Poll: EU Referendum - Should the UK stay in the EU?

Do you believe the UK should remain a member of the EU?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 154 46.1%

  • No.

    Votes: 165 49.4%

  • Wouldn't Vote In A Referendum.

    Votes: 15 4.5%
  • Total voters
    334
  • Poll closed .

Rich_L

Rich_L

Rich_L

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So an oft-missed part of the recently passed Lisbon Treaty is that through Article 50 there is now a clear process for a country to secede from the European Union - set out below.

  1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.

  • A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention. In the light of the guidelines provided by the European Council, the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union. That agreement shall be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It shall be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament.

  • The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.

  • For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3, the member of the European Council or of the Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or Council or in decisions concerning it.
Now of course there are no guarantees on what, if any, eventual agreement would be reached between the UK and the remainder of the EU - whether the EU would decide to apply sanctions to preserve the 'unity' of the EU and whether the UK could apply sanctions in return.

With that in mind if the question was asked in a national referendum:

"Do you believe the UK should remain a member of the EU?"

Yes or No

What would you vote?

(if an admin could do a Yes/No/Wouldn't Vote poll that'd be interesting)
 
:p I had to hold back from putting 'Pancake' as an option which would inevitably win by a huge margin
 
Would leaving the EU mean that we lose the ability to move, work and live freely within the EU? If so, yes I would want the UK to remain in it. If not, then I see no reason to continue throwing money at Brussels.
 
That's kinda the point - there would be no guarantees - only what would be negotiated with the EU upon withdrawal and it would be up to the government of the time to put forward the case for such reciprocal agreements to be kept in place (or not, as the case may be)

For example, the ability to move, work and live freely within the EU is one of the most-criticised aspects of the EU by those firmly camped in the anti-immigration camp!
 
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The problem with getting in closer to the EU is that much of Britain's economy relies on banking and the financial sector, and as a country We have been able to tweak our economy to better support the financial sector.
If we become a more involved member of the EU, we will lose a certain degree of our financial freedom, and the ability to tweak our economy, making us less desirable to bank at.
 
Captain_Slick said:
Would leaving the EU mean that we lose the ability to move, work and live freely within the EU?
Click to expand...

Of course it would. For all intents and purpose, any member state leaving EC would pretty much become Albania to everyone involved. If only to make a point and example for others.

There is simpler solution though. Instead of pretending EC is bad and evil, people should actually read about it, pay attention to it, elect strong representation to it, then steer it the way you want it to be, to work for you. Most of people in Europe know who their eurodeputies are, if I asked most of you who was elected as your MEP, most of you not only would have to google the names up but grand majority of you wouldn't even be able to tell how many MEPs we have in total. And then you wonder we get screwed in EU Parliament.
 
I think we need to be in the EU.

The 'special relationship' with the USA isn't that special any more, so to leave the EU would leave us completely isolated.
 
For all intents and purposes, any member state leaving EC would pretty much become Albania to everyone involved.
Click to expand...
I know you likely chose Albania as a 'pariah' country but they currently aren't too far from becoming an EU member - by all accounts yesterday the EU even approved visa-free travel in the Schengen area. :p
 
I've never really figured out why the UK is in the EU we seem to be in it for certain things then out of it for other things, I just really don't see the point in it at all TBH.

I'll try and explain what I mean very simply:

EU Wants UK to pay more wages, more Holidays, UK says.. NO ****ING WAY José!

EU Wants UK to only use straight Banana's, UK says.. Sure thing Fritz.

That's how it seems to a simpleton like me anyway, it just makes zero sense.
 
Due to the fact that someone mentioned earlier about being able to freely travel and work in the EU, i'd say Yes.

That's the only reason, although im not clued up enough on the whole situation to give a valid reason apart from the above.
 
lol - yes or no? :p

It's a galactic no (as in, we shouldn't leave the EU), and that's all I'm going to bother adding to the subject. Asking OCUK about the EU is like asking dm_poole's friend's girlfriend for boiler advice. In speaker's corner I once made the 'revalation' that EU law doesn't need to be implemented by our own law to take effect in our courts... :o

For all those wishing to argue for either side, I wish you luck.
 
Von Smallhausen said:
Poll added Rich.
Click to expand...
Cheers! RTM'd with another point, realised the title might not reflect the Yes/No choice properly, wouldn't want any confusion in such an important and far-reaching poll after all :p

If the poll (or thread) title can be the question in the op ""Do you believe the UK should remain a member of the EU?"" that'd be ace :cool:
 
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