Have you made your mind up about the referendum?

Maybe they are still listening to the different opinions firecracker

I'm one of those people kitty, still listening, still reading, still thinking. It's not a bad thing, is it ? .

Out,

Yes Out !

No. In!

granjura "Federal Europe is not on the cards presently" So why did Donald Tusk call on Europe to ' halt attempts to replace individual countries with a European superstate'
This is from a speech he made in Rome some weeks back. Perhaps Donald was getting confused ?

On many questions the UK has a VETO and Cameron has agreed that we will not lose that.
The elected MEPs do need to attend the EU parliament to be able to vote and I understand that some UK MEPs do not attend regularly but naturally accept the salary and expenses.
It seems that whichever company says they are making plans to move part or all of their business to mainland EU they are just scaremongering but when any of the Mavericks who are advocating we leave suggest we will still be able to trade freely with the rest of EU they are totally believed.
Things will change so greatly in UK if we do leave and will impact in various ways on our daily lives. All this 'loosening' of regulations means many working areas being less safe for the workers or food growing/rearing/ preparation being less strict and safe. For UK citizens many many things will become more expensive - as thes regulations are removed or will no longer be applicable - one of the latest rulings which will no doubt cease to be effective is regarding mobile phone charges.
On balance the EU has done mainly good for the citizens of the whole of EU including UK. With any alliance there will be a bit of downside but if the good outweighs that you run with it - if we did not do that many more marriages would not survive.
We did do all right before we joined EU but we had very strong trading links with the Commonwealth as well as other countries. Those links have gone and the Commonwealth countries have forged new links and are unlikely to do so much trade with UK again besides which there are transport costs and emissions to be considered. Whatever the blond bombshell and his cronies say we cannot go back to those times - they took time to build and time to dismantle and it will be the same now - leaving us In a state of limbo and a downward spiral for years before hopefully starting a long haul back upwards.
Personally I think as a country the UK is taking a huge risk with having the Chinese building a Nuclear Power station but increased trade with China is what many of the outers want. Their goods etc are nowhere near the quality of European ones and we are seeing now how they can manipulate the market so easily with the steel situation. Take our ability to produce that away and should there ever be the need to make mass armaments in the future the ability to produce the materials will no longer be there.
There are too many holes in the out arguments as to how the UK would be able to function as well as a separate nation and it really is not worth the risk. We are only just recovering from the last big dip in 2008 and to throw ourselves into an even deeper recession is stupid. Another whole generation starting their working lives out of work or very low paid and the area in which they can compete greatly reduced and become just UK again.
We are not going to need to join a Federal Europe should that ever come into being and the French at the moment are holding our borders for us - that will all go and migrants will be allowed through the tunnel etc and it will be down to the authorities at the UK borders/ ports etc.
For the sake of the younger generations of my family, who have all been brought up to be outward looking and embrace different cultures, I shall always believe we should remain within EU.

Excellent post, Welshwife.

Evaluating the benefits of EU membership is complicated. Apparently there is a strong correlation between level of education and inclination to vote Remain.

People with a lower level of education are more inclined to decide on emotional grounds and be influenced by The Sun, Express and Daily Mail, whose proprietors have their own agenda.

I wish there was a vote "in, but fighting for both an increase in democracy and more cover of what is actually already happening democratically. Also a promise from all parties to make it clear what their MEPs are voting for, etc. and a promise that our parties will work hard and tell us about how they are cutting the EU admin costs"

More and more I realise that the government in London wants to be seen as the big cheese so do not want us to know what is actually happening in the EU parliament (it is a parliament not a government). So, either they are the big cheese and need to play more of a part and tell us more or they are not and are becoming rapidly redundant - and we should know if this is the case too. Perhaps when they thrust Mayors on all areas of the country we will not need the MPs - we could just have a parliament of the Mayors who make decisions jointly for the country and then hand the carrying out of these to an administration (civil service?).

The man who successfully predicted last years winning majority in the general election is being carefully watched - has predicted the outcome of the referendum and is updating his prediction on a regular basis
Forecast update (and why it’s been so volatile this week)

Jeremy Paxman is being his usual cynical self so the programme should appeal to most Brits Ana whether in, out or undecided.

Exactly, Gracesgran. I didn't indicate otherwise.

Exactly, Gracesgran. I didn't indicate otherwise ??

It's like the hokey cokey 'round 'ere

I don't mind what we do. I just wish the politicians who are supposed to be on the ball with this would stop with the lies please.

Let's make an informed decision with proper info.

I absolutely agree with Welshwife.

This country unfortunately is not the economic power it once was so the idea that we can negotiate wonderful trade deals on our own is a huge risk to take with the economy. How can we be ceratin that if we negotiate our own trade deals we won't be subject to free movement all over again? Because of this, some of them are now saying we don't need access to the single market after all. Access to it is essential for our economy otherwise we will be saddled with import tariffs and everything we import fgrom the EU will cost more.

