Britain will vote on whether to remain in the EU on Thursday 23 June, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. The prime minister made his historic announcement in Downing Street after briefing the cabinet. He said he would be campaigning to remain in a reformed EU - and described the vote as one of the biggest decisions "in our lifetimes". Ministers immediately divided up into the leave and remain camps as the campaigns got under way in earnest. Home Secretary Theresa May heads the list of those who have announced they will campaign to stay - but Justice Secretary Michael Gove has signed up to the leave campaign. Leave campaigners are also hoping London Mayor Boris Johnson will join their cause - but he has yet to declare where he stands. 'Source of instability' In his statement, Mr Cameron warned that leaving the European Union would be a "leap in the dark" as he urged voters to back his reform deal. "Those who want to leave Europe cannot tell you if British businesses would be able to access Europe's free trade single market, or if working people's jobs are safe, or how much prices would rise. All they're offering is a risk at a time of uncertainty - a leap in the dark." In a direct appeal to voters, he said: "The choice is in your hands - but my recommendation is clear. I believe that Britain will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union." Mrs May said the EU was far from perfect but "for reasons of security, protection against crime and terrorism, trade with Europe, and access to markets around the world" it was in the national interest to remain in. Mr Gove said it had been the most difficult decision of his career to go against the prime minister but he believed "our country would be freer, fairer and better off outside the EU", adding that "far from providing security in an uncertain world, the EU's policies have become a source of instability and insecurity". Commons leader Chris Grayling, another leave campaign backer, told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: "I actually believe the EU is holding this country back. We cannot control our borders, limit the number of people who come here do trade deals. "I do not believe we can take decisions in the national interest when we are part of the European Union." He said the prime minister had "put in a Herculean effort to try to deliver change" to Britain's relationship with the EU, but the "concessions" he had brought back from Brussels did not "give us the opportunity to take decisions in the national interest" without consulting Brussels. 'Special status' Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers and employment minster Priti Patel, who is not a full cabinet member but attends meetings, have also joined the leave campaign. Energy minister Andrea Leadsom - who is not a member of the cabinet - will also back the leave campaign. The rest of the cabinet joined Mr Cameron in the remain camp, including Business Secretary Sajid Javid - previously seen as a potential outer. Mr Cameron claims his EU reform deal - hammered out at a two-day summit in Brussels - will give the Britain "special status" within the bloc - tackling concerns over migrants getting "something for nothing" from the benefit system and exempting the country from the EU drive for "ever closer union". But critics say it does nothing to tackle high levels of immigration or take back powers from Brussels, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage branding it "truly pathetic". Alan Johnson, chair of Labour In for Britain, said the party would be "united in making the case that Britain is better off in Europe". "Our EU membership brings Britain jobs, investment, trade and keeps us safe. Leaving the EU would put all that at risk and diminish Britain's influence in the world. It was pressure from Labour that meant David Cameron has been prevented from trading away rights at work in this deal and we can now get on with our campaign to keep Britain in Europe." Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in a statement the SNP will be "leading the positive case to keep Scotland in the EU". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35621079
i live in europe and still hope the uk pulls out, they are soft as ****e with illegal immigrants here and give them everything at the expense of tax payers
One I'll admit I don't know enough about to give a definitive answer either way. What are the big pros and cons? Would it likely just give more power money and jobs to London and places like Sunderland will be demoralisiled by foreign businesses like Nissan pulling out of the UK?
I bet only a tiny percentage of the population understand fully the pros and cons of leaving so what's the point in even asking? I know dribs and drabs but not enough to vote so won't be.
In other news, Paul Daniels has an incurable brain tumour. Wouldn't you think he would just magic it away?
