EU has NEVER I repeat NEVER had its books audited, it is a farce, before we joined everything was cheaper here in the UK, since joining we have become almost the most expensive to live, Rick

 

[Daemo]

I would vote out.. I came back to the uk almost exactly two years ago after being away for 10 years and without coming back during the 10 years, hand on heart this is not the country we left, it has changed so much and I honestly don't like what it has become for so many reasons.. Having a passport for England New Zealand and Australia and having been back here 2 years my mind is made up to leave .. Don't get me wrong I love it here but I know I won't in 10 years. So I would defiantly be out.. England will survive either way...

 

[Bigbunny2007]

Get Out and stand up for our own future looking after our own people! We were world leaders and I believe we could be again.
Flip side is we suffer what? More money to rebuild what great things this country was famous for and admired for!!

 

[kitchenman]

The only way is BREXIT

Give us back control of our own laws
Sod the murderer with a cat, deport him
We did OK before Tony screwed us
OUT OUT OUT

 

[don simon]

We do still have an element of control over the laws of the country and EU influence probably isn't as much as we think. The European Court of Human Rights which is likely to get more publicity isn't connected to the EU and will still have the same level of influence whether we are in or out.

 

[rustic]

You have to ask the question...
Have we really committed ourselves to Europe, we still have £ sterling, not the Euro?
Having said that, Greece have the Euro, look what a mess they are in.
I am still not convinced which way I will vote, but either way, it will be wrong for the UK.

Recently Scotland were trying to get out of the UK, here is a thought, why can't England vote alone to get out of the UK, leaving Wales and Scotland to work together, No can't do that...
But why is it people in England pay for prescriptions, whereas Wales and Scotland do not.
Scotland do not pay tolls on bridges, but England does.

England have a hard time compared to the rest of the UK, before we even consider leaving Europe let's get equality within the UK.

 

[don simon]

Recently Scotland were trying to get out of the UK, here is a thought, why can't England vote alone to get out of the UK, leaving Wales and Scotland to work together, No can't do that...

England can if it wants to, assuming it's still a democracy. The Wales and Scottish vote while excluding England more closely related to the fact that you have little or no say when your partner divorces you.

 

[bry]

Anyone wanting to vote,needs to register on Gov.org.Dont think because you are on the electoral list,that you are eligible.Not so...