Cheers Rog, but methinks that is a tad unlikely. I was actually at a Brexit Party rally in Earl's Court last night, just to see what they are up to, and it was pretty impressive. They had the former President of Czechoslovakia there, talking about how the EU treats smaller countries and it was a bit of an eye-opener...
I can understand why you may have been offended by that statement but it wasn't meant to be offensive. I am not deliberately trying to put people into boxes or label them but the honest truth is that very few of the leave arguments that I have heard have varied from an expression of dissatisfaction with the EU for one reason or another. This desire to go it alone is evident in the break up of the USSR, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the former Yugoslavia and countless others. Smaller elements believe that they will be better off if they can control their own destiny. Have all of the constituent parts of those entities prospered since they fragmented? I can understand the dissatisfaction with the EU. I respect your argument about supranational organisations (although I'm not sure that the entire of human history does support that argument- England didn't become a single nation until the 10th century- only a couple of hundred years before the Basque region came under the power of Castillian Spain- and, the Cornish aside, that's still going strong). And I wholeheartedly agree that the EU needs massive reform. I talk to economists and city types who see Brexit as a potential catastrophe and I just can't see how shutting ourselves out is the right thing to do.
It's not that I'm offended, mate, just a bit frustrated that getting across an argument for leaving seems so hard when many don't seem able to countenance the possibility that it might be the correct decision in the longer term. I have been pigeonholed so many times I've lost count and a lot of leavers I know have just given up arguing their case. They'll go to the ballot box and vote leave again, or for the Brexit Party on Thursday, but actually discussing the issues sometimes seems like an awful waste of time and not worth the bother. I was at a BP rally last night with a mate who joked that he must be a racist for liking Farage, notwithstanding that he's a Pakistani immigrant who's been in the UK for about 30 years!
I think I've said this before, but I am interested in why people want to leave. There are sensible arguments on both sides of the debate. There has to be otherwise we wouldn't be so polarised on it. What I find shocking is that the EU, something that I always considered a mildly irritating but generally benign presence, has caused such vitriol.
It's the lack of accountability, I think. The Commission keeps on doing things like not accepting Italy's budget. The Italians were within the 3% of GDP deficit limit, but the Commission still said it was too high. They may have a point in Italy's case, but the French have been outside the 3% limit for over ten years and not a squeak in their direction. How do you think that makes the Italians feel about the EU?
I know a little about economics and forecasting and for the remainers to state as factual that we will be worse off in the long run if we leave is just rubbish, it is only an opinion, shared admittedly by lots of others but still an opinion. We were told 3 years ago that if we voted leave the economy would nosedive immediately... that has not happened! Although every business which fails seems to blame Brexit... it may be partly true cos uncertainty does cause business problems. But who has caused the uncertainty the remainers and extreme brexiteers MPs who will not vote through any compromise deal. That is not to say the leavers in their propaganda were not telling lies also, I.e the infamous £350m pw for the NHS was utter bullshit.
when you live in europe you understand why a lot of E.U rules are for them, and against the people, An ordinary pensioner here gets around 500 euros a month, they cannot live on that, hundreds each month are losing their houses, due to the 600% land rates, illegal immigrants with 2 kids get 2000 a month plus free accomodation.My friend here who is the army says they cannot go on exercise as the equipment does not work. they leave it to the Brits and Americans to defend them, the Greek Islands average around, 500 migrants a week with no let up in sight, rapes average 3 per month but no mention in european news. Even Sweden has put a block on them ,and Denmark sends them to one of its islands.The Netherlands taxes are so high now people are on the streets, petrol 1.78 per liter Council tax for 60 sq mtrs 400 per year, water tax 430 per year, consumption water 220 per year electric and gas 245 per month, council house rent 740 per month . unemployment money 800 per month a joke its pathetic, health insurance 180 each per month by law, with a 400 excess thats why so many couple are divorcing. ex wives get half your pension by law. Netherlanders are moving to Bulgaria at a rate of 170 a month. car tax 30 to 400 depending on size and engine. diesels banned from most big cities. I could go on but you get the jist, they are squeezing the population even after the pips have squeeked, whilst the EU sit on thier arses with a 5 star chef for thier free meals, mortgage assistance for houses in Strasburg and Maastricht. Swilling wine at 150 a pop, free taxis special help for car purchase, travel allowance attendance allowance, The books have never been balanced because of so much corruption in the allowances scams.
I have to say I'm glad I live on the edge of society where normal rules don't apply. It seems like all the fun is being sucked out of normal life. Decent working people are being squeezed to pay things they have no interest in or love for. Everything seems so joylessly serious these days.
Theresa May to quit as Conservative leader on 7th June, paving way for contest to decide new UK prime minister.
Well the woman took on a very difficult job and without a decent majority, probably impossible, and so it proved. She was also not very good at it, being too standoffish to build alliances
Great news. We'll get a Brexiteer in charge now and hopefully we'll sort our exit out sooner rather than later.
Unless Brexiteers have a majority in the house of hot air, we will not leave the EU Imho there needs to be a GE, where MPs state their voting intentions, irrespective of party. So for instance the Sunderland MP, for a leave constituency, says she knows better and is a remainer. Will she still hold her seat?
She had an impossible job but she could have done a lot better. I'm glad she's going but she should have gone at the end of March or even sooner. All I can see is further delay and more uncertainty.
Despite voting remain, she was trying to achieve Brexit. She could have done better but she was trying to get a lot of people with disparate views to pull in the same direction. No matter who was in her position they would have had to have dealt with similar problems. I'm no great fan, but she had a lot of mud unfairly slung at her.
I hope she spends this afternoon down at Thomas Cooks. Whatever people think of her or the job she’s done , you can’t deny she’s put some hours in and put up with a load of sh’t. I wish her a lovely holiday !
I wouldn't go that far but if I was her I would have jacked it in months ago. Cant be good for your health.
If I was her I wouldn’t of taken it in the first place . ! Didn’t she realise that it was a load of politicians she’d be dealing/working with !
Don't think it matters who the next Tory Leader/PM is as the leave campaign has been driven into a cul-de-sac with no room to turn it around by the most useless, self seeking, decisive bunch of MPs this country has had in my lifetime. Corbyn is hanging out for a GE, he has no interest in what's best for our country he's only interested in getting his name on the roll of honour for being a PM. His party have shafted their voters who in the majority voted to leave, and I don't know how they can live with that in their conscious. I'm on holiday and have missed yesterday's vote, but even though I voted to remain three years ago I accepted the result and now will never vote again because it is completely pointless. We have the worst parliamentary membership that I can recall in my 70 years on this planet. God help us all.
