HKG3

The EU referendum is not the only 'election' this year.

On 5 May 2016, the following elections will be held -

1) Scottish Parliament
2) Welsh Assembly
3) Northern Ireland Assembly
4) Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales
5) English local elections

BritInParis

Not to forget the London Mayoral elections and elections for the London Assembly.

LittleGreyCat

Biggest issue for me is what a vote to leave would do to the exchange rate in the short term.

The rate is already going down due to the uncertainty, from 2.2 to 2.1 NZD to the pound.

Anyone lucky enough to move to NZ in the next couple of years is likely to be at the mercy of the referendum result.

I don't think anyone knows quite what the result will be if the vote is to leave - maximum confusion in the sort term.

Given that nobody has shown any ability to predict the future of the world economy, let alone the economy of any one country, anybody who confidently predicts the economic result of leaving or staying is either wildly optimistic of their own abilities or outright lying.

Personally, I think the UK should stay in because if we leave the EU then they will probably rename the UK as the British Virgin Islands #2 and run it solely as a corrupt offshore tax haven for swindlers of the world.

Harsh? We are already most of the way there.

On racism; I think the UK is one of the least racist countries in the world. The influence of the Empire then Commonwealth means that we are vastly multi-cultural and we can absorb (as we have in the past ) people of all colours, races and religions.

I know that the Commonwealth felt let down when the UK joined the EU and ended the special terms for trading with the Commonwealth. The NZ dairy industry suffered a great deal. However I am not sure that this is reversible.

My selfish view is that I hope people don't rock the boat just as I am stepping onto the gangplank to leave!

Snap Shot

I agree. The UKIP voters, little Englanders and Britain First losers can't believe their luck.

I attempted to find out how to vote as I would like to lend my support to the stay in the EU vote. I'm not registered to vote in the UK anymore. I realise people who have been outside of Europe for less than 15 years can vote but would it be voter fraud or electoral fraud for me to use my Dad's address in the UK ? I've probably left it to late anyway.

Britain has got no friends outside Europe. Not in the Commonwealth. The so called special relationship with America has all but gone since the Reagan/Thatcher years.

Britain needs to stay in the trading block of the EU if it has any sense. To bad the anti-foreigner voters can't see that. The short sighted and in my view disastrous outcome of Britain leaving the EU will have repercussions way beyond any petty juvenile racism.

Just as a heads up. The rest of Europe doesn't care if Britain stays or goes in the EU. It will be like when Australia voted whether it wanted to stay in or leave the Commonweath. It voted to stay. Who knew ?

Snap Shot

Handy for anyone buying GBP with NZD though.

Snap Shot

That really made me smile !

Kotare

Hear Hear

I would vote for exit to get rid of the financial burden of Scotland but that probably makes me racist

Reylan

If you want to use your vote you could always register to vote online and organise for a proxy vote, given to a relative still in the UK?

barnsleymat

I'm going to vote OUT just to piss those lefties off that brand you racist for having the opinion that the UK shouldn't have an open door immigration policy.
........ and for over using the 'Daily Mail Reader' insult on anyone and everyone who doesn't share utopian views on Europe and the world.
they make me ANGRY

Mark Smith

I was going to write something very similar Barnsleymat about how the pious left act morally superior and brand anyone with views opposite theirs as extreme and racist. You beat me to it, wish I could buy you a beer if you come to town.
Anyway given up reading the mail, try Breitbart london instead.

barnsleymat

The next time I'm in Christchurch I'm coming to claim my free pint, we should form our own Anti Anti Party.

Tom H

I am planning to vote to stay because i want my youngsters to have the choice of living and working in Europe when they get older. There could be some fantastic opportunities in the future for them to work in Paris, Munich and other excellent cities if they don't want to stay in the world's greatest place ever.

But if a no vote guarantees Boris Johnson as the next pm for the next 10 to 15 years, then that in itself is a potential vote winner.

LittleGreyCat

Last time I looked the UK had anything but an open door immigration policy.
Anyone outside the EU really has to struggle to get in, including spouses of UK nationals.

Reminds me of Australia and NZ.

LittleGreyCat

For a slightly more in depth look of one side of the debate, see

Is Greece not another compelling reason to vote for Brexit on 23rd June? | Yanis Varoufakis

The UK is deeply entangled in Europe at all sorts of levels.