Not one job will be lost when we leave, it's all scare mongering. Here are some pro's; We get our fishing industry back. We don't have to pay £55,000,000 every day to the EU. If we kept all the EU payments returned from our contribution we would still have enough left over for £400 each household. Or we could scrap vat which was brought in to pay for the EU. We could control immigration so that instead of a net 350,000 coming every year, all needing housing, NHS, schools and all the infrastructure, we could seriously cut this number. We build around 120,000 houses per year, not enough to home the increase in immigrants never mind yourselves and your children. There would be lots more jobs as you would not be losing them to incomers. Pay would increase as firms would not have the incomers to offer cheap wages to. We will have many more trade opportunities with the rest of the world, especially our commonwealth friends. As the EU gets more trade selling to us than us to them there is no way we would stop trading. Would Germany stop selling us £16 billion worth of cars every year?, any of their politicians supporting that in Germany would never get elected. You hear we trade more with the EU than other places but did you know that if we send a container to say Hong Kong and it is reloaded via Rotterdam as many are, they count that as trade with EU and not Hong Kong, one of the many figures fiddled to make the EU look better. In fact, EU trade is dropping like a stone. Food and energy would be cheaper with no unfair tariffs imposed on imports from Africa for instance. Also, better for fair trade and for Africa. We wouldn't have to send hundreds of millions abroad in benefits to children abroad if their dad worked in the UK. We would avoid a mass invasion from Turkey (and other very poor Nations earmarked for EU membership) who would all be allowed instant access to our jobs market and infrastructure. There are loads of other reasons to leave but I'm not bothering to list more. Voting to remain is simply insane. Do you really want all these extra politicians. I've heard no coherent argument for staying in and like him or not, Farage wins every debate because all the facts show leaving is best for us. The stay inner's say things like you will lose telephone roaming charges...you won't. Listen to any debate and the out'ers win every point. The inner's can only try to frighten you. Treat the (partly EU funded) bbc with caution as they and nearly all the mainstream media support staying in and they all give a bias towards staying in. For a non biased news Google. Breitbart then click on the London header for UK news. Also, read the comments on each article. Google. Biased bbc to see how much news is being manipulated or hidden. The last 4 question times have had a 16 pro EU, 3 against EU and 1 undecided on the last 4 weeks panellists plus their studio audiences are almost always large majority left wing. Those who want to stay in are usually the rich, the media, politicians and luvvies. The less well off are the ones paying for this EU empire, the rich get cheap nannies and a low wage available work force, good for them, not for us. Pity is that they control what you see, hear and read. If you hadn't guessed by the way, I'm voting out. It's the people versus the politicians.
I think you're being overly optimistic if you think most of those benefits you list will actually happen. Immigration will still continue but maybe to a slightly less degree. Those foreigners already here receiving benefits will still get them. We'll still be legally required to honour agreements like in fisheries. Around my way and East Anglia, they'll still need foreigners to work the fields coz they're plentyful, hard working and cheap. Brits won't do the work and those particular food crops will rise in price. I'm still not decided myself. My heart says tell the EU to bugger off. My head says stay in and **** it up from the inside.
I'm voting out then we don't have to ask anyone what laws to change or who comes and goes let us decide on our rules not the rest of Europe
The thing is, if we get out we can start to repair the damage but if we stay in they can carry on regardless. They can cancel these very minor concessions after the referendum and they probably will. Some say we need to be in it to influence decisions. Did you know that the 267 (I think that was the number, if not, very near to it) times the UK has voted against a proposal, every time we lost. EU 267-UK 0. That's how much influence we have. This 'emergency brake' can only be applied IF the EU will allow it, all the 27 and that won't happen.
If we vote out I bet the Danes follow. I wouldn't be surprised if the Germans demand a referendum either because they are pissed off at Merkel's open door policy. Would love to see the whole lot come crashing down.
The whole 'Brexit' charade is a well rehearsed pantomime charade being played out by the usual 'players' -Gove (probably by mutual agreement) has already been cast as the baddie in this pantomime of "tough"upcoming EU negotiations, which has been entirely stage managed for the benefit of the gullible ...Boris will be cast as Buttons, the audience's friend - "Where has our country's independence gone - It's behind you!" shouts Farage from the wings ! ...all whilst Dame Widow Merkel cannot track of her unruly boys... Osborne will be Wishy Washy. Ian Duncan Smith; as the back end of the pantomime cow...
Whether we like it or not, we will be held to every legal agreement we've already signed up to. I also think the immigration issue is a red herring. Immigrants will want to come here whether we're in the EU or not. I'm not convinced by some of the early arguments Charley, like security, terrorism, etc. Our security and intelligence services will continue to work with their european counterparts. We're a world financial centre. Don't see that changing either way. I'm waiting to see what the big industrial companies have to say. Those big, global companies who employ tens of thousands of direct jobs, and many more indirectly, who've invested millions, billions over the last 30-40 years while we've been in the EU. If they genuinely start to panic at the thought of us pulling out, I'd be genuinely concerned. At the end of the day its all about maintaining our industrial and economic base. That's what will sway my vote.
I am puzzled by all this and as I see it the UK has gained concessions as it wants to stay in the EU but not dragged into the euro zone finances. Thought this was always there and there are not many changes that will have a massive effect on the working class or jobs. The business of child allowances claimed by european immigrants is not accurately represented as those who claimed it had an entitlement to it because they paid UK tax. To stop it we would have to have concessions over the pound/euro link for freedom of travel and employment which we seem to have got. Apart from that, very little else.
Regardless of which way people vote there will be pros & cons for either in or out. Hope nobody on here falls out with each other cos politics can definitely get people riled.
