The UK and Europe

[plodger]

By the way I want Britain to leave the EU. They should not be allowed to tell us what we should do. They are tearing us apart. Where has our voice gone???

[Phil her up]

Being someone who genuinely doesn't understand, can anyone explain how we would be worse off, in any respect, than we are now if we were to withdraw from the EU? To my mind there are many consequences to be considered here, including the affect on trade and also the legal hold the EU has over us etc.
I have very few good thoughts when the term EU is mentioned, it triggers many of the negative thoughts already echoed on this thread. Not least the fact that the Commission's accounts have not been signed off again for something like the eleventh year! - I forget the official explanation but it pointed directly to corruption and the like.
I'll be sitting on the fence for the mo but am likely to vote OUT shortly


....................unless you can persuade me otherwise?

[BUSHWHACKER]

I don't think it will make any difference if we become independant again, too much 'damage' has already been done for us to ever recover financially.

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

Question time

I have a question for our esteemed surfers here !

Should someone become PRESIDENT of a nation or area or country will B-liar (yes this is my preferred spelling) lay over and do anything they desire ??

If so I have another question

Dunno, will you:

A) Become President of the Isle of Wight
B) Ask B_LIAR to grant Surfers immunity from Fuel duty, speeding tickets and any other taxes / fines we deem neccessary ?


Trev

[dave.j.robbo]

I have a question for our esteemed surfers here !

Should someone become PRESIDENT of a nation or area or country will B-liar (yes this is my preferred spelling) lay over and do anything they desire ??

B-Liar (I like that spelling too!!) will get a tattoo of Britain on his butt, bend over, and let the EU screw it up properly!! IMHO!!

Can't believe we're not allowed to sell bent bananas, stuff in lbs, or other essentially 'English' (sorry, Scotland, Ireland and Wales) things.

We need out, and soon!!!

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Form an orderly queue here to give B-liar back lbs of his straight bananas


Trev

[Chillitt]

i spent most of saturday morning taking 75mm rosehead nails out of 25 kg boxes and putting them in 1 lb. boxes. a dull job, but strangely uplifting...

[dave.j.robbo]

Shouldn't that be 3 inch nails?!?!?!?!

[Chillitt]

Shouldn't that be 3 inch nails?!?!?!?!

funny that when they are in 1 lb boxes they are 3" nails...

[synchrohub]

hear hear!

Good to see that Little Britain actually exists within this forum. I look forward to further displays of Bigotry and narrow mindedness as this thread develops. In case anybody hasnt noticed we dont have an Empire any more, its gone. and its no good blaming "johnny foreigner" for everything any more than you can blame the fact that we are in the European Union for everything.
Joining the EU didnt take away our Industry, we as consumers did that, you can all get as pompous as you like about the pound and having the queens head on your money, but in case you havent noticed you,ve all got Japanese vehicles, buying them did the British economy a power of good.

Yes 95 people have viewed the poll and only 16 voted as I write this. Im guessing thats because the other 79 think its a stupid poll.

Bogus

I reckon it's globalisation (& Thatcher) rather than EU membership that did for our heavy industry. Politicians in general haven't done us any good, either. Remember when Thatch told us that it was ok to lose our mnanufacturing base because the service sector would take over & the advent of computers would mean that we would all have much more leisure time as comps would be doing all the work? Now Blare tells us we've all got to work until we're nearly dead coz the country can't afford our pensions!! Stuff that, I'm off to central Portugal soon as I find somewhyere to buy. BTW I voted FOR in the referendum & I'm still against leaving the EU. The world needs another powerful trading bloc to balance the yanks & orientals.

[synchrohub]

ok

it is easy. if you want to live in europe, move there!

See ya then!

