Off Topic OK who is in and who's out

I'm out and my reason, to be able to vote for the people who run my country and in 5 years time kick them out if they make a cock of it . Please don't mention MEPs

 

I'm for out. We are the fifth largest economy in the world..we used to be third or fourth before joining the EU, but even at a fifth we can negotiate from a position of strength with any country in the world. The so called single market is be no means single...27 non-EU countries have done better at increasing their exports of goods to the EU, and 21 did better at ramping up their exports of services. Non Eu countries have excellent access to the EU. This so called organisation moves its HQ every month at a annual cost of c£200 million....because they cant agree where to be based. They have not balanced their books for decades and regularly operate with 3 to 5 % of their budget annually LOST...with an annual £100 BILLION budget that's a lot of money. Any organisation that cannot agree where to be based and spends a mountain of our cash to satisfy some of their more influential members egos is not worth being a member of. If we are so insignificant as to be prepared for doom if we leave, as Cameron and co are blagging, then why do the eurocrats warn of the end of the EU if we go ? I want to be part of Great Britain again. Oh and I'm sure our footfall will continue to be world renowned, despite that being another of the establishments scare stories.

 

All this what I regard as crap about the size of our economy...The fact is, that as a producing nation, we are miles down the list. Much of our economy is based on the financial sector, which in reality does little for Joe Public's chances of earning a decent living.. This would not change much regardless of whether we are in or out of the EU..

 

And thats where it hits you. Raw is spot on.

 

Why wouldn't it change? That's a bit defeatist.

I'd hedge my bets that we'd have no choice but to start being proactive on these shores with regards to producing and manufacturing.

With regards to food, we export our beef and import cheap **** to put on our shelves, our farmers suffer because of these policies. They sell some products at a loss because it's cheaper to import. We need to change these things.

I'd just like to add, if a global recession hits, and it will sooner or later, but if it hits sooner rather than later, look forward to the worst you can even imagine. Propping up countries like Greece, Spain, massive unemployment rates, huge bank bail outs... NOTHING in return because there is no economy.

How good is free trade when no ****er can afford to buy anything?

 

And on the other side of the argument, being part of a large trading bloc enables us to negotiate decent tariffs regarding what we do produce..If we are not part of this trading bloc, we could be left at the mercy of the free market, and we cannot compete with countries that pay workers next to nowt and ignore health and safety laws etc..

 

Health and safety. Yeah that's what makes a great country.

Good to see you're not immune to the 'government controlled media' tripe you so often refer to mate

 

I will have you know, some of us take H and S very serious

I once went out and bought 60pairs of workshoes

Within a week i never saw any. ****ers must have flogged them for a beer.

 

There's health and safety laws... People think if they don't exist, workers will just go round chainsawing their own heads off because the EU haven't told us how to hold them.

Good old EU telling us how to go up a ladder, otherwise I'd have ran, used a little trampoline, jumped and tried to land on the top step face first.

 

I honestly believe H and S are a **** up. Destroyed many a business

 

The EU have intervened beyond what was necessary.

Theres no way in a million years that being part of this monster will ever help those most needy in this country. Each one will be ****ed in the arse and told, eventually that their best option is to take advantage of a cheaper lifestyle in a more affordable country, like Greece.

 

H and S
HR

Twats

 

You can't use sellotape on boxes without wearing protective gloves and eye wear yet the same person can turn up for work after a 70 hour monster sesh on the powder and drive a 40 tonne earth mover

 

I couldnt. Wouldnt even try to manage a company there.

 

EU H & S rules are responsible for ruining British heavy industry.
Imagine if we still mined coal or built ships?
Nee **** would get through the gates.

 

I have watched countless debates on TV, read newspapers trying to gauge the benefits of 'in or out,' & I'll tell you what, this thread has covered far more angles!
Well done.

 

Before health and safety laws were brought in, the death and series injury rate in the workplace was a disgrace. The figures are infinitely better now, so in my opinion they are necessary and they do work.

 

And how many jobs they cost?

 

Job v Loss of life? For me they are absolutely necessary, but it does need to be a level playing field, so for me the way forward is for countries that do not adhere to health and safety, child labour laws or pay a living wage for their workers, should be excluded fro world trade..

 

Can we not attribute that to evolution of working environments? Surely the nation who can build Rolls Royce jet engines can think of a safe way to get up and down a ladder?

Also, if you're gonna attribute that stat to the EU then I'll just throw a random stat in there, like all the 'Whiplash' claimers. The EU invented that sort of behaviour

We can keep the safety rules anyway, we don't lose the right to use what they have 'given' us (charged us heavily for) over the years, we can do what we like, we can make it even safer... Imagine that!