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How would you vote if given the chance ?
Snuggs - 23/10/11 at 04:58 PM


JoelP - 23/10/11 at 05:04 PM

reform for me. IMHO we shouldnt have euro courts above our own.


britishtrident - 23/10/11 at 05:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
reform for me. IMHO we shouldnt have euro courts above our own.


+1


mark chandler - 23/10/11 at 05:42 PM

The Empire is long gone, Euro gives us stability but we have to be allowed to manage ourselves so reform.

Pulling out would kill our dying country

We need to be a bit more French about things, they have the laws forced upon them but only apply when it suits them, we try and comply !


mookaloid - 23/10/11 at 05:44 PM

reform as above - we need to get rid of this human rights c**p which stops us deporting foreign criminals


david_hornet27 - 23/10/11 at 05:51 PM

Waffle alert!!!

We are a tiny little country who are in the fortunate position to be allied with both Europe and the US. As the emerging powers like China and India grow and become more powerful it is more important than ever to keep both these alliances strong so we as a country still have a say in world affairs.

I say we stand up for ourselves in Europe yes, but don't forget that in the great scheme of things we are not the powerful nation we once were. With an increasing part of our nation content to sit on their arse and expect to be fed and watered by the willing workers we will only get weaker and poorer. We have no oil, no gas, in fact no natural resources we can sell so our only asset is manufacturing (where we have priced ourselves out of the market), or a skilled workforce which we have but is dwindling.

I do not agree with Europe making our laws, but I do think we need Europe more than it needs us. I have no doubt that our resistance to the Euro and our 'neither in nor out' stance on Europe is a large part of why we are not well liked by the majority of the continent.


smart51 - 23/10/11 at 06:12 PM

There is no option of renegotiation. The other 26 will just say no if we asked. The choice is in or out.

Ideally I would want a little less EU but given a straight choice it would have to be "in". There is no future for little countries like the UK in an ever globalising world. All predictions of the middle of the century show the EU only being a mid sized player in a world dominated by China, India, USA, Russia and Brazil.

Politically I think we're better waiting a couple of years until the Euro crisis dust settles. There'll probably be less EU appetite for ever closer union. Either it will be brought to a halt or the EU will be divided into an ever closer core and a wider free trade and travel area. The UK would be more comfortable in this wider but looser area. A sort of Devo-Max to plagiarise the Scots.


whitestu - 23/10/11 at 06:20 PM

The problem with monetary union is that it needs foscal union to work, and fiscal union needs a single government. So if we are to be part of the EU and the Euro we need to accept that we will give up all sovereignty.


coozer - 23/10/11 at 06:49 PM

OUT! I hate this country now, time to clean it up and build a massive wall round it.


Ninehigh - 23/10/11 at 07:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by whitestu
The problem with monetary union is that it needs foscal union to work, and fiscal union needs a single government. So if we are to be part of the EU and the Euro we need to accept that we will give up all sovereignty.


True, maybe the United States of Europe is the way to go


morcus - 24/10/11 at 02:27 AM

I think we're better of in than out but we should have more choice on what we take from it. The worst thing the EU could do to the UK for not following legislation is kick us out which would do them more harm than good.


lotusmadandy - 24/10/11 at 07:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
reform for me. IMHO we shouldnt have euro courts above our own.


+1



+2

Andy


JoelP - 24/10/11 at 08:46 AM

the problem with a referendum is that most people, myself included, dont appreciate the full effects of leaving the EU or joining the euro.


designer - 24/10/11 at 09:08 AM

I have voted, even though I live in France.

Why?

Because I fear for the young over in the UK, I think they have had it all taken from them and they will never get the chances we had.


MikeR - 24/10/11 at 12:15 PM

I've voted for reform but ....

we don't manufacture because we target the stard and end of the value chain - not the low profit middle.

Reality is we want to leave the EU and reform / re-engergise the current empire countries. If we could bring back the comonwealth as a trading unit we'd be the head of a powerful group and able to maintain our position of dommience .... unfortunately we're about 10 to 20 years too late. (friends view & when he evangelises it makes sense).


britishtrident - 24/10/11 at 01:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
The Empire is long gone, Euro gives us stability but we have to be allowed to manage ourselves so reform.

Pulling out would kill our dying country

We need to be a bit more French about things, they have the laws forced upon them but only apply when it suits them, we try and comply !


How can we pull out the Euro ? we ain't in the Euro zone !

The Euro cannot work unless you have one government and one central bank running the Euro Zone economies as one economy.

Before the Euro was established both the European Exchange rate Mechanism (The snake) and the European Monetary System (EMS) had failed because the mixture of the currencies of strong and weak economies was prey to the to the manipulation of currency markets. When the Euro was established the southern european economies were out of synch with the core Euro Zone countries. The result was Greece, Portugal and to a lesser extent Spain and Italy got towed along by Germany, France et al. Although the southern countries were getting towed along it was actually bad for their economies they ended up with nothern european social and labour cost but without northern European productivity.

Not all southern european Euro economies are in trouble Malta joined the EU and the Euro Zone about 4 years back but because the exchange rate was properly synched to the Euro and Malta's economy is in good shape the problems were minimal.

[Edited on 24/10/11 by britishtrident]


owelly - 24/10/11 at 03:19 PM

I have no idea what you're all taking about as I'm a bit behind with my politics but I'm sure Churchill will be looking after our interests.


britishtrident - 24/10/11 at 03:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
I have no idea what you're all taking about as I'm a bit behind with my politics but I'm sure Churchill will be looking after our interests.


Strangely the common market was Churchill's idea, he also proposed union with France in 1940 --- that's the trouble with Maverick politicians they always come out with the unexpected.


AdrianH - 24/10/11 at 04:18 PM

I may well be wrong and for all the wrong reasons but want out. We seem to be the only country that plays by the rules, but would like to see more support for our own land even if one calls it protectionism.

I believe other countries have done it for years so why not?

Adrian