EU Vote - In or Out?

[Benfleet A1]

Surprised that this hasn't cropped up today but hey ho. Our betters today will be voting on whether we, the voters who put these clowns into The Houses of Parliment are grown up enough to have a referendum on our continued membership of the European Union. Both Labour and the Tories are putting in a three line whip meaning vote as your told so the outcome is already decided but 60 odd Tories are going to rebel and are likely to be joined by a number of Labour MP's who still have a backbone.

I have been watching the debate on BBC News24 and am getting increasingly annoyed by the party sycofants and crawlers on both sides who are towing the party line but find myself warming to several Labour MP's who have given some superb reasoned views and contributed richly to the debate as has some tories. I must report however that the Lib Dems, true to form have fallen over themselves to hand this country over to Brussells on a silver platter to do as the French and Germans would please and the cowardly SNP no doubt after extensive funding when they finally get independence would have us sold down the river before the night is out given half the chance.

So people, where do we all stand on this. In or out.

Perhaps I should state that I am on the side of leaving the EU and after Sarkozy telling Cameron to butt out over the Euro crisis but not telling him to take our 8 billion contribution back that only strenghens my opinion.

 

[Napster]

In, but only if we scrap the Euro.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Out. We joined a Common Market, not a Common Government. Any change in policy should have gone to a referendum.

 

[osymandus]

In , the common market and Europe is our largest trade area . If you distance yourself from them and have no say then England will be ignored . Not controlled not made to do things . Ignored . China will just trade with the rest of Europe . Scotland already have large finical links with Europe (and their ancestral neighbours Scandinavia ). Also at present (according to radio 4) the IMF has enough money so they don;t require money from us.

What has England actually got to offer .

 

[canveyshrimper]

In, osy is almost right about the "common market", the single market has been IMO the greatest achievement of the Common Market/EEC/EU (whatever you want to dress it up as). We didn't sign up for a single currency, nor political union, but as a trading area.

 

[osymandus]

In, osy is almost right about the "common market", the single market has been IMO the greatest achievement of the Common Market/EEC/EU (whatever you want to dress it up as). We didn't sign up for a single currency, nor political union, but as a trading area.

I have the sneaking suspicion we originally signed up so we could have a single currency called the pound and a control of Europe ;-) . I was close enough.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I have the sneaking suspicion we originally signed up so we could have a single currency called the pound and a control of Europe ;-) . I was close enough.

:smile: Can't argue with that.

 

[Benfleet A1]

In , the common market and Europe is our largest trade area . If you distance yourself from them and have no say then England will be ignored . Not controlled not made to do things . Ignored . China will just trade with the rest of Europe . Scotland already have large finical links with Europe (and their ancestral neighbours Scandinavia ). Also at present (according to radio 4) the IMF has enough money so they don;t require money from us.

What has England actually got to offer .

We signed up to a common market in 1972 which was designed to enhance trade within Europe with member states. It was a free trade agreement so member states could trade with each other it was not a tenplate for a single european state led by a unelected soviet like polite bureau. Why would leaving the EU affect trade? Are you seriously suggesting that mainland Europe would stop trading with us because we wished to withdraw our membership and make our own desisions. Why would China stop trading with us. Is that some sort of agreement that has past me by for the last 40 years, be a part of Europe or we wont buy from you and sell you anything.

Just what are Scotlands financial links to Scandinavia? Is this a seperate trade agreement that the rest of the UK is excempt from. Alex Salmon has already admitted that if Scotland gains independence then they would require billions in loans to establish themselves but would effectively be the poorest member in the EU.

8 Billion was this countries contribution to the Greece bailout and another 6 Billion to Ireland, of course if the EU and the IMF can do without it I'm sure we could find a use for it, cheque in the post?

We trade with the world not just the EU take a trip down to Southampton docks sometime and see what we are sending abroad, to say what we can offer is both naive and frankly insulting. I thought better of you.

