Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

Polls taken in the UK are meaning lesswhen it comes to decisions in Parliament.
If you asked the man in the street if capital punishment should be reinstated or that assylm seekers and overseas benfit claimants be sent home the majority would say yes.
Fortunately we do not govern our country that way.
On question time last night the Tory spokesman was asked if he would vote to leave the UK.
His answer was IF there was a referendum and IF that voted to leave and IF there was not an acceptable renegotiation of terms with the EU then he might consider it.
Reading between the lines a YES vote to leave if there ever was one would be used in the renegotian, the chances of the UK leaving are minimal if non existent.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

It's the internet, and at sometime all threads will go seriously off topic, this one has done well to stay on topic for as long as it has. Posted in other forums on BE, like the 'Plaza del Toros', this would have been off topic by the end of page one, and somewhere like 'The Lounge' or 'Take it outside' it might have lasted to the third post before going well off topic. It's the nature of the beast, and you have to accept that, after all we do still have free speech.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

Politically, yes, you're probably right - in reality, UK leaving is unlikely - for a broad range of reasons.

But I believe the EU needs Britain more than Britain needs the EU. The EU is facing a lot of dissent. The PR disaster alone would shake the foundations and open up some serious cracks.

The real question for the UK is whether the burdens of membership outweigh the advantages. I would have to believe that at the end of the day, the EU will be willing to make a lot of concessions to keep the UK in, and the UK will stay.

But if that's still not enough for the UK, then I expect leaving won't be all that bad for the UK, but definitely not pretty for the EU - setting a precedent for others to leave. I would expect brisk trade to continue along with many of the economic "advantages" of EU membership, even when no longer a member.

OR

In a knee-jerk reaction, the EU may become even more protectionist and isolationist, which could be very bad for the EU.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

I've noticed several comments saying that the UK could become like Switzerland or Norway if we left the EU. I find it difficult to relate to such thinking.

How many cuckoo clocks could 65 million British people make and who would buy them? And to make money from whaling we would have to have more of them swimming around our coasts.

The proper place for our 65 million people (going up rapidly) is right at the centre of Europe, right at the heart of it along with the Germans and French.

That's what we are, Old Europe, we were there long before the new colonies were even on a map.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

Polls are of course only an indication but I believe the party ( and I am guessing here) that has a vote on EU membership as part of its manifesto will win the election outright and will see it as a chance to gain power, it's only likely to be one party and as such a big vote generator I can't see them being able to back out of having a vote, I for one hope it does not happen but it would not surprise me in the least

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

I agree 100%, we should be in the EU, I just don't think it will be such a big problem it we are not, yes the UK exports a lot to the EU but we also buy a lot, especially German and French big ticket items so there would be no import restrictions or duty tariffs either way, as is now

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

I think it's a valid point that HBG raises, although I agree that (eventually) things could settle down...
I've not been the biggest fan of the economic movement of peoples to the UK, as it's resulted in lower wages (and opportunities) for those at the bottom, even if it's meant lower cost plumbers and nannies for the well-to-do. But if the UK left the EU and stopped this free movement (let's face it, not much point leaving the EU if you don't do that) then we'd have a long gap in which to train up our electricians, doctors, nurses etc. And presumably a lot of Brits currently working legally in Europe would either have to go underground or return to Blighty. It may take decades for the economy to begin to recover.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

I love the Euro, I love the EU, I love the discussions and arguments.
Undemocratic, incompetent and wasteful, yup.
But I aint been under a political cloud that wasnt, shit is shit no matter what box
you pretend hide it in.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

Yes, we buy more than we sell, and tariffs wouldn't be happening just one way, the UK can impose it's own. Even so the EU has free trade arrangements with 53 countries to avoid tariffs and in talks with another 74 countries, so no reason to think we wouldn't be included. I'm only amazed by the people that are happy to be governed by this unelected lot that are answerable to nobody.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

In many ways we are our own worst enemy, we once had a Commonwealth that we treat so badly, including making it very difficult for it's citizens to work in the UK, that they in turn countered. Our options are to stay in the EU or go it alone, however the UK union is starting to break up, Scottish independence first, perhaps followed by Irish unification. In my heart of hearts the best that we could achieve is a series of concessions, but why should the other members grant them?

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

:goodpost:

There's already a growing amount of dissatisfaction amongst several member countries and the UK pulling the plug on the EU could well be the beginning of the end for the whole undemocratic, inefficient, shambolic, wasteful, noses in the trough monstrosity that it has become in recent times.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

A good expat to be, a future expat, just like the expats of the past would never worry about rules and regulations, he would face upto them, sort and sift through them, then like all good British expats, he would fade into the society he has chosen.

He will accept that the locals are all disillusioned, but understanding enough, to allow him to get on with the rest of his life.Then write to his mam and sister to visit him, not
forgetting to bring wine gums and a pork pie, oh please try and squeeze in the
HP sauce and English mustard.
I spit in the wind to any would be future non existent admin difficulties and changes
in life, we true expats are made up of firmer stuff.
Especially now we can get Sky and baked beans, to show our flexability, we will
somehow accept the new Indian Restaurant, trying to cook for the local palate.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

Hey....I am older , I am for the EU. NOW say sorry, or give me a kiss.
Just to say my daughter believes I am a twin of the Yeti.

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

Heh. I didn't say all older people were against the EU, just that the strident UKIP types tend to be 50+. I've not met a strong UKIPer yet who's under 40, although it's possible I suppose that we have one poster here who fits into that category.
I'll pass on giving a kiss. Brian Clough did it, but I'm less demonstrative..

Re: UK Leaving the EU
 

It's a strange phenomenon, each younger generation correcting the sillier aspects of the outgoing elders. I now belong to the latter, but my lot achieved quite a lot.

We cured the widespread racism when we reached school age and made friends with our black neighbours. We eventually succeeded in voting in the first black president of the US – if you consider that the last black man was lynched in Georgia as recently as in 1956, then that's quite an achievement.

My generation stopped the Vietnam war, one of the last attempts to impose the US will on the poor peasants of the 'communist' East.

To get back to the subject under discussion, our young generation will soon dislodge the creaking ancients still fighting last centuries wars. They won't vote to leave theEU, they want the freedom to travel the world, not to be stuck on a small island with a load of toothless ancients rattling their sabres.