Leaving the EU

danielrlee

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 27, 2012
1,394
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Westbury, Wiltshire
torquetech.co.uk
I wonder how many of us have ancestors who were economic migrants? Mine certainly were.
I imagine a lot of us, if not the majority. Not sure it's relevant to the discussion though. Members of this forum tend to be in the second half of their life and I assume their ancestors migrated to the UK long before the EU existed.
 
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trex

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 15, 2011
7,703
2,671
I think most brexiters like myself feel profoundly European but are simply not keen of the federal Europe.
 
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Cyclezee

Guest
My thinking is that this referendum is not a vote for a political party or a particular group of politicians, it's much more important than that.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,203
30,604
apparently, there are about 12% floating voters, like jimod and d8veh. With both sides at neck and neck, they will be the deciders.
The other big deciding factor could be turnout to vote. There are reports that labour voters tend to be more ambivalent about the whole EU issue. Given that labour are traditionally the lower turnout party, their abstention plus a high rate of abstention of the floating voters could upset the outcome, and a wet polling day would only make matters worse.

So there are two possible outcomes that would only lead to more future strife. One is a very narrow result, the other a turnout too low for anyone to claim the result a valid view of the nation's opinion.
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
We all have our own reasons for our vote of in or out be it informed or not..
I'm my case it's immigration... It's not a racist view, it's just that when I walk into town I seem to be noticing more and more non English speaking people and my worry is that they will bring with them all the trouble they want to leave behind.
 

trex

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 15, 2011
7,703
2,671
I watched Emmanuel Macron on Marr's show this morning, very articulate man. If only our politicians could express themselves in a foreign language that well, may be we wouldn't be where we are. There is clear blue water between the two camps. If we remain in the EU, there will be more integration, more federal Europe. If we leave, the French will make sure that we will have to pay a high price to deter other euro-sceptics.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,203
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I'm my case it's immigration... It's not a racist view, it's just that when I walk into town I seem to be noticing more and more non English speaking people and my worry is that they will bring with them all the trouble they want to leave behind.
Just as well you aren't in London Phill. Here the white English born are just another minority at around 46% of the population and all 300 of the world's main languages are spoken. Even on my outer borough our local schools teach in 68 languages.

But it works, and none of us seem to worry about the diverse languages we hear all the time on the streets. With all of us minorities, racism is hardly in evidence and we mostly all get along well together. As for language, it's a self correcting problem since all the immigrant kids quickly learn English. As their elders pass on and their children no longer have to communicate with them in native languages, we'll all be left as English speakers. Meanwhile, the smile is a universal language of love.

If there is a problem it's religion, and we will need to continue to work on achieving sufficient tolerance for a peaceful co-existence.
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Just as well you aren't in London Phill. Here the white English born are just another minority at around 46% of the population and all 300 of the world's main languages are spoken. Even on my outer borough our local schools teach in 68 languages.

But it works, and none of us seem to worry about the diverse languages we hear all the time on the streets. With all of us minorities, racism is hardly in evidence and we mostly all get along well together. As for language, it's a self correcting problem since all the immigrant kids quickly learn English. As their elders pass on and their children no longer have to communicate with them in native languages, we'll all be left as English speakers. Meanwhile, the smile is a universal language of love.

If there is a problem it's religion, and we will need to continue to work on achieving sufficient tolerance for a peaceful co-existence.
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What about the alleged no go areas?
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,203
30,604
What about the alleged no go areas?
There are none of any importance, but I'm not sure what you mean. Tell me of one. There isn't a single area of London that I would be scared to walk in, day or night. Maybe you mean that in a small number of parts there are idiotic youngsters in a small minority of areas who think their postcode is sacrosanct, but they have little overall effect and end up coming unstuck. There are Northern towns where similar situations are completely beyond control, so London compares very favourably.
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nhoj

Finding my (electric) wheels
Nov 2, 2014
15
5
78
There are none of any importance, but I'm not sure what you mean. Tell me of one. There isn't a single area of London that I would be scared to walk in, day or night. Maybe you mean that in a small number of parts there are idiotic youngsters in a small minority of areas who think their postcode is sacrosanct, but they have little overall effect and end up coming unstuck. There are Northern towns where similar situations are completely beyond control, so London compares very favourably.
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Any area where there is a problem you will likely find there is a drug problem
 

the_killjoy

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 26, 2008
822
226
If America doesn't want to set trade deals with the UK if we leave the EU then we will stop fighting their wars.

