UK and the EU

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by clanless, Nov 9, 2015.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    My job probably is, given that my company is owned by French owners. Today is probably the worst day you could have asked that question too, but if that is what they choose to do following a vote, then so be it. Maybe it is my turn to get some welfare assistance out of this bloody country rather than being a government cash-cow?
     
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    • pete

      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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      We will always need busses FC, even French owned ones.:biggrin:

      I was thinking more about people in manufacturing, etc.
      Having the frighteners put on them but employers and unions.
       
    • clueless1

      clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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      I can't see why a French owned company would walk away if they could still make profit. Being in the eu might make it slightly easier forthem, but I'm sure they'll manage. The US has never been in the EU but I worked for a good number of years in an American owned company here in the UK.
       
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      • clueless1

        clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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        One of our biggest local employers is Saudi owned. Another is American. There's a brand new mining company locally that is largely Chinese owned. Up the road a bit is Japanese owned Nissan. None of the owning companies I've just mentioned are EU members. Yet somehow, they manage to do fine right here in the UK.
         
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          I have only been unemployed for about three months since I was 15, and even then I lasted all of a week before I was volunteering in Barnados, and walking the streets in my breaks from there and knocking on doors.

          I am no genius, but I have enough to get me by - I can paint and decorate to a high standard, I can drive any size passenger carrying vehicle, auto or manual, with or without trailer; I am licensed to drive lorries (from memory up to 7.5 ton), and reckon I could get through a Class II without too much trouble - Class I, I am less than sure.

          I am conversant in various software packages (particularly the Microsoft group), and am also a database developer for small to medium-large companies - I think it is fair to say that I have reasonably good IT skills.

          I have worked in retail, I have also worked in electronics engineering/installation, catering, and also worked in a care home for the elderly, as well as doing outreach care for disabled, elderly and otherwise vulnerable people in society (I was often chosen for the drug and alcohol addicts for example).

          So yeah, I am reasonably confident that I would be able to turn my hand to something.
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            Would Nissan, eg. still want to operate from a UK factory if the EU slapped a tax on all the motors they produce which are sold in the EU.
            They obviously wouldn't move it overnight, but it could stop further investment.
             
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            • clueless1

              clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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              Nissan has said in the past that the primary reason for manufacturing in the UK is access to the relevant expertise. In fact several foreign owned manufacturing companies have said pretty much the same thing. In fact, not just manufacturing. Bosses from several industry sectors have said the skills are here. That's a big part of why they choose to be here.
               
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              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                And that coming from a fella, Pete,that knows that if a Politician strokes his forehead then he's not lying, if he scratches his nose he's not lying, but if he opens his mouth he's lying!!:doh::hate-shocked::heehee:

                Seriously, if you take into account that the present Government agenda is to stay in the EU no matter what, then their "advice" and assessment rates about the same as some of the Second Hand Car Salesmen I have met in the past..........and I can't think of any Politician that I would buy a second hand car from.:dunno::heehee:
                 
              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                I seriously doubt that the EU would or could do that for several reasons, one being they would get the same treatment from the UK. Also, just because we would have separated from the EU trade would have to go on between UK and EU countries despite all the scare propaganda and the Politicians know it.:coffee::snork:
                 
              • Jiffy

                Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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                I think i'm going to change my mind and vote in/stay, well the goverment have done some many U turns i'm thinking vote in and they're change there minds and say they want out :mute::snorky::snorky::snorky:
                 
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                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                  They'll fool you again by changing it again - back to In! :doh:
                   
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                  • clueless1

                    clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                    You put your left leg in, your left leg out. In, out, in, out, shake it all about. You do the hokey cokey and you turn around. That's what its all about.
                     
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                    • "M"

                      "M" Total Gardener

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                      I hear what you are saying, but ...

                      ... if the UK wishes to trade with the EU should the referendum go the "leave" route, then to do so, the UK would have to provide goods/services which still conform to EU red tape/legislation. So I'm struggling to see how leaving would alter that? :scratch:

                      As for the "immense contributions" argument, I've been looking at the likes of Norway etc and noting that, despite not being a member of the EU, in order to have trading rights with them they pay a goodly contribution for the privilege (plus the proviso that they permit the "free movement of people" ;) ). So, it's difficult to assess whether our *in* contribution would be more, less or the same if we had to renegotiate terms if we *out-ed* :scratch: But it is clear that the EU would still insist on the "free movement of people" either way!

                      It's such a difficult decision to make and I know I find myself changing my mind almost from day to day. :wallbanging:
                       
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                      • Fat Controller

                        Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                        When it all boils down to it @"M" we are shafted no matter which way we vote; politicians by their very nature are like nappies, and this applies the world over in my opinion - and the likes of you and I will never get the honest truth as to what it would cost in or out. From what I can ascertain, the figures of £500m a week, and £350m a week are somewhat wide of the mark as they don't take into account the rebates etc that we get from the EU - - £250m a week is more realistic.

                        £250m a week is a shed load of money, and when you add that to the £12bn a year that we chuck at overseas aid, it is no wonder our NHS is knackered and our roads are modelled on the surface of the moon.

                        If it is going to cost our country £250m a week just to do business with the EU, then I think we have to ask ourselves if it is worth it? Also, that being the case, what will it cost the EU to do business with US?

                        See, the trouble I am having with it is that the entire emphasis with the EU is what it is going to cost us as a member country, or a trading partner - - there is never any mention of what they pay out to trade with others? The whole thing seems like a massive money vacuum to me, and the only beneficiaries are those politicians etc at the very heart of it.

                        As for products meeting EU standards, I don't really see that as being a problem - we are managing just fine now to meet the requirements, so I fail to see how that will change. Besides, the checks and balances in place cannot be very good - - I mean, have you seen some of the tat that is pouring out of China?

                        A significant amount of their lithium ion batteries are only one step away from being lethal, there is a plethora of mains adaptors flying around that are nothing more than capacitive droppers that are referenced to mains voltage (dangerous), and that is before we take a look at some of their water heating appliances such as the showers that are widely called 'Suicide Showers'

                        The closer we get to this the more I am of the mind that the time has come to get out of the EU, stop paying shedloads into the vacuum, get shot of the compulsory 0.7% of GDP as a minimum to foreign aid (I am not saying we shouldn't help by the way, but we should only be contributing where there is an identified need and we can be sure the money is going where it is needed), and then start focussing on our own country.

                        Get the NHS up to a suitable strength, get our emergency services up to strength, sort our roads, build homes to buy and rent at sensible prices, support our farmers to supply our food (hell, we might even be able to sell some abroad!), and seek ways of supporting ourseleves with our OWN power (be it wind, hydro, coal, gas, nuclear or bottled farts if need be!) - - - and the very action of doing all of these things would see the economy recover - - more jobs, genuinely affordable housing means more disposable income and a healthier economy.

                        Now, if a dimwit like me can work that out, it begs the question why a whole load of politicians in Westminster can't - - - or is it that they don't want to?
                         
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                        • ARMANDII

                          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                          Well, since as we already do provide services/goods to EU standards there will be no change to the trade but we will be free to trade outside the EU as we wish and that is not the case at the moment. We will also be free of EU restrictions on how we support and invest in our own British industries and who we buy from. :coffee::snork:
                           
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