Brexit!

[mchristyuk]

I've just picked up the laptop since writing my opening post last night and it's been a fascinating read catching up on the very articulate SM opinions - and good to see at least on here I'm not alone in my thinking.

I was discussing BREXIT with some colleagues last night over a couple of beers (we don't get out much ) so thought I'd post the Q on here - as now I've got to learn that a majority of my friends plus 100% of my colleagues will vote to leave.

Most of my circle work in the same industry so maybe we are not a fair consensus of opinion, but I think it's fair to say that SM membership covers a broad spectrum of the electorate that reflects peoples' opinions who work across many industries and businesses so it's enlightening to understand the reasons for your voting decisions and how you see the impact being - in fact maybe in future Ipsos MORI should use forums as part of their research/polling process.....!

I've heard the argument that if we do leave then some companies could/would look to move there European HQs out of Britain, but surely why would they move to France, Spain, Italy, former Soviet states etc. where strict employment laws + militant unions + mandatory-9-to-5-including-1hour-lunch-break (i.e. France...) are in place - how can this be a viable and attractive alternative, plus the don't speak English... Wonder what Benny thinks.....

Anyway, we can only hope that the 'Leave' campaign gathers momentum and can make a solid case for leaving, and we take back control of the UK again!

Mods - be interesting if we had a thread with voting buttons for 'STAY' and 'LEAVE' - who knows SportsMaserati might be seen as the current-meaningful opinion poll....

Not wanting to sound "right up myself".. the issue I see is that whilst we have a broad cross spectrum of people on here, we're all reasonably articulate and intelligent and have made at least a reasonable stab of life to be able to afford a Maserati.. even if it's at the scraping of the barrel end which I find my own car!

However we make up a small amount of the electorate.. the vast majority think the X-Factor and Celebrity "Get My Reputation Out Of Here" are superb pieces of television perfection. If you asked them what the difference is between the common market and the European Union there would be a prolonged silence... and this is what is going to dictate the future of our country...!

Mark

 

[BJL]

Just heard the subject discussed on local radio when a 19 year old was asked 'do you think we should stay in Europe?' To which he answered ' well I don't think we would be better off in any other continent'...........god help us.

 

[Phil H]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the European Union. It exudes strong governance, promotes equality for all, and is a beacon of financial probity, apparently.

Personally I'll keep faith with the good Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus; at least they're believeable.

PH

 

[Swedish Paul]

I used to Believe in the tooth fairy. Then I got a tax bill....

 

[Hexadex]

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.

Totally agree mate

 

[jluis]

Just heard the subject discussed on local radio when a 19 year old was asked 'do you think we should stay in Europe?' To which he answered ' well I don't think we would be better off in any other continent'...........god help us.

Was the young man in question interviewed when exiting the local pub?

 

[jluis]

Unfortunately it's those with the vested interests who have the deepest pockets and who get heard the loudest with the prime news spots and headlines in the filthy rag tops.

For once we can just hope common sense prevails. I think with the underlying current of frustration over immigration it might not actually matter what economic disaster stories are thrown about... Iceland is a great case study on how you can thrive after the financial collapse by telling the banks and the Euro to $£*@ right off!... funny how its success has been mostly ignored by the media?..

Mark

Funny thing about Iceland.
They told the Banks/IMF/Bank of England/etc to feck off and after 2 or 3 years of a deep crisis they emerged and we don't see any news about that.
Portugal followed all instructions to the letter, it's the EU poster boy for obedience and behavior and it's going further down the drain with each passing year ...

 

[conaero]

I am out too, I prefer a Europe with a trade mechanism but each country have its own identity and currency.

If a country in Europe starts doing badly, their currency crashes making it attractive to invest in, the currency stabilises and so the cycle continues.

Take Greece as a modern example, financials crashes, Europe prop it up, nothing changes and the situation worsens.

If they were not part of Europe and an international currency, their currency would still have crashed making it a very attractive place to holiday, foreigners flood in, cheap labour makes it attractive for foreign investment and the country stabilises under its own steam.

Simple supply and demand economics.

 

[BennyD]

Wow! That's the first time I have seen you post with any sense. Well done, keep it up.