[M35A2]

This is all getting terribly Xenophobic isnt it? Must get my head out of the sand, I was totally unaware that British Industry died as a direct result of entering the EU. I stupidly thought that there were a number of factors, it was because other Nations such as Korea / China could make things more cheaply and we like cheap
I also wasnt aware of the reason for the fishing industry decline. my brother in law who was a share fishernman all his life and his father before him have different ideas. Neither of them of course are happy with the Spanish tendency to hoover up everything but they dont see that as the main cause of industry decline
I also had the idea that people couldnt get council houses because theres been less of them around since Maggie started flogging them, I didnt know that they were all full of asylum seekers.
Must pay more attention and maybe start reading the Daily Mail or the Sun.
I can see that youre angry but I seriously dont think you are being fully rational with your rant. Its not all johhny foreigners fault, if they all went away tomorrow and we left the EU do you seriously beleive industry would spring up and thousands of council houses around the country would suddenly be available ?? or would they maybe be filled up by the thousands of Brits who have to come back from France/Spain and other parts of the EU where they have homes

Bogus

Well, I see that you have made your mind up that the UK in Europe is the way to go.

I thought you and other people might be interested in a few links to see if it will sway the argument one way or the other?

I suggest everyone who cares about our country read this. Don't take my word for it, see the evidence for yourselves!!


http://www.brugesgroup.com/forms/BrugesBooklet.pdf

http://www.ukip.org/index.php

http://www.brugesgroup.com/polls.live

http://www.brugesgroup.com/news.live?keyword=14

[NFC]

The UK has been in decline since the 1960s. It's not because of the EU, although recently it has been because Britain is the easiest place in the EU to get rid of staff.

I don't think the UK is strong enough to flourish without good trade links, and the most workable position really is one foot in with the Euros, one with the Yanks.
(Note to Tone: that does NOT mean giving them whatever they want just cos it's Christmas!)

The French don't like our rebate? Here's an idea:
voting power in the council is poprotional to net contribution. Should give us a 7-1 advantage over the French, and get Europe really working for us.

Remember: most foreign investment in the UK was brought here because we are in the EU.

[M35A2]

The UK has been in decline since the 1960s. It's not because of the EU, although recently it has been because Britain is the easiest place in the EU to get rid of staff.

I don't think the UK is strong enough to flourish without good trade links, and the most workable position really is one foot in with the Euros, one with the Yanks.
(Note to Tone: that does NOT mean giving them whatever they want just cos it's Christmas!)

The French don't like our rebate? Here's an idea:
voting power in the council is poprotional to net contribution. Should give us a 7-1 advantage over the French, and get Europe really working for us.

Remember: most foreign investment in the UK was brought here because we are in the EU.

I don't accept the argument over investment. If foreign investors want to trade with europe, then it would be easier to base themselves in the eurozone. As far as being strong enough. We are the fourth biggest economy in the world, far bigger than Norway, which is independent and has been voted the best place to live in the world. Our economy would be better off by the tune of £40 billion pounds leaving the EU. The truth is Europe wouldn't survive without the UK in it. We have the strongest economy, the strongest Defence forces, etc. The reason foreign investment comes to the UK is because of our flexible workforce and employer friendly employment law. The other two "big" players in Europe, France and germany are too heavily regulated.

[NFC]

Unfortunately, our "employer friendly law" is the main reason that investment is now being removed from the UK. It is, simply put, cheaper to close a British facility than it is to close one in any other EU country.

I've worked for a multinational and have seen the figures. It would not make business sense to do otherwise (so don't blame the multinationals). My job went in preference to them getting rid of my French or German equivalent, and the numbers are that different that if I'd had to make the decision myself I could not have justified keeping my own position.

The Americans came here initially because they needed facilities in the EEC to bypass import tarrifs, and we spoke English.
The Japanese came here initially because they needed facilities in the EEC to bypass import tarrifs, and they'd learnt English in order to deal with the Americans.

Now, both are wiser and the UK is an expensive place to invest.

The EuroZone is also a factor these days. Ireland's economy has burgeoned in the last 5 years and they are the only other EU country which has English as a native language.
THEY they use the Euro.
(Incidentally, we are currently paying for their road-building programme.)


Yes, the EU would NOT work without the UK. We are currently one of the the largest contributors, even after the rebate, but rather than isolate ourselves from our largest export bloc, let us get someone in charge who can kick backside and get the EU working *FOR* us LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO.

Just my opinion, not intended to upset anyone, but my opinion none the less.