There has been a major drive on in France to get everyone who can claim a vote to register. Comments from the government here make it clear that what Gove was saying today is quite laughable. There is still a UK court case to be heard from an ex-pat living in Spain who claims he should have a vote, but because of the 15 year rule he has been excluded. I doubt that he can win, but if he did the timetable would be thrown up in the air.
Perhaps the question could be phrased as follows: In an Atlantic (perfect) storm, would you like to be a senior officer on board an ocean liner helping to decide the way to outrun the storm and steer for calmer waters - or the captain of a rowing boat free to decide the direction in which you want to row?
Maybe, but the reality is that you are voting for this to run your country.. .. or this... Put it this way to the nation and I suspect a large majority wouldn't bother to vote.
I think that is certainly New New Labours strategy. They are keeping their own heads down, even though they are about as united on the EU as the Tories, during the whole Brexit debacle. We will need to wait until after the vote and we are back to normal party politics to see their own internal strife - just wait until the first non-Comrade MP gets deselected.
Up to 700,000 expats now barred from voting in the referendum after two expats lost their high court battle over the right to vote. They will seek leave to appeal. The government claims it remains committed to scrapping the 15 year ruling but not for the referendum.
I see Ms Legarde voicing the opinion of the IMF stating that it will be disaster if the UK does a Brexit. If that is not a good reason to vote for a Brexit, I don't know what is!
It is not a good reason. There is no good reason to vote for a leap into the dark. There will be calls for a vote on whether to go back to pounds, shillings and pence next.
But you would stay in the dark based on the predictions of the IMF? Ask the people of Ireland and Greece how they feel about that. The IMF record on predicting economic trends is utter crap. The IMF is just another part of the political old boys club that is desperately closing ranks because they are **** scared that the people might just exercising real democracy. Remember the credibility of the last head of the IMF? A poor hotel cleaner in NYC certainly does.
The IMF aren't exactly popular in Jersey, either. We've been inspected more times than any other jurisdiction in respect of anti-money laundering legislation and procedures and had a clean bill of health every time. Also, I think that as a Crown Dependent Territory we get a certain amount of money from the UK, which there will be conditions attached to as it isn't foreign aid. I also don't like the term tax haven as, although we have lower taxes than the UK, our cost of living is higher, with the possible exception of London. Our equivalent of VAT, GST (Goods and Services Tax), although only 5%, is applied across everything - there aren't any exempt or zero-rated items.
I don't think the term 'tax haven' really has anything to do with the cost of living for locals - it's more to do with being a hidey-hole for the money of those who live elsewhere but object to paying tax in their places of residence.
BB, if only everyone used the correct definition that you have. In that context, we are. However, over the years, it has become to mean more than that and has also come to include others that have moved here to (supposedly) take advantage of the lower taxes, and it is that use of the term I don't like as unless the people concerned actually confess to doing that, it is just pure speculation.
A bit like Luxembourg then? A nice place for EU politicians to stuff their tax free unreceipted expenses?
Don't talk to me about Luxembourg - in the 9 years I've had dealing with our office there, there's been very few who seem to have some realisation of what is required from our client, so we missed out on additional business from them. I've spoken to one of my former colleagues who has dealings with Luxembourg in his current job and it seems to be an issue there.
What the UK spends its money on. If you look very hard, you'll spot EU membership in there somewhere.
I for one am seriously concerned as to the economic impact of a potential Brexit. I must say I have time both for Mark Carney and Christine Lagarde as people who understand the economy. Neither have an act to grind and as economists are going to consider what is best financially.......
