Poll: The EU Referendum: How Will You Vote? (April Poll)

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

  • Remain a member of the European Union

    Votes: 452 45.0%

  • Leave the European Union

    Votes: 553 55.0%
  • Total voters
    1,005
  • Poll closed .
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Freakbro said:
Not sure what you mean here....so it's ok for migrants to take away high paying jobs from natives, just not low paid ones?

The level of immigration is a concern for people, not just because of the 'they took our jobs' attitude (which is a bit of a fallacy anyway, since the number of jobs isn't static and more people create more jobs naturally) but because of the pressure it puts on infrastructure.

So it doesn't matter the why or wherefores, it's just the actual number people have an issue with, usually because of the 'we're full' argument.



People come and go all the time, these figures are the 'net' figures......after the ones have left.
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This I fully agree with, it is the infrastructure which I feel is at threat. I mentioned the low paid work as that is the work that was being filled by first the Poles and then the Romanians etc. Work which has helped to inflate the working tax credits bill. Something the Tory's are then trying to redress by increasing the minimum wage. This is my big bugbear as the amount of cheap labour is enabling big business to continue to get rich off the tax payer and they are now complaining about the increase in minimum wage. Welcome to capitalism I guess.
 
Metallifux said:
This I fully agree with, it is the infrastructure which I feel is at threat.
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Which I understand entirely, as I live in an area that is one with massive Eastern EU migration to come and work on the land (and in professional jobs, setting up businesses etc) so I see the strain on the infrastructure first hand.

But, that is not the fault of the migrants. The Government say they bring a benefit to the country's GDP, ok great, then use that increase and benefit they bring to invest in the areas that are being affected.

But they don't, it just gets swallowed up in the nations expenditure instead of being targeted. So the non-addressing of the issues immigration brings can be laid directly at the feet of the Govt.

I mentioned the low paid work as that is the work that was being filled by first the Poles and then the Romanians etc. Work which has helped to inflate the working tax credits bill. Something the Tory's are then trying to redress by increasing the minimum wage. This is my big bugbear as the amount of cheap labour is enabling big business to continue to get rich off the tax payer and they are now complaining about the increase in minimum wage. Welcome to capitalism I guess.
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Yep, I agree with you and have been saying for a long time that tax credits (tax payers money) is just being used to subsidise business profits, which is wrong.

Unfortunately our society now has such a high cost of living, especially due to housing costs, that low skill menial jobs can easily be priced out of the market if living wages are paid.....and I don't know what the solution is.
 
I now believe that the most positive thing we can do to reform Europe is to leave.

I am still pro Europe as an ideal but I think Britain is strong enough to be able to stand on its own feet but I have little time for UKIP and 'little englanders'.

We should revert to being an independant nation dealing fairly with all other Nations and States in the World who wish to deal with us.

I think that the stronger countries within Europe will certainly want us to remain as customers and suppliers and this will act to bring reality back to the table. As soon as it is realised that the remaining Eurozone is substantially worse off in economic terms and also politically and diplomatically.

We were keen to join the EEC as it opened our markets to Europe 40 years ago, we are not so keen to progress into further political and economic union with an ever increasing community of nations who are quite dissimilar in outlook and attitude to the UK.
 
With regards to the infrastructure argument, the situation is a perfect storm, huge cuts to public services, an ageing population and soaring immigration.
 
The big question is what will happen to the UK when it leaves the EU. Ultimately nothing after the first day even first few years. It will be a long transition period as we unwind from the EU laws, regulations and finances.

In the long term the change to the UK will be more apparent. The UK will certainly stay linked to the EU and the EU to the UK through trade agreements and they are allies. We share a lot in common. What we won't share is our money and laws where applicable. What separates the UK from the EU is its economic and legal policies. These are far more free and open in comparison to the EU. The UK will become like Singapore is to Asia. A country that is highly politically stable and anti protectionist. It is also a diverse and skilled economy. It has business and worker friendly tax laws which the UK is very much aligned with. It is no wonder companies choose to locate themselves in Singapore rather than China. Politically it is a "no brainer" and the UK is far more politically friendly than the EU. You need only look at the world rankings and you see the UK is very high.

