View Poll Results: How will you vote in the EU referendum?
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EU Referendum
23 June 2016, 10:35 PM
#2311
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Because I think the UK is a much better place today than it was before we joined the EU. The EU isn't perfect, but it is what it is and all countries within it have benefitted economically and culturally from it!
The EU has invested heaviliy in regional development, diversifying the British economy away from London which I don't believe would have happened without the EU. When I look at the EU funded redevolopment in Liverpool, it's truely great. Yes, we fund the EU so it may be our own money coming back, but they British government wouldn't have spent that money on regional development. The EU has done much more to close the North/South divide than the British government ever has!
EU regulation has made it easier for British companies to sell their wares across the common market. If a product is good enough for the British market, then it has to be good enough for all markets. Before this everything you made had to be approved for every market with differing regulations, making it easier and cheaper to export goods throughout Europe. Contrary to popular belief, the EU rarely creates regulations, but harmonises existing regulations across the block, so one rule fits all and reduces localisation costs.
The EU also offers consumer protection across the block. We can safely shop online and expect the same protection if we buy our goods from any other EU country as we expect when we buy from the UK. This means we, as consumers, can shop around for the best deals and increases competition and drives consumer prices down. The control international price fixing and market abuse and regularly fines big companies for abusing their positions. EU Mobile Phone roaming tarifs are a spin off from this that benefits everyone that has used their phone abroad.
The also increase employee rights. They make sure you get holiday entitlement, sick pay, maternity leave, you can't be sacked on a whim, and you can't be forced to work excessive hours. I don't trust the UK government to protect workers rights like the EU have done, the UK would much rather fewer workers rights as in the USA where people have few holidays and live in fear of loosing their jobs on a daily basis!
They have done great things for the environment, particularly in marine conservation with the common fisheries policy - its not perfect and gets abused, but its better than anything the UK would have done. Companies are now much more proactive in environmental protection because of EU rules and are developing new products to further improve the environment - The light bulb is a great example of something terribly inefficient that hadn't been developed since its invention and now we have ultra efficient LED lighting which both saves the environment and reduces consumer electricity costs.
And, just to top it off, I love the freedom of movement, to live and work where you want and the freedom to travel throughout the block with no need for visa's and no hassles. Many brits, including myself have benefitted from working in the EU as many EU citizens benefit from living and working in the UK. The deregulation of air travel has also made travelling within the EU cheaper and more affordable for everyone. Companies like Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and many other budget airlines would never have been possible without the EU. There is nowhere else in the world where budget airlines can operation internationally as they do in the EU.
The EU has been great for the UK and for the British people since the day we joined. I'm more than happy to give my 35p a day to help poorer people from new member states and other states that are currently struggling to make them a better place for the future.
The EU has invested heaviliy in regional development, diversifying the British economy away from London which I don't believe would have happened without the EU. When I look at the EU funded redevolopment in Liverpool, it's truely great. Yes, we fund the EU so it may be our own money coming back, but they British government wouldn't have spent that money on regional development. The EU has done much more to close the North/South divide than the British government ever has!
EU regulation has made it easier for British companies to sell their wares across the common market. If a product is good enough for the British market, then it has to be good enough for all markets. Before this everything you made had to be approved for every market with differing regulations, making it easier and cheaper to export goods throughout Europe. Contrary to popular belief, the EU rarely creates regulations, but harmonises existing regulations across the block, so one rule fits all and reduces localisation costs.
The EU also offers consumer protection across the block. We can safely shop online and expect the same protection if we buy our goods from any other EU country as we expect when we buy from the UK. This means we, as consumers, can shop around for the best deals and increases competition and drives consumer prices down. The control international price fixing and market abuse and regularly fines big companies for abusing their positions. EU Mobile Phone roaming tarifs are a spin off from this that benefits everyone that has used their phone abroad.
The also increase employee rights. They make sure you get holiday entitlement, sick pay, maternity leave, you can't be sacked on a whim, and you can't be forced to work excessive hours. I don't trust the UK government to protect workers rights like the EU have done, the UK would much rather fewer workers rights as in the USA where people have few holidays and live in fear of loosing their jobs on a daily basis!
They have done great things for the environment, particularly in marine conservation with the common fisheries policy - its not perfect and gets abused, but its better than anything the UK would have done. Companies are now much more proactive in environmental protection because of EU rules and are developing new products to further improve the environment - The light bulb is a great example of something terribly inefficient that hadn't been developed since its invention and now we have ultra efficient LED lighting which both saves the environment and reduces consumer electricity costs.
