Hiya, C1. I am happy to tell you about anything you would like to know about living in different countries, both EU and non-EU, and please ask anything you would like to ... but I may (but I don't think so) not respond to something. I have to have specific questions to respond to, if you can appreciate that rather than me ramble on about something that is not relevant.
Thanks, but that's the trouble. I don't have any specific questions because I don't understand why some people believe we need the EU. I don't know if you've been following UK politics much, but Britain is going through (or heading for) "interesting times", with growing resentment towards the EU, and growing popularity of UKIP, which wants us out of the EU. Towards the end of this month, we get to vote for our MEPs. I'm torn between UKIP and abstaining. I don't like any of the parties, but I think I dislike UKIP the least. What I'd hate to do is cast my vote (or not) while I'm missing some vital detail that would enable me to make the right decision. You've indicated that you believe the EU to be a good thing, hinting that it has somehow made your life better than it otherwise would have been. A better life is what we all want isn't it? So if you can enlighten me as to how the EU improves the lives of ordinary people, that would be much appreciated.
I think that what you say is the whole crux of the issue. No one tells us anything (not our government, our MP's, our MEP's, our financial 'experts', the EU itself etc.) but they simply say that we shall be better off, or worse off, if we stayed in the EU. We seem to be, almost, the only member state that is questioning the situation instead of just lying back and accepting it. This whole discussion makes it appear as though we aren't living in it - but we are! What we are doing is questioning the blind acceptance of its ability to make all our decisions for us - and doing the questioning whilst we still have the opportunity. Whether it's financially viable to live in one member state or another is not really part of what we're discussing. I could live extremely comfortably in Estonia but would struggle just a short distance away in Sweden, or a lot further away in Bulgaria. They're all member states. The main bone of contention seems to be the EU's ability to make decisions for us that were never a part of the original agreement. The original agreement was to be trading partners (with a few extras) but it now appears to want to govern our laws and how we run our country. The only reason we're able to question it is because we have just a little bit of independence and leverage because we retained our own currency. If we had adopted the Euro we would have found it difficult (almost impossible) to even hint that we would withdraw. We're never given any definitive figures on the net effect that being a member has cost us (something that should be the easiest thing to do) but taking figures from a variety of optimistic and pessimistic charts (I didn't even look at the UKIP figures ) it appears that it costs us a net figure of over £4bn per annum. This doesn't include all the billions it cost business to comply with EU regulations (I don't know how much it would have cost them if we had brought in our own regulations instead but it would have been less). Britain is, reputedly, the only EU state to follow the EU percentages on giving overseas aid (some ignore it completely) and are the second biggest contributor in the world. We haven't, yet, needed bailing out but I admire Portugal who is the only country that has paid off its bail out funding and did it in extra quick time - announced this week. Good for them
It appears to me that the best reason forward so far for the UK being in the EU is that it makes the UK a good place to move away from. Oh dear, I think GC might need a bigger server.
That's is basically the point of view from someone who is retired, though Victoria. Unemployment is a big problem, and you know yourself, if Britain was in the euro it would not be the same as things are in Portugal. Portugal is Portugal, Britain is Britain, two very different countries, and there lies the problem with the EU.
Now this is interesting, and perfect timing as we're discussing this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27284489 But further down... Well ok, so 3.5 million UK jobs are linked to UK exports to EU member states. I can well believe that, but those exports are to EU member states, not 'The EU'. That's like saying that we should all make sure we die our hair a nice dark colour, because 3.5 million UK jobs are linked to exports to companies where the the managers that you signed the deal with has dark hair. I don't think anyone questions whether or not we do business with Europe, because we all know we do, and have been doing so for at least 6000 years. The question is whether being in the EU has made this possible or not. Maybe the EU is like those book clubs that used to be prevalent before the advent of t'interweb. You know the ones, where you get to buy your first two books for a quid, if you sign a contract saying you'll buy x number of books per month off them for the next 12 months, but when the catalogue comes round its full of books you don't actually want, and at full price.
Once again the EU has overruled the UK on a matter of UK laws. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27293493 So the EU has imposed a law that means potentially the wrong person will be held responsible for breaking certain laws, the UK government said 'no thanks', and the EU said 'tough, you're having it whether you like it or not'.
UK Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope, the party's spokesman on justice issues in Europe, said the ECJ ruling was "disappointing". And that was the lack lustre response from an MEP who gets paid thousands every year. if anything is "disappointing" its his attitude. Diabolical would be a better word in both places.
An MEP's agenda is not that one that allies with the UK, he/she moves in a different "world", and thinks "differently*, and despite his/her professed allegiance to the UK, is pro-EU.......otherwise he/she would be an MP in the UK Parliament.
I think UKIP are the exception, being even more insane than most. I was actually going to vote for them, until I looked at their website. I've sent them a polite email to see if they can clarify some points. This is what I said.
I'll probably vote this time, and it will be for UKIP, I dont mind admitting I'm not sure about them, but I do seem to feel that not one of the other three have any definite path, or ever likely to carry out any of the lies they are spouting. The UKIP vote will be I guess be considered as protest vote, but how else do were point out that the choice is rubbish, and they need to start actully being honest if they want us to vote for them.
I think I'll vote UKIP in the imminent local and MEP elections, just to hopefully scare the rest of the halfwits in the other parties, but I'm not sure I dare risk it in the general election, just in case they actually win, or worse, nobody wins and UKIP forms a coalition with Conservatives.
