I reckon we should jump in with both feet and start throwing our weight around!
The EU is like any large group of people - it does some good things and some bad things. In a world of big and powerful economic countries (USA,
China, India before long) the UK alone would be a very small player. Strength in numbers. The EU is Britain's best hope of maintaining a voice
that will be heard.
David Jenkins is right. We should start throwing our weight around a bit. It surprises some but we do have a fair bit of weight in the EU.
We're the 3rd biggest country by population but have the 2nd biggest economy. Rather than moaning about the bits of the EU we don't like,
we should get stuck in and change what we can.
People who say we should leave and join NAFTA are living in cloud cuckoo land. The USA don't give a flying fortress about us and would
"poodle" us all day long if we joined.
Simple economics say that you stick with those who provide most of your trade - the EU. A survey of British industry was done a few years ago. It
said British trade with North America would be almost unaffected if we joined NAFTA or not. Why bother then?
Never heard of Nafta, maybe we should be clear as to why we're having this poll huh?
From what I understand what we'd lose by not being in the EU is that you southerners can't pop over to France for a load of beer, we
can't just go over for a job and there'd be no argument about the Euro.
Having worked in a number of EU organizations, I've got to say that we Brits have a very different way of thinking to many of the larger EU
countries... particularly Germany, France and Italy. This three-way coalition would make it almost pointless for Britain to "throw it's
weight around" as they would close-ranks on us at every opportunity that suits them.
We do however seem to share a mindset with the Irish, Danes, Dutch, Swedes, Poles and Fins... a Northern-Alliance perhaps?
TBH though, I don't really know enough about economics to have a strong opinion either way as to whether it would be to our financial benefit to
be in / out of the EU. Will have to sit back and listen to the input from others!
OUT, lets leave and get on with ourself's. Then we can become a nice rich place just like Switzerland!
quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Never heard of Nafta
NAFTA is a one way street, and it ain't coming our way. The US does what it wants, when it wants. They want our oil: they get it. They want our
water: they get it. They call everything a subsidy, yet don't charge income tax or corporate tax on a lot of people. How is it fair?
Fair (sic) is what you pay to get on a bus.
Jumping in with a dying economy and essentially dying country, is not smart at the moment.
Hmmmm well I did study Economics and Economic History......a very long time ago....
But .... we are now the second biggest contributor to the EU behind Germany...our 'contribution' for the year 2010/11 is a whopping £6.4
billion ... 
As a nation in Europe, we don't have any sway at all.... 
I would rather the £6.4 billion was invested in trade and industry in the United Kingdom, and we took back our powers of sense and sensibility ....
This current 'set-up' makes no economic sense whatsoever. What exactly do we get for our £6.4 billion?
All above IMHO of course 
Fozzie 
Not sure how NATFA came into the equation from the original post, but IMHO just as bad an idea too!
quote:
Originally posted by iank
Having lived in Canada my understanding is it seems to be set up to allow America to stop you putting large duties on American products, while it puts large duties on yours if some local business interest can persuade their government that you're taking jobs from Americans.
Surely now (very loosely of course!) it means that our laws mean nothing, our currency is worth nothing, as a country we now have next to no clout, we
have a spiralling debt with lessening income.
We own the international health service, a large Icelandic debt, an increasing debt to a "union" that only wants our money! - see comments
above
time to tell them to stick it and start putting our own house in order again
[Edited on 28/4/10 by gottabedone]
NAFTA....ever watched Family Guy?
Clinton in bed with Lois...'Nother Afternoon Fu***** That Ass
I say we either get stuck in or GTFO.
We are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven...
As I said before, if we stay in we crack some heads. If we get out we have to be sanguine with the fact we will become less and less relevant in the
world, and all that entails.
As for the Americans, pfff.
Those of you a little older may remember this thing you had in school called "WORLD WAR I and II". That is what the EU is designed to prevent ever happening again, and for that reason, I am not English, but I would be IN.