And, just to top it off, I love the freedom of movement, to live and work where you want and the freedom to travel throughout the block with no need for visa's and no hassles. Many brits, including myself have benefitted from working in the EU as many EU citizens benefit from living and working in the UK. The deregulation of air travel has also made travelling within the EU cheaper and more affordable for everyone. Companies like Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and many other budget airlines would never have been possible without the EU. There is nowhere else in the world where budget airlines can operation internationally as they do in the EU.
The EU has been great for the UK and for the British people since the day we joined. I'm more than happy to give my 35p a day to help poorer people from new member states and other states that are currently struggling to make them a better place for the future.
23 June 2016, 10:40 PM
#2312
Just a thought . How has switzerland done so well compared to us in this superstate
I dont get your point about led bulbs . They wouldnt exist without the eu ?
And the fishing thing . How many other countries fish in our water . Why cant we keep the same level of fishing but just for our fisherman
I dont get your point about led bulbs . They wouldnt exist without the eu ?
And the fishing thing . How many other countries fish in our water . Why cant we keep the same level of fishing but just for our fisherman
Last edited by gary77; 23 June 2016 at 10:49 PM.
23 June 2016, 10:47 PM
#2313
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cos every crooked rich person in the world is allowed to hide his money there !
including Mugabe - a real life president that actually has any influence
including Mugabe - a real life president that actually has any influence
Last edited by dpb; 23 June 2016 at 10:51 PM.
23 June 2016, 10:49 PM
#2314
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Anti-EU and right-wing parties have been becoming more vocal and have been gaining ground in low turnout elections - mostly local elections or EU elections, but so far in most cases, thankfully, they have made little gains in national government elections gaining positions that hold real power.
I think the bigger problem is the general dissatisfaction with the ruling classes causeing the low turnouts in the first place. The higher the turnout, the the quieter the voice of the extremists!
23 June 2016, 10:53 PM
#2317
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23 June 2016, 10:55 PM
#2318
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Anti-EU and right-wing parties have been becoming more vocal and have been gaining ground in low turnout elections - mostly local elections or EU elections, but so far in most cases, thankfully, they have made little gains in national government elections gaining positions that hold real power.
23 June 2016, 11:16 PM
#2319
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Just a thought . How has switzerland done so well compared to us in this superstate
I dont get your point about led bulbs . They wouldnt exist without the eu ?
And the fishing thing . How many other countries fish in our water . Why cant we keep the same level of fishing but just for our fisherman
I dont get your point about led bulbs . They wouldnt exist without the eu ?
And the fishing thing . How many other countries fish in our water . Why cant we keep the same level of fishing but just for our fisherman
Fishing: How many countries waters do our fishermen fish in? The point with the fishing, is they are increasingly reducing the allowed quotas in an attempt to reduce over fishing. Even keeping the same levels we currenly have is not sustainable and the EU is pushing further restrictions despite resistance from the UK! I don't want to put fishermen out of a job, but they can't continue as they are doing without devistating the marine ecology!
Switzerland: Are they doing so well? For years, Switzerland pinned their currency to the Euro to protect their economy. The government has been buying billions of Euros to pin the currency and got themselves in to a massive debt that they could no longer afford. Last year, pretty much without warning, Switzerland dropped this policy and sent the currency through the roof! Their economy is in tatters, the cost of living is beyond expensive. Tourism, in particular the skiing industry has massively suffered due to the expense. Property starting prices are in the region of 1M CHF, and you'll be paying 1000 CHF/month in rent for a bedsit in a small village, you can forget affording to rent in downtown Zurich. The Swiss luckily have a generous 500CHF/day import allowance, so anyone living close to the border does all their shopping in other EU countries. The Swiss government is pretty much powerless to do anything as everything in Switzerland is decided by referendum. Immigration in Switzerland, particularly from non-EU countries is rediculously high, it makes immigration in the UK look like nothing! Switzerland has nothing to offer the world other than tourism and secretive banking. The international community has pressured Switzerland to open up their banking information since 9/11, so they have lost much of that, they can now only really sell their banking on security not secrecy. The tourist industry suffers from the high cost. They're pretty screwed at the moment! They just made a trade deal with China that gives china full and immediate access to sell their goods and services in Switzerland, while Switzerland will only get limited access in 10 years!
23 June 2016, 11:23 PM
#2320
LED bulbs: Maybe they would exist, maybe not, but EU regulation has certainly pushed their development and rapidly increased their usage.
Fishing: How many countries waters do our fishermen fish in? The point with the fishing, is they are increasingly reducing the allowed quotas in an attempt to reduce over fishing. Even keeping the same levels we currenly have is not sustainable and the EU is pushing further restrictions despite resistance from the UK! I don't want to put fishermen out of a job, but they can't continue as they are doing without devistating the marine ecology!
