Brexit!

[SimonCC]

Are we allowed to raise the 'B' word on here? I'll risk it.

It seems the majority of friends and colleagues seem to be in favour of leaving our Euro neighbours to it and for us to stand on our own 2 feet - but are we in the minority in our opinions, as most of what I read is the majority are in favour of the UK to stay put despite the broken model that is the EU.

Just wondered what the esteemed SM consensus is?

 

[Wack61]

Politics on a forum, it never ends well

 

[GeoffCapes]

For me, well my company, leaving the EU would be an absolute shocker. Trade with Europe wouldn't have a massive effect at the moment but would totally balls up future plans.
I imagine anyone who trades with Europe would be in the same boat.

Stay in!

 

[SimonCC]

Why do you think it would be detrimental Mark? For what reasons specifically?

160 countries have perfectly agreeable trade agreements with the EU. While we export much to the EU, we also import much from the EU too. The UK is BMW's largest European export market. All parties will want these relationships to continue, just it seems things maybe evened up somewhat if we owned the decision making...

I'm yet to be persuaded....

 

[Steve GS]

I think I'll keep my views to my self on this one.
Boloocks why do we have elections only to be told what to do by a load of unelected prats with jumped up salaries who don't give a **** about us. I'm with the out vote
Sorry that's what politics dose to me

 

[spkennyuk]

If we left the european union then there is nothing to stop us from having imports from euroland as VAT and duty free and nothing to stop us having reciprical agreements with european union member states. If we did that then there are many benefits to leaving the EU and little in the way of side effects. We already have preferential agreements in place with the EFTA states. There is nothing to stop us reaching similar agreement with but on a duty and VAT free basis with the EU states.

 

[BennyD]

Get the f*ck out. Any system which has the French and Germans with the whip hand has got to be f*cked up. Those bastards never do anything for anyone but themselves. Get the f*ck out. IMO.

 

[alfatwo]

Get the f*ck out. Any system which has the French and Germans with the whip hand has got to be f*cked up. Those bastards never do anything for anyone but themselves. Get the f*ck out. IMO.

After 40 years of giving it a go.. We've all made a few quid out of it one way or an other....I think it's time to leave

It's all pay in and get nothing back...For us, legislation wise these taking the P***!

Dave

 

[safrane]

The expansion of the EU is what has spoilt it in my eyes as the uniin now pumps billions into former Soviet block states...once Turkey joines the whole thing will implode.

I for one want to leave. I want border controls across the union. I want bananas of varying sizes, and I want our roads repaired rather than build motorways across Europe that no one uses.

 

[Andyk]

Get the f*ck out. Any system which has the French and Germans with the whip hand has got to be f*cked up. Those bastards never do anything for anyone but themselves. Get the f*ck out. IMO.

I was waiting with baited breath for this post...........Not that I was expecting any suprises......

 

[MAF260]

Out for me please. Decisions made by unelected fools with no interest in the best for our country. Everything we want to do has to be negotiated with many other countries, ending up with watered-down compromises. The new countries joining the EU only seem to serve their own interests and are generally a negative for us. We were once a proud, independent empire. Wtf happened?!

 

[Andyk]

I think I'm out as well.....but still open to views....it doesn't feel we get much for the money that we pump into the EU....

 

[MAF260]

I think I'm out as well.....but still open to views....it doesn't feel we get much for the money that we pump into the EU....

I believe membership only costs us £55m per day. Bargain!!

 

[Andyk]

Ummmmm......just think where that could go over here......

 

[highlander]

IF, and it is a big IF, the EU had stuck to strengthening trade movement /agreements within the EU, as it was originally set up to do as those with long memories will recall, then I doubt we would be having this conversation here, at work and everywhere else. Unfortunately I believe that they have crept stealthily towards a "one" state goal leaving individual governments like our own no real power to legislate within their own borders for fear of it being overturned in Brussels. Worst case scenario IMO is not far away where we pay for a castrated parliament and an unelected beurocratic "senate", neither of which do what we want............guess I don't need to say which way I will vote!

 

[2b1ask1]

I think Greg is the closest to my view so far; remember what the vote will be, to ask do we want to be part of the Economic Union yes or no? We are not voting to leave Europe, we will still be Europeans, we will not be dragging the UK across the Atlantic.

As has been said we have given it a go for over 40 years, hoodwinked into it by Heath and his cronies into an elite club in those days. It is a monster now with sinister overtones of oppression, it is no longer a trade agreement between sovereign states, the UK is one of the smallest countries yet is the second biggest contributor! for 40 + years it has taken more from us than we have ever got back.

Cameron this week tried to 'negotiate' improved terms under the threat of us leaving and he came back with a brown paper bag with a turd in it, all he needs to do is put it on the steps of parliament and set it on fire...

I'm out, have been for 20+ years, I hope we can all be out. Mark, don't worry about future business plans mate, leaving won't make an iota of difference to working in Europe.

 

[dunnah01]

I'd go the other way and get rid of the Westminster Goliath and put the billions saved into our economy - parliament don't seem to add any value to Euro legislation, they only seem to spend our billions on enforcement. Euro rules are very open and seem to offer the broadest solutions to suit the majority - how they are enforced is what seems to cause the problems.
UK plc on it's own without EU protection would have been swallowed by a US/China consortium in the 90's.
Duck - incoming!

 

[midlifecrisis]

Politics on a forum, it never ends well.


Coming soon religion

 

[Felonious Crud]

Norway gets on perfectly well without being in, and has strong trade with EU member countries. It's a phallacy that trade would collapse if we exited.

The Economist, which is pretty good at being both informed and impartial, lands squarely on the side of staying in, however, precisely because it believes that trade links would be damaged if we left.

I need to get myself fully informed so that whatever I vote for is based on as many facts and opinions as I can harvest, (including Ben's!). Until then I'm leaning towards an out. Greater liberty and self-determination are seldom unattractive.

 

[Trev Latter]

The one question that should be burning in everyone's minds on here is...how much will the wishbones go up in price?

Other than that, it's an emotive issue for many people. My personal take is that it's a far cry from what was agreed/promised back in the 70s and has grown into something we didn't want. It seems to me that the UK will quietly get on and follow any rules/regulations that are decided for us by the EU (although the UK is the instigator of many of these rules, but they neglect to tell us that publicly) and the rest of euroland do their own thing. Trade agreements, yes, rules and regulations, no. I have a couple of small businesses, but am unlikely to ever trade with Europe, so it doesn't particularly affect me either way. I don't agree with letting in some of the countries wanting to "join" the EU, but we'll never get a say in that. Most of those countries that want to join want to do so for what they can get, not what they can offer. Freedom of movement will cause issues over time if it carries on as it is now and don't get me started on immigration. I do think the PM has got it right by taking refugees directly from Syria and not from the awaiting invasion force in Calais.

I'm out and happy to put up a big fence with proper border controls thanks.

...and breathe.