Would The UK Vote to Join The EU Today?

[ApusApus]

Hypothetical I know but if the UK weren't in the EU do you think they would vote to join? Personally, I don't think so as the EU has evolved from being a trading bloc which was beneficial to all members to a politically orientated one and that's not what the UK wants but that's just my 10 cents worth!


Shane

[Firefly]

Shane

No way would I have ever voted 'in', I didn't in the first place, nothing has happened to change my mind since, in fact if anything, as the EU stands at the moment, has only proved to me that I was right.


Jackie

[Varky]

Hypothetical I know but if the UK weren't in the EU do you think they would vote to join? Personally, I don't think so as the EU has evolved from being a trading bloc which was beneficial to all members to a politically orientated one and that's not what the UK wants but that's just my 10 cents worth!
Shane

I originally voted in many years ago when all we were joining was a trading block. Then followed the butter mountain etc. etc. The metamorphosis into a political block (Maastricht and Lisbon) was agreed to by politicians without any further consultation with the population, at least as far as I remember. They got us into this mess. Can they ever get things right? Apparently not!

[Dominic]

I would, definitely. It's better for the UK and better for the rest of Europe.

[Jimgward]

I think there are problems in any group. Scotland isn’t happy in the UK (some) - and it would be correct to say they would have a larger voice in the EU (like Ireland) than in the UK, where everything is London-centric. Wales, the NW, NE and other areas would say the same.

Britain might never have invested in the regions, the way the EU has. Liverpool was the last area to be receiving EU grants for severe deprivation, when Westminster not long before, cut them off.

Workers rights, minimum wages, protection for individuals and more might never have happened in an independent UK - there was never any evidence of of the lower classes being regarded as worth investing in, either through jobs, housing, infrastructure, health and more.

We haven’t had a European war outside of the Yugoslavia conflicts, since WW2 and I am sure the EU has played a part in that.

Free movement of goods has benefitted the UK immensely, particularly since we are services heavy and without the lax cross-border regulations London and the associated financial services would likely never have flourished like it has - mind you, many there aren’t happy the EU is now imposing a law to prevent money laundering!

So, in conclusion, while I totally agree the EU has many, many problems, I experienced many, many problems pre-common market in the UK. The poor man of Europe!

I would therefore still support the EU and change from within. As a separate small country on the periphery of Europe, will we ever enjoy what we currently have again?

[ApusApus]

Interesting …………………… anybody have any other thoughts?


Shane

[T@T]

"there was never any evidence of of the lower classes being regarded as worth investing in, either through jobs, housing, infrastructure, health and more"
You mean like the NHS, council housing, apprenticeships and free education, all introduced before the EU.

Never voted for the EU, only for a COMMON MARKET.

[Dominic]

It would be nice if you gave an answer to a simple question without attacking other people's answers.

It is how normal people behave. Try it some time.

[jeba]

Jimward, what leftwing,socialist claptrap, the UK joined a common market not a Eurocracy dominated by a Franco German elite. Pop along to the south of Italy to witness your European success, witness the poverty that is reminiscent of post War Uk, the unemployment, the poverty, the decline of business and infrastructure, actually visit any of the PIG countries and witness the same. You mentioned the FRY...and exactly what did the EU do to,solve that? Almost nothing apart from contribute to NATO...

Firstly it´s a myth that the EU is dominated by Germany - otherwise e. g. there would be different ECB policies in place or the EU wouldn´t have taken a stand against Northstream 2 even though importing gas from Russia is much cheaper than shipping it across the atlantic. There would also have been different fire protection regulations in place (the German representative, the head of Frankfurt´s fire departement, was outvoted in the relevant commission when he had suggested stricter regulations that would have prevented the Grenfell Tower disaster because it was deemed too expensive). As there would be different standards for car exhausts which wouldn´t have led to bans on Diesel cars in German cities and which disrupted German car production (e. g. production of certain Porsche models had to be put on hold for several months and may still is on hold - not sure). Just to name a few examples.

Secondly, what exactly should the EU have done regarding the Yugoslav civil war?

