EU - in or out?

Although really I think there is hope. If enough people protest things do get done. What happens in the rest of Europe isn't given much precedence in our media but there is a lot of anti EU feeling now in France, Holland, Greece, Spain, ...... DC may be alone at the moment in wanting reform but other leaders will have to follow as pressure grows. We could maybe even end up with something more akin to the Common Market!!

I doubt there'll be a referendum - this time. But, if we all keep shouting it'll happen maybe next time. It won't matter though because, as Jen says we'll be under the thumb of the USA by then and they'll pull Brussels strings!

It's all down to unscrupulous powermongers. A bit like the Middle East in a way. Only we sign petitions and they go out and shoot someone.

Perhaps all the Don't Knows are right. We're all doomed!

Well, I don't know what else to do, having signed a petition a while ago. If I shout on here it won't make a jot of difference.

Nothing makes a jot of difference as it all trundles on like an enormous juggernaut. There will, in all probability, not be a referendum either.

I took notice! Signed a petition a while ago, 38 degrees I think.

Unison are going on strike, too. It's the union most caretakers are in.

All parties in this country want they TTIP apart from the green party.
The TTIP vote will take place before the vote on EU membership. Therefore, unless the greens help, we will have to go along with the US anyway. SO WE WILL STILL BE PART OF THE TTIP WHETHER WE ARE IN THE EU OR NOT. WE WILL STILL BE RULED BY THE US. UNLESS WE STOP THE EU FROM RATIFYING IT.
Sorry to shout, but I have written this before, and people on here do not take any notice, apart from Eloethan.

Probably not. We lived in Germany when the referendum on Common Market membership took place in 1975 and weren't allowed a vote.

Presumably, felice, you are rather biased as you live in another EU country and wouldn't want to be forced to return to the UK, which you seem to think would happen if the UK left the EU. Would you have a vote in an IN/OUT referendum, just out of interest?

When I moved to the Isle of Man, the UK Child Benefit was stopped even though I had worked and paid taxes all of my working life - I had to claim Manx Child Benefit (from a system I had never paid into) - and the Isle of Man is one of the British Isles!

Lets just stick to the matter in hand shall we

Let's not.

I was referring, * felice* to the current status of Australia - not going back centuries.

Felice: So what about people now resident in NZ, Australia and Canada who have paid taxes and NI in the UK for many years? Paying tax and NI here for a long time does not entitle them to any benefits or NHS treatment if they return. They are also British citizens, holding British passports. If you hold a British passport and have British citizenship then you could not be prevented from returning here even if we were not in the EU any longer, surely? Even if, as you say, you don't want to?

to see its demise, I meant to say.

But our relationship with the Commonwealth is surely part of the matter in hand, as it has changed over the years as we get drawn further and further into the EU and will surely change even more if we become the United States of Europe. Just because we do not necessarily agree with the politics of certain Australian politicians does not mean that we should cut all ties with them; of course, they may well decide that they don't need us any more as did the USA so long ago. We don't agree with the politics of many of our European neighbours either, but apparently we should keep smiling and paying over the money.

Empires come and empires go, and this will be gone in 100 years. We will not be here to see it.

I got the book in my kindle as a Deal of the Day at 99p!

My child benefit was automatically changed from the UK one to the Belgian one when we registered here and my DD went into the local school system so i did not get a penny from the UK for her.

If we are going down under now, it was not all that long ago when both the Uk ands Oz governments apologised to the children forcibly sent to Oz and lied to, and just the other day an Oz politician stated that the country had been 'unpopulated' when the white man arrived. The politics in Oz are well documented and slated by many people there, and their policy on immigrants arriving as refugees on small boats isn't exactly whiter than white either.
Lets just stick to the matter in hand shall we, the EU and the UK, and may i ask, some of us have paid taxes both in our adopted homelands and for quite a long time in the UK, why shouldn't we have the right to return to the Uk if our residences are removed here, surely as a British citizen I have as much right to live there as anyone. I do not want to but i have that right surely.

We must leave and as soon as possible. We could still trade with europe and also with any other countries we wish to, something we simply cant do whilst a member.
We pay an astronomical sum to be in and what we get this corrupt and undemocratic club is endless beaurocracy and the inability to determine who should or should not come here from other member states.
More and more large companies are now quietly saying it is best if we are independant again and those still claiming the opposite will come to understand that nothing terrible will happen and that after a period of adjustment we will be great again.
The sooner the better please.

As DC has made it clear that he only wants EU nationals with the skills which suit the tory party

I think it is more skills that suit the country; this isn't a new idea and it is one that has been adopted all over the world and, as an example, I don't recall anyone slating Australia for putting that policy in place - or is it just Britain that it suddenly becomes an issue?

Of course, we have neglected our Commonwealth friends because of our love affair with Europe.

And that to our evelasting shame. I would prefer to strengthen ties with the Commonwealth than with Europe - I feel no affinity whatsoever for it as do many others.

If European countries dispense with their British residents, there will be plenty of room here (and jobs no doubt) once their European counterparts are also sent back (if that is what actually happens) so I'm not sure why that argument has been put forward. Then again, if people preferred living out of Britain to the extent that they moved abroad, there are, of course, many other countries they could move to - it wouldn't be mandatory for them to return to Blighty.

And why are British taxpayers paying for child benefit to be sent abroad if those people are no longer paying into the British tax system?

Having lived and worked in Spain for 12 years it would be a disaster to pull out of the EU as so much work and lifestyle is tided in with the Union. By all means keep the pound and try to retain some autonomy but look at the positive side of integration with other countries. Health wealth and happiness comes from working together. What happen in history when Britain went for Spendid Isolation.

As DC has made it clear that he only wants EU nationals with the skills which suit the tory party why should other EU countries not put in the same rules.
My first comment was with regard to the many people from the UK who currently live here, and their families.
If the worst happened do you think the UK infrastructure could cope, the health service seems pretty stretched as it is?????

Did no-one work abroad before the EU? I am getting on a bit now and I remember friends going to work in France, Germany etc when I was young. Or will we be banned or have to apply for visas as we do now if we go to Commonwealth countries? I don't think so.
Of course, we have neglected our Commonwealth friends because of our love affair with Europe.

Why shoudn't it happen, here we need to have a residence permit to access anything, even open a bank account, it is renewed every 5 years, and is only available to EU nationals, non-Eu nationals get a completely different card and have to jump through hoops to get anything. Why should other EU countries support British people, yes Eu nationals may be made to leave the UK but the system in the Uk seems to designed to make it almost impossible to deport anyone who has a cat!!!!!!!!!!!, can't do the emoticons but I am sure you know what i mean.I worked here with a young Australian girl many years ago, she was physically deported when her visa expired. No nonsense just put on a plane.

Oh and jobs, most of those living on mainland Europe are not pensioners living in Spain, hope you don't mind our well educated multi-lingual children coming back and applying for jobs.

Do you really think that would happen, felice? If so, I presume the UK will be sending quite a few back to their own countries as well.

Approximately 2 million British people live in europe, and that is probably an under estimate, if the UK leaves the EU and our residence permits, pensions, invalidity benefits, child benefits are removed and we all come back to the Uk, do you think the system will be able to cope, schools, healthcare, benefits, a lot of people born in the the UK can claim benefits and pensions in their countries of residence, I do, I also got Child Benefit here when my DD was still at school. What about housing, is there enough Social housing in the UK to house all the returning pensioners etc.
After all why should other EU countries fund us in their countries if the UK has told them they do not want to be part of it.???????