Switzerland: Are they doing so well? For years, Switzerland pinned their currency to the Euro to protect their economy. The government has been buying billions of Euros to pin the currency and got themselves in to a massive debt that they could no longer afford. Last year, pretty much without warning, Switzerland dropped this policy and sent the currency through the roof! Their economy is in tatters, the cost of living is beyond expensive. Tourism, in particular the skiing industry has massively suffered due to the expense. Property starting prices are in the region of 1M CHF, and you'll be paying 1000 CHF/month in rent for a bedsit in a small village, you can forget affording to rent in downtown Zurich. The Swiss luckily have a generous 500CHF/day import allowance, so anyone living close to the border does all their shopping in other EU countries. The Swiss government is pretty much powerless to do anything as everything in Switzerland is decided by referendum. Immigration in Switzerland, particularly from non-EU countries is rediculously high, it makes immigration in the UK look like nothing! Switzerland has nothing to offer the world other than tourism and secretive banking. The international community has pressured Switzerland to open up their banking information since 9/11, so they have lost much of that, they can now only really sell their banking on security not secrecy. The tourist industry suffers from the high cost. They're pretty screwed at the moment! They just made a trade deal with China that gives china full and immediate access to sell their goods and services in Switzerland, while Switzerland will only get limited access in 10 years!
Fishing: How many countries waters do our fishermen fish in? The point with the fishing, is they are increasingly reducing the allowed quotas in an attempt to reduce over fishing. Even keeping the same levels we currenly have is not sustainable and the EU is pushing further restrictions despite resistance from the UK! I don't want to put fishermen out of a job, but they can't continue as they are doing without devistating the marine ecology!
Switzerland: Are they doing so well? For years, Switzerland pinned their currency to the Euro to protect their economy. The government has been buying billions of Euros to pin the currency and got themselves in to a massive debt that they could no longer afford. Last year, pretty much without warning, Switzerland dropped this policy and sent the currency through the roof! Their economy is in tatters, the cost of living is beyond expensive. Tourism, in particular the skiing industry has massively suffered due to the expense. Property starting prices are in the region of 1M CHF, and you'll be paying 1000 CHF/month in rent for a bedsit in a small village, you can forget affording to rent in downtown Zurich. The Swiss luckily have a generous 500CHF/day import allowance, so anyone living close to the border does all their shopping in other EU countries. The Swiss government is pretty much powerless to do anything as everything in Switzerland is decided by referendum. Immigration in Switzerland, particularly from non-EU countries is rediculously high, it makes immigration in the UK look like nothing! Switzerland has nothing to offer the world other than tourism and secretive banking. The international community has pressured Switzerland to open up their banking information since 9/11, so they have lost much of that, they can now only really sell their banking on security not secrecy. The tourist industry suffers from the high cost. They're pretty screwed at the moment! They just made a trade deal with China that gives china full and immediate access to sell their goods and services in Switzerland, while Switzerland will only get limited access in 10 years!
Last edited by gary77; 23 June 2016 at 11:28 PM.
23 June 2016, 11:25 PM
#2321
Scooby Senior
It's not just far right, it's far left, although I get the feeling that's probably your political preference. Unfortunately all it's going to take is another economic downturn and these parties will be getting into power, and we're likely to see this. The UK seems to have blown it's chance to get out and go back to a traditional political landscape. I guess we'll see first hand what the alternative is.
I can't speak for the rest of the EU as I have no contact.
The rise of UKIP though is something that is really quite worrying though and has been more successful than the equivalents in other European countries. I put a lot of that down to Farage, he does a very good job of coming across as one of the people and says all the right things to get peoples attention (although hes really just another rich toff lying politician
). What worries me is, other than the one MP who defected from the Tories and managed to keep his seat, you don't see any other UKIP politician on the TV, not even the other elected MEP's. Where are they all hiding?
23 June 2016, 11:28 PM
#2322
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23 June 2016, 11:43 PM
#2327
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They're all so unsavoury they've been a liability to Mr Farages campaign
And that's just the ones that have made it to our attention.
God only knows what lurks below , somewhere down there there's Warren of course lol
And that's just the ones that have made it to our attention.
God only knows what lurks below , somewhere down there there's Warren of course lol
23 June 2016, 11:51 PM
#2328
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23 June 2016, 11:56 PM
#2331
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24 June 2016, 12:18 AM
#2334
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They have relatively low direct taxation, so you do get more disposable income. The problem is, you need to dispose of a hell of a lot of it!
Trust me, you're better off in the UK!
24 June 2016, 12:27 AM
#2337
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24 June 2016, 12:28 AM
#2339
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