 

[D Walker]

Wow! That's the first time I have seen you post with any sense. Well done, keep it up.

Funny enough I agree with you, don't trust the Germans, French and the most irrelevant country in the world .... Belgium,

 

[MAF260]

Wow! That's the first time I have seen you post with any sense. Well done, keep it up.

1 more than you've ever managed!

 

[BennyD]

That's a co-incidence. Tw4t.

 

[Wack61]

I make that > 5:1 for leaving on here, I can only hope the general public see it the same way but I think in reality it will be far closer when the spin has been applies.

I think it'll be like the Scotland independence vote, a lot of people thought they wanted it but when it actually came down to it the unknown was too frightening.

Immigration and the worry that turkey joining the EU will throw our borders open to ISIS to move about very easily will be a big factor in the public deciding but only if they know about it.

The first past the post system is a disgrace , I read that if we'd had proportional representation UKIP would have over 80 seats in parliament ,good or bad it's meant to be a democracy not jobs for the boys

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32601281

I vote out

 

[MAF260]

That's a co-incidence. Tw4t.

I suppose that's more eloquent than any of the drivel you spouted 24 hours ago. Well done!

 

[Migliore]

From far away we are not subjected to the daily drip feed of propaganda by whoever pushes their agenda, as a regular visitor there's no apparent common Union, currency, road signs, language, weights and measures,maybe. Not like I vaguely recall it being intended ( born 1961). It all seems like an industry in itself that serves no one else, it probably wouldn't be noticed if it failed to exist by ordinary people who have to cope with whatever bureaucracy they encounter.
Now, The Monarchy in Australia and a suitable alternative constitution draws an equally broad range of opinion from surprising sources.

 

[dunnah01]

It's alarming how right wing this forum is - look after number one seems to be the mantra.

I'm in the stay-in camp at the moment but if somebody could explain why we should vote no without scaremongering about ISIS invasions, Immigration meltdown and straight bananas I'd at least have a reason to vote.
USA without Texas would just be a bit odd, which is my starting point for Europe and the EU.

 

[Steve GS]

It's alarming how right wing this forum is - look after number one seems to be the mantra.

I'm in the stay-in camp at the moment but if somebody could explain why we should vote no without scaremongering about ISIS invasions, Immigration meltdown and straight bananas I'd at least have a reason to vote.
USA without Texas would just be a bit odd, which is my starting point for Europe and the EU.

now this is where it gets silly. USA with out Texas you are on a completely different path. In the USA they vote for there president. The men in Brussels they decide between themselves who in charge. Then go along making up silly rules for the rest of us to obey. And we can't vote them out. That's not a democracy it's dictatorship. And how can you not mention imagination we are a country that's full to the brim. Just try and get to work at 5-30 am heading to London. Then take a look at our school class rooms and the hospitals. The infrastructure can not cope. And don't give it right wing I grew up on a council estate. I could go on and on

 

[conaero]

It's alarming how right wing this forum is - look after number one seems to be the mantra.

I'm in the stay-in camp at the moment but if somebody could explain why we should vote no without scaremongering about ISIS invasions, Immigration meltdown and straight bananas I'd at least have a reason to vote.
USA without Texas would just be a bit odd, which is my starting point for Europe and the EU.

Each to their own, I won't tell you are wrong to vote in likewise opposing opinions should be respected also. People shy away from political debate as it tends to turn personal when one person doesn't agree with another. I'd like to think on here we have more decorum and respect for eachother.

I think it comes down to most of us being the same on here, hence why it works so well.

We are all of a certain middle age bracket, grew up in the Thatcher years (a debate for another time) and are comfortable financially through working hard.

We have grown up and witnessed our taxes being used for the less fortunate in our country and now Europe is taking that to a whole new level.

This is not very PC I appreciate, we won a war in Europe at great human and financial cost only to give it up to Belgium, is that right?

A unified Europe only serves as a redistribution of wealth, the poorer countries gain, the middle ones don't change and the richer ones lose.

I'll stop there but I do respect anyone's opinions to stay in, it's your right to vote with what you agree.

 

[daverichardson]

I am certainly not Right Wing!
But I still vote out

 

[allandwf]

That's the bit that gets me, we should be voting people in to represent us not dictate.