 

[Pubey]

In, but out of the Euro

 

[callan]

We signed up to a common market in 1972 which was designed to enhance trade within Europe with member states. It was a free trade agreement so member states could trade with each other it was not a tenplate for a single european state led by a unelected soviet like polite bureau. Why would leaving the EU affect trade? Are you seriously suggesting that mainland Europe would stop trading with us because we wished to withdraw our membership and make our own desisions. Why would China stop trading with us. Is that some sort of agreement that has past me by for the last 40 years, be a part of Europe or we wont buy from you and sell you anything.

Just what are Scotlands financial links to Scandinavia? Is this a seperate trade agreement that the rest of the UK is excempt from. Alex Salmon has already admitted that if Scotland gains independence then they would require billions in loans to establish themselves but would effectively be the poorest member in the EU.

8 Billion was this countries contribution to the Greece bailout and another 6 Billion to Ireland, of course if the EU and the IMF can do without it I'm sure we could find a use for it, cheque in the post?

We trade with the world not just the EU take a trip down to Southampton docks sometime and see what we are sending abroad, to say what we can offer is both naive and frankly insulting. I thought better of you.

Sadly the majority of containers leaving the uk are actually empty we return 3 empty for each that is full...around 40 per cent of the full containers we export are carrying waste or scrap... i would be interested to hear however what are the trade ties that osy mentions between scotland and scandanavia...

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

In.

Given a map and a scalpel and chance to reshape our political ties, I'd lose the North, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before the likes of Germany, France and the Netherlands etc.

It would make economic sense as well, as I've got far more work from the continent than I have from the regions.

I honestly couldn't care less whose picture is on my banknotes. Given a choice I'd use plastic over cash anyway.

The one change I'd want to make to Europe is the political system, but then I'd also want to change Westminster.

 

[WightShrimper]

Out. I seem to recall that we managed trade before there was a common market and that anybody will sell you anything you like as long as you have the money, and if you have a product that someone else wants, then they will buy it. Perhaps our glorious leaders should have just concentrated on keeping our industries alive.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Out out oh yes and out.

 

[Cricko]

Out!....................

 

[TrueBlue]

OUT OUT OUT!!!

Out

 

[TrueBlue]

In fact I would say out but with a free trade agreement

 

[Boreham Shrimper]

Out. Not that it matters much because our elected representatives have decided we're not mature enough to have a vote. That's quite fitting, as when there is an unfavourable vote (as happened with Slovakia recently on the EFSF), the EU's answer is to tell sovereign nations to "try again".

Is it any wonder people have lost faith in politics?! :angry:

 

[Cricko]

It is so pleasing to see they do not allow the people to decide anything any more...I mean were we to get a vote, how would that fit in to their all powerful controlling bureaucracy of a government.

God that sounds like we live with a Dictatorship these days...

Oh wait!

 

[canveyshrimper]

It is so pleasing to see they do not allow the people to decide anything any more...I mean were we to get a vote, how would that fit in to their all powerful controlling bureaucracy of a government.

God that sounds like we live with a Dictatorship these days...

Oh wait!

Isn't a General Election a referendum on what Government we have? We've elected successive Governments that have all bpught us closer political ties with Europe, if you want one that won't then you'll have to vote for the one trick pony that is UKIP.

 

[Boreham Shrimper]

Isn't a General Election a referendum on what Government we have? We've elected successive Governments that have all bpught us closer political ties with Europe, if you want one that won't then you'll have to vote for the one trick pony that is UKIP.

The Lib Dems promised an in-out referendum prior to the 2010 General Election. Similarly, Labour when they were in Government promised a referendum on the EU Constitution. They changed its name to the "Lisbon Treaty" (not its full title), and suddenly decided it was no longer necessary. No Government can be trusted to keep their word on Europe, and not one of the main parties can be said to be truly eurosceptic.

As for UKIP, don't get me started on that rabble!