The USA has bilateral free trade agreements with 29 countries around the world - most of them much smaller than the uk . They include Bahrain , Cost Rica, Panama. In fact the full list can be seen at :

www.ustr.gon/trade-agreements/freetradeagreements

So he has just said that we are down the pecking list behind Guatemala and El Salvadore . If we had been a sovereign nation we would have had a free trade agreement years ago it is the EU that have prevented this.

I think it might encourage people to vote leave so as not to be thought of as US lapdogs. Obama just wants to get the TTIP tied up before he leaves office.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I have been looking on all sorts of forums and facebook and I still find it odd that most of the threads are instigated by and contributed to by those that are leaning towards the leave side.
When hearing of the trade sanctions and other doom and gloom scenarios I look to myself..
3 years ago I spent £20000 on a German car.. So if we leave and I want a new one, will Audi add another 5 grand on because I voted out? Or even refuse to sell me one! Would Audi prefer I bought a French car, or would they refuse me as well?
Hopefully common sense will prevail...
 

trex

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 15, 2011
7,703
2,671
we can cope as individuals with either outcome but as a country, the loss of income and opportunities are much more difficult to deal with. Our government is already 74 billions in the red this year. Brexit will add possibly 30 billions to that in a year or two. The resulting cuts will hurt the most vulnerables, because there is not much more tax that can be raised, regardless who will be in Downing Street.
 
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gray198

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 4, 2012
1,592
1,069
we can cope as individuals with either outcome but as a country, the loss of income and opportunities are much more difficult to deal with. Our government is already 74 billions in the red this year. Brexit will add possibly 30 billions to that in a year or two. The resulting cuts will hurt the most vulnerables, because there is not much more tax that can be raised, regardless who will be in Downing Street.
When we are so much in debt why do we keep borrowing money to send in foreign aid to countries who can afford to run space programmes and billions a year to the EU. Then politicians have the nerve to tell us not to borrow too much. Also the fear campaign is getting into full swing now. Can't see America letting some other unelected jobsworths telling them how to run their country.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
we can cope as individuals with either outcome but as a country, the loss of income and opportunities are much more difficult to deal with. Our government is already 74 billions in the red this year. Brexit will add possibly 30 billions to that in a year or two. The resulting cuts will hurt the most vulnerables, because there is not much more tax that can be raised, regardless who will be in Downing Street.
And exactly this highlights my problem..
Is it really true? We know that those in charge can make all these figures mean so much more , or less depending on what they want us to believe. and to quote Mr Cameron when he finally admitted fudging his £500,000 tax free inheritance.. "its only what millions of other people do!" Another well used quote "its within the rules"
My vote will be out, and the more the In's try to convince me otherwise the more they convince me out is the right thing to do.
 

derf

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 4, 2014
1,007
766
54
we can cope as individuals with either outcome but as a country, the loss of income and opportunities are much more difficult to deal with. Our government is already 74 billions in the red this year. Brexit will add possibly 30 billions to that in a year or two. The resulting cuts will hurt the most vulnerables, because there is not much more tax that can be raised, regardless who will be in Downing Street.
I know you're talking about the economic/financial part of it all - but to me the whole individual versus country difference is interesting. What is it that makes Brexiters feel British? Is it that clear what the relationship between oneself and the country is really about? Where you work, or live,what is it that make you feel part of the community? I very much value British culture and identity - but to me its about liberal values, openness, tolerance and freedom, what's at the heart of Shakespeare or Donne etc. there's very few people I can imagine having less in common with than Nigel Farage and culturally living in the kind of Donald trumpdom he envisages would be more alien to me than relocating to Fiji.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
When we are so much in debt why do we keep borrowing money to send in foreign aid to countries who can afford to run space programmes and billions a year to the EU. Then politicians have the nerve to tell us not to borrow too much. Also the fear campaign is getting into full swing now. Can't see America letting some other unelected jobsworths telling them how to run their country.
I think Obama is secretly working for Brexit. His inference to stay in can only make people want to leave..
 

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