The UK leaving the EU is very much an opportunity to set our own laws that favour the UK. It is also an opportunity to reduce unnecessary migration and only take those that are needed in our workforce. The UK will also be free from handing over regular cash payments to the EU to see less returned. Every time there is a financial issue in Europe we won't need to hand over huge amounts of cash knowing we will never see it again. Ultimately the UK will be able to do what's best to grow free of over regulation and lobbying in the EU. It will allow SMEs in particular to thrive and businesses will look upon the UK as a haven from the EU. I use Singapore as an example but really it is an example of how a country can operate extremely successfully on the periphery. Free of regulation not in its interest, free from handing over cash, free from liability when a country has financial issues, free to do what's best for the UK and attract highly successful individuals. Look at any first world country outside of the EU, they are extremely successful and even more so than EU countries.
 
nkata said:
We were keen to join the EEC as it opened our markets to Europe 40 years ago, we are not so keen to progress into further political and economic union with an ever increasing community of nations who are quite dissimilar in outlook and attitude to the UK.
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We were keen to join the EEC 40 years ago because our economy had tanked and joining was seen as the best way to fix it quick. This is where we differ from other EU states we joined an economic union for economic reasons where as the other big countries joined an economic union for social/political reasons ie to avoid any future wars in Europe. Hence other nations are keen on the political integration and we are not and our decision to remain in Europe largely coms down to economic factors ie what can we get out of it where as other major countries would not be so financially driven under the same circumstances.
 
Tunney said:
Do you think that we'd turn into a thriving social democracy if we left the EU?
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That's not the point. The remain camp are quick to say what a bad deal Norway, Switzerland etc have, but always seem to dismiss the fact that their people still do not want to join. The most recent poll in Norway said 70% do not want to join whereas only 18% want to, see here. The trend is interesting too, the "we don't want to join" voice has been getting louder and louder.

Who are we to tell them they have a bad deal if they think they don't?
 
Woden said:
Perks like being and English speaking inroad to Europe?
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Well I was thinking more along the lines of.... The remain stance is we are completely screwed if we leave. But why can't we make new deals. Let's take the USA for example, I suppose if we had a good trade deal with the U.S. interested businesses might want to set up here. I just can't accept the if we leave we are done for rhetoric.
 
Metallifux said:
Well I was thinking more along the lines of.... The remain stance is we are completely screwed if we leave. But why can't we make new deals. Let's take the USA for example, I suppose if we had a good trade deal with the U.S. interested businesses might want to set up here. I just can't accept the if we leave we are done for rhetoric.
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It really isn't

No-one at all is saying 'We'll be done for' or 'we'll never do any trade again' They say there will be a period of uncertainty (that markets & business never like) and it will take years to negotiate our own individual trade deals with other countries separately.

So there will likely be a short term hit to our economy and we will end up with tariffs and administrative paperwork when trading with other countries (like we already have with non-EU countries), but now including the EU countries.

It will be a bit more of a burdern, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

I think we just take for granted now when we buy or sell anything across the EU now, how simple it is and even though filling in duty/import/export paperwork is a pain in the ass, it's not going to stop people trading with us.

But, when multi-national companies have the choice of where to go, maybe the extra level of admin might sway them, especially if the sweetners being offered are similar to elsewhere.
 
If we leave without a preferential trade agreement, which is likely, Ireland becomes very appealing place for foreign companies to relocate to cheaply, especially with free trade with both the UK and EU.
 
Freakbro said:
It really isn't

No-one at all is saying 'We'll be done for' or 'we'll never do any trade again' They say there will be a period of uncertainty (that markets & business never like) and it will take years to negotiate our own individual trade deals with other countries separately.

So there will likely be a short term hit to our economy and we will end up with tariffs and administrative paperwork when trading with other countries (like we already have with non-EU countries), but now including the EU countries.

It will be a bit more of a burdern, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

I think we just take for granted now when we buy or sell anything across the EU now, how simple it is and even though filling in duty/import/export paperwork is a pain in the ass, it's not going to stop people trading with us.

But, when multi-national companies have the choice of where to go, maybe the extra level of admin might sway them, especially if the sweetners being offered are similar to elsewhere.
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Yep no issue with any of that, and if it was just the trade like the EEC I'd be in, but the continued political union and the costs associated are what push me to the out crowd.
 
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