What did the EU ever do for us?

[PerryGunn]

...

[dans6490]

Doomed.......we’re all doomed!!

What I do know is that the politicians rarely get anything right and the predictions they make usually back up their own agendas. I take zero notice of any predictions any of them make.

It seems that other countries are also showing signs of resentment toward the EU and what is being imposed on them. It makes me wonder wether the Eu even has a future in the long term.

[Angelus666]

If we take the immigration 'thing' as a key point of the debate...it's something I've chatted with my London based European colleagues over the past year. To a person, they've all gone with the view that the rest of the UK are mostly racist and lack basic economic intelligence. The irony being that they are the racist, bigoted ones by holding that view of 52% of the UK population.

My view on the immigration policy is that I don't see what the problem is with a points-based system? If you have skills the country needs then you're welcome....if you want to come and work cash in hand and put your whole family through the social system then you're not. Is that just not common sense? What's the problem in saying that? If there is a problem with that, then why don't we open the borders to all countries to come in, why should it just be the Eurozone countries that get to benefit from generations of British families contribution to the infrastructure.

I live in the South East and it feels so busy, all the time, constant heavy traffic, crazy prices for housing, low wages for a lot of workers....doesn't feel like we could take a few million more people. I might be wrong, but it's a view.

[TitanTim]

I voted to stay in simply because I didn't understand the implications if we left, the problem is the opt outers didn't either except through rose tinted specs over immigration. We shall pay the price of ignorance.

The problem is, Tim, that both side lied - nobody knew/knows exactly what will happen when we leave and anyone that says they do is talking bollox.

I think thats why at the time we were asked to vote I voted for the safe/er option to stay in simply because I didn't feel informed enough to make a decision, the gov't leaflet that came through my door at the time told me nothing. I honestly don't know what to think, I can see the millions we plough into the EU will hopefully be put to better use at home, but then I feel there will be price of freedom in Europe and the red tape that inevitably looks like it will be imposed, looks like driving in the EU will become more complicated, what will happen with import duty? when buying goods within the EU

Tim.

[MalNCH]

if you want to come and work cash in hand and put your whole family through the social system then you're not.

EU nationals can't do that anyway, for example they can't claim housing benefit so hardly likely to be putting their whole family through the social system. I feel the immigration 'thing' as you say is the problem, most people don't understand it. Your European colleagues are probably right.

[Angelus666]

...by social system I mean enrol your kids through our schooling, take advantage of the fantastic NHS along with all the other social benefits we have built up over 100 years in this country....not just claim a welfare check. My European colleague couldn't have been more wrong, it's massively offensive to say that the British public are inherent racists when we are country that is the most diverse in the whole of Europe.

[Flyingfifer]

I've lived in England all my life, but despite there being far more people in the UK living in England we never got a vote in the Scottish Independence referendum! Why is that?

Let Scotland do their own thing - at least I'll no longer have to help subsidise the fishy party!

Lul wut?
I hope thats sarcasm

[Mr Tidy]

Lul wut?
I hope thats sarcasm

Certainly was - hence the "lol" .

[Flyingfifer]

Certainly was - hence the "lol" .

Unfortunately these days I feel the need to check

[Mr Tidy]

Unfortunately these days I feel the need to check

No problem!

[TitanTim]

Well going by today looks like our Brexit strategy is slowly going down the pan

Can there really be a deal by the autumn.

Tim.

[Mr Tidy]

Well going by today looks like our Brexit strategy is slowly going down the pan

Can there really be a deal by the autumn.

It's totally different I know, but back when I had a proper job I was an insurance claims loss adjuster, and most negotiations got nowhere until there was some sort of deadline because both parties were usually being a bit unrealistic. Impose a deadline and it's surprising how reasonable everyone becomes!

Hopefully that will be the case with this.

[SpiketheBike]

I totally agree that the EU have shown themselves to be exactly what a lot of people thought. Self serving bureaucrats who dont really care who they upset.
What realy annoyed me about the referendum, was that no one knew what article 50 meant. If you've read it, you'll know itmis about 3 sentences long, and tells you nothing. The EU obviously thought no one would ever have the audacity to leave, and article 50 was nothing more then lip service.
One thing no ever seems to be mentioned, is whilst the result of the vote was 52/48, about 1/3 of people didn't bother voting. One has to assume that they were not bothered if we left or not, so it could be argued that actually the result should have been in the region of 66/34.

[mmm-five]

One thing no ever seems to be mentioned, is whilst the result of the vote was 52/48, about 1/3 of people didn't bother voting. One has to assume that they were not bothered if we left or not, so it could be argued that actually the result should have been in the region of 66/34.

I think your maths might be a bit off...adding a 3rd more to both sides would equal the same split.

[RustyZ4]

We might be the least of Brussels problems soon, brexit may be a headache for them now, but if the new coalition government of Italy goes its own way, it could bring down the whole EU house of cards.
The new Italian Prime minister, now leads a coalition government of very diverse and contradictory thinking in all but one thing – a dislike of the EU.
Italy it seems has a few bones to pick with the EU, such as the big one of immigration and the new government is looking to ride roughshod over the very soft approach the EU has to migration.
Then there's the economy, with many in Italy believing that Brussels is the author of their current woes, with a national debt of 132% of the country's GDP and that joining the Euro was a big mistake.
Watch with interest