Well, in my opinion, the EU is an organisation run by unelected Bureaucrats who's main aim is to become a organisation ruling over a Federal State where the member countries will no longer have any political say in the running of their own nations. So the EU will use any political or financial pressures it can to reach that Federal State while threatening to apply penalties on those countries thinking of leaving after finding that over decades the EU has not really been beneficial to them. If the UK had not stayed with the Sterling and declined to adopt the Euro in 1992 we'd have been under the same pressures and not able to make our own decision over our own national policies.
Please take my response in the spirit in which it is intended (healthy debate) and not as a confrontational personal attack on yourself............ Really? http://www.economist.com/news/brita...ti-billion-euro-exit-charge-could-sink-brexit Has the 'Brexit effect' disappeared? - BBC News Germany warns the City over Brexit risk - BBC News The economy - pain cancelled or delayed? - BBC News Lagarde warns UK of pain ahead as Brexit approaches - BBC News Many of my personal thoughts on Brexit are very much based on my conversations with several of my customers who work at high levels in the banking industry. They are also being formed by recent events on the trading estate where my workshop is. One business employing over a hundred people went into administration a week ago as a direct result of the devaluation of the pound. Another is relocating to Hungary as it cannot risk losing access to the Eastern European graduates that it relies upon. A vehicle leasing company has sold out to a larger concern as it cannot risk continued exposure to rising servicing/repair costs (car parts have risen by about 10% since the vote and from my enquiries so most manufacturers will be reviewing their RRP for parts on a three or four month basis for the foreseeable future). In my local estate agents I am now seeing house's for sale that have reduced price stickers on. I am fascinated as to what facts and figures you have access to that the government does not! Nope. We now have countries queuing up to put trade deals in place to replace the trade deal that we already had in place as part of the EU. This is not new business at all. And sadly there are companies pulling out of the UK just at my local level. Up and down the country similar things will be happening. Anyway, just my personal view and as I said no offence intended.
That is a headline figure though. I have no idea about numbers for the following but the point of expanding the EU is to open more markets up for business. As I say I have no idea how the numbers stack up in terms of UK government contributions against UK business revenue but I would be fascinated to read any reliable articles that anyone can dig out.
Hind sight is such a wonderful thing, clueless. "What seems like a crazy idea today eventually grows. It's a 'with hindsight' thing. One day, someone will turn around and say, 'That was genius.' Natalie Massenet" "Hindsight can be merciless. People of any given era often look back in time and wonder how their predecessors could have been so dimwitted. James Balog"
Well, to be honest, none of us, the Politicians, the Financiers, Business, the Bank of England, the Prime Minister, the EU, the European countries, you and I, have a clue, or any real idea of where leaving the EU will lead us. There have been prophecies of Doom, Prophecies of a bright future, etc. We have seen the effects of both negative and positive "propaganda" causing fluctuations in the Stock Markets, the Pound and various other areas, all not really due to anything substantial other than the fear of the unknown and those wishing to profit from speculation.
No, Freddy, but having no control over where our contributions went meant we had no say if they went into something that was more beneficial to the interests of Federalisation than in our own interests or that of the original members who's economies and standards of living, as history has shown, haven't really benefited equally as possibly some other countries.
@Freddy There was a payout on top of our contribution as we were directly involved in bailing out the Republic of Ireland. I think we put in about 3 billion (not sure on the figure but it sounds like a nice round number ).
When was it any different where our funds went? I think it's a bit disingenious to say 'we' bailed out some countries. I've always viewed certain aspects of the EU as social(ist), helping those less fortunate, a trait sadly lacking in the world today, I feel. One has only to look over the 'pond' to see which way the wind is blowing.
I agree. I totally agree, Freddy. The EU, in it's infancy, started out with high ideals and a clear vision of enabling trading between the European countries which would have equal benefits to all the members. It would ensure that all members would benefit in their economies and that all members would be of equal status..........you've got to applaud that. But over the decades the EU with it's one currency has failed a lot of members leaving, in reality, only two members in a strong state. When the global financial collapse happened the situation and imbalance in the EU became worse. It seemed folly to me to offer membership status to the East European countries when several of their already present members were in a state of financial collapse and contemplating leaving the EU and returning to their original currency. I don't believe that that offer to the Eastern European Countries was done on socialistic grounds or primarily to benefit those countries, it was done on a Political decision, by unelected Bureaucrats to increase the numbers and aid the overall agenda of Federalism. So whatever animal the EU was in it's original state, it sure ain't that now.
I tend to think that is the biggest problem with the EU, members are not equal, some are more equal than others, and when we joined it revolved around the same two members that it still does to this day.