I have many criticisms of the EU but I believe our economy in the long term will suffer irrecoverably without it. Large corporations from outside the EU will not invest in factories here and those jobs will go. If there is a slump in the economy, small businesses will suffer and jobs will be lost. Is this a sensible decision for our grandchildren?

In my view, Brexit is a huge risk that is simply not worth taking.

I want to vote to leave but have to vote to stay. It is the EU nature laws that ensure we don't completely demolish our country and all the attendant wildlife/nature to buildings, roads, infrastructure, etc. Our present government has an appalling track record in this respect so, for nature's sake, I will vote to stay in. If our government was more wildlife-friendly I'd be out like a shot.

I've looked at the moral compass of both sides and while neither is spotless, I have severe doubts of the motives of the Brexit camp. Were we to leave, I'm sure many of the rights of the people would deteriorate. The chasm between the Haves and Have Nots would widen considerably. That isn't a country in which I would feel comfortable. So I'll be voting to remain in and expect the government to press for beneficial changes within the framework of the EU.

Definitely out for me.
I've always been a 'European', however, the EU seems to me to be in complete disarray and I feel that if we vote for Brexit, we will be followed by several other EU members.

Certainly OUT. We have enough difficulty trying to make our own elected MPs do what we want, but we have no chance when it comes to getting the EU monster to account for its actions. Anyone who watched Paxman in Brussels last night must have been shocked at the massive costly buildings housing the Commission, the Council and the Parliament (two of these!) and the trouble they go to to promote themselves. £350m a week we contribute to all that waste.

I agree with most of what you say, Welshwife.
However, the point about the Chinese and Hinckley Point is out of date. Russia now wants to build our power stations.

"A Russian nuclear group is hoping that the potential meltdown of French plans to build new European pressurised reactors at Hinkley Point could offer an opportunity to break into the British nuclear market.

Deeper concerns about the future of the Somerset scheme were raised by the French energy minister, Ségolène Royal, who warned of the “colossal” cost, which EDF admitted could be £18bn or even £21bn.

Recent talks have been held between state-owned Russian nuclear group Rosatom and the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) despite the chilly political relations between London and Moscow over Ukraine, Moscow sources claimed.

These discussions centred on whether Russia could help Britain with removal of uranium from old reactors – but Rosatom is understood to have a wider agenda of trying to resuscitate earlier plans to build its own reactors in Britain."

Thank you NotTooOld I.I was too idle to do it myself.lol.I don't think it is just the older generation wanting to leave.I over heard a young woman saying she wanted to leave and when she does she is going to vote for Nigel Farrage lol.Each to their own eh?

I think that knowing the EU decamp to Strasberg to vote once a year, taking all their files etc and goodness know what else, which costs millions; I don't really need another reason to vote 'leave' - it's obvious.

Nigel Farage will not have a job if we leave.

People complain about us not having much of a say in the EU, but the largest block of MEPs, as stated on Paxman's programme last night, is UKIP.
They often do not turn up to vote, but continue taking their pay.
Hard to believe that Farage is an MEP; he spends far too much time over here.

How is this young woman going to vote for Farage? Does she live in his constituency?

AllTheLs where would you suggest that we build all the houses that the eu (today) tell us that we have to build? I live in the southeast and we are full up!
I'm afraid that if the population and the birth rate carries on as it is we will be forced to start building on our green and pleasant land.

fullfact.org/europe/eu-referendum-voting-guide/

A fact check on the referendum guide that Paxman held up last night.
To help those who still cannot make up their minds.

Besides Hinkley Point there is another station being built near Gloucester next to the one they are decommissioning now but I don't know who is building that. I sometimes think we elect Governments who all wear blinkers when it comes to the safety of the country. For intelligent people they do some mad things. You can trade and be friendly with countries without letting them have anything to do with very sensitive installations.

Before I could ever consider voting to leave I would need to see a sensible plan of action and better idea of what is planned after exit - none of this is given to us at all - it is airy fairy stuff which is just not credible or likely. All the main Brexit camp can do when another reason to remain is given by people who do have an idea about their own particular field is to shout scaremongering and be extremely rude. They complained bitterly about Lord Heseltine who was in fact very measured in what he said about Boris - they are totally unable to counter any of the arguments sensibly. Just imagine the state we will be in with them at the helm if we do vote to leave. Cooperation is the way to go in these times which are really far from peaceful and settled - not alienation in any way. I only hope that some people who have been very vociferous in their wish to leave have a change of heart and in the privacy of the polling booth and change their mind.
I have been surprised at some people who I considered to be European in outlook and indeed owning property in Spain wanting to leave the EU. In fact we were out in a restaurant with one couple when this came to light and after making my feelings clear I had to keep quiet or I would have fallen out with them for ever as their reasons were totally selfish for themselves.

Petra, in the Queen's speech, the government promised to build a million houses in this parliament.
It's not the EU telling them they have to.
I have no idea where you got that from. Are you saying if we left the EU we would not need more houses to be built?
Such a ridiculous idea. This government has presided over the greatest increase in homelessness and destitution ever.
If we left the EU would everyone living here miraculously be able to afford a house, even if all the migrants went back home?
That really is a scaremongering idea.