Thirdly, the PIG countrie´s mess is of their own making, not the fault of the EU. That e. g. the former chief statistician of Greece was sentenced for treason because he disclosed that the financial data submitted to the EU by Greece had been fake is just a symptom of the mentality which led to their disaster.

[WHL]

You got to laugh, it seems the most zealous, get Britain out of the EU brigade, are the ones not living in Britain, and choose to live in an EU country, you couldn't make it up.

[Firefly]

WHL

Wrong, the majority of Brexit voters live in Britain, and we are still fighting for it, in spite of Parliament.

Jackie

[WHL]

WHL

Wrong, the majority of Brexit voters live in Britain, and we are still fighting for it, in spite of Parliament.

Jackie

Who mentioned the majority, try reading the post?

[WHL]

You got to laugh, it seems the most zealous, get Britain out of the EU brigade, are the ones not living in Britain, and choose to live in an EU country, you couldn't make it up.

Yes I live abroad WHL, but rather than take a selfish “me me me” approach I would rather put my countries needs and wishes first. A concept it would seem, alien to some. And going back to the OPs post I tend to agree, common market yes...Federalist State controlled from an elitist centre...no thank you...

I would think Cyprus is your country now, not Britain? How many years have you lived here?

[Firefly]

WHL

You wrote, 'the most zealous, get Britain out of the EU brigade, are not the ones living in Britain', you are wrong no matter which wording you choose, they are !

[WHL]

WHL

You wrote, 'the most zealous, get Britain out of the EU brigade, are not the ones living in Britain', you are wrong no matter which wording you choose, they are !

You mentioned Majority I didn't..

[WHL]

Yes I live abroad WHL, but rather than take a selfish “me me me” approach I would rather put my countries needs and wishes first. A concept it would seem, alien to some. And going back to the OPs post I tend to agree, common market yes...Federalist State controlled from an elitist centre...no thank you...

I would think Cyprus is your country now, not Britain? How many years have you lived here?

No...what a silly thing to say...I have been here for almost 6years, an I am English...not Cypriot and never will be, or pretend to be..I have property in the UK, I have family and I have friends...it is the country of my birth, a country I am proud of and if it came down to a choice, well I would always choose the UK. I enjoy and feel privileged living in Cyprus, but no it is not my country and it never will be...and it will never think of me or you as one of its own.

Not silly at all I have been here over thirty years now, and consider Cyprus as my country not Britain... my children are now living in Europe, UK, and the USA, the day will come when we move back to London, I will then say that the UK is my country.

[Firefly]

WHL

Stop nit picking, you are wrong.

[josef k]

If you want a serious answer to the question posed, then I think you have to fast forward into the future. Not far, just far enough for people to have a full understanding of life outside the EU. I predict that at that point people will have realised that leaving the EU was not the great thing they were told it was. They might well be pressing for a return to the EU. However, I would suggest that the EU would not want us back.

As to my vote, I would vote to remain in the EU now, and rejoin the EU (if indeed we leave) if the opportunity arises in the future. Later this year I will be applying for Cypriot nationality in order to remain an EU citizen.

[WHL]

WHL

Stop nit picking, you are wrong.

Try reading what I wrote in my first post, and answer that....not what you think I wrote.

[Dominic]

It would be nice if you gave an answer to a simple question without attacking other people's answers.

It is how normal people behave. Try it some time.

I am sorry Dominic but that is how discussions and arguments develop, thats normal. It would be a rather boring world if everyone agreed wouldn’t it. And actually I am all in favour of a Common Market and free trade. But I do not subscribe to the view that the UK would have remained in the “dark ages” if not to for the enlightenment of the EU, and I certainly do not subscribe to the membership of a Federalist State.

Actually it isn't how discussions and arguments always develop. Only if you an argumentative sod. A question was asked, an interesting one at that. All you had to do was give your answer to it! But instead you have to attack somebody else! And then everybody else just starts arguing and then, yet again, we have another argumentative thread on Brexit that achieves nothing, puts most posters off, and just regurgitates the same terminally tired old arguements.