Current Affairs EU In or Out

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

And yet still no response as to why the EU is so great…I think silence says it all, but I’ll leave it there…….

Everything positive in my life relates to EU membership mate.

People I've worked with, opportunities I've had, growing up in a relatively peaceful and prosperous country. Jobs and so forth, all directly linked to that particular club. Indeed, many of my friends in different sectors are saying leaving the EU was ridiculous on so many levels.

That's why.

 

[Bluerover]

We are in a technical recession because of two quarters, people really need to open their eyes as to what is happening in the world, meanwhile over in my favourite country….

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-economy-shrink-by-05-2024-dihk-2024-02-15/

Meanwhile.....

Irish economy to exit recession this year, growing 1.2pc, EU says

The Irish economy is to exit a technical recession this year, with growth picking up to 1.2pc, the European Commission has predicted.

www.independent.ie

 

[peteblue]

Everything positive in my life relates to EU membership mate.

People I've worked with, opportunities I've had, growing up in a relatively peaceful and prosperous country. Jobs and so forth, all directly linked to that particular club. Indeed, many of my friends in different sectors are saying leaving the EU was ridiculous on so many levels.

That's why.

And that’s fine, except that what began as an economic trading bloc, which I voted for, became a political union which I didn’t……

 

[Bluerover]

Let me ask you what is so great about the EU. It’s a mishmash of totally different economic and cultural norms set up by France and the country that should not be named for their own benefit. We joined when we were an economic basket case and it’s cost us a fortune ever since, we’re still paying into it. Merkel thought she was the ruler of the EU, and perhaps she was, hence the casual way she dismissed Cameron’s concerns. The EU wanted ‘ever closer Union’ and I certainly didn’t.

Remember too that the U.K. is about to boot out the Tories and will do so with any failing government, none of whom will be able to point at Brussels and blame them. We are independent with no additional supranational oversight nor costs. Now your vote really does mean something….

Pete, sorry mate, but turning one's back on a tariff-free market of 448 million potential customers is daft. Also, the UK now has to go through expensive and unwieldy regulations and red tape to import vital goods from the EU.

NI excepted of course, they have ended up with the best of both worlds even if it took the slow learners in the DUP three years to cop that on.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

And that’s fine, except that what began as an economic trading bloc, which I voted for, became a political union which I didn’t……

I mean, this is a well trod discussion and clearly a generational thing. You grew up on a different time and prefer that Britain. My equivalent is the EU membership years, which I though were great.

But, going back to my earlier points, you are ignoring the debate about economics effects which was the question at hand. It has, thus far, unequivocally had a negative effect on the UK economically.

 

[Bluerover]

Let me ask you what is so great about the EU. It’s a mishmash of totally different economic and cultural norms set up by France and the country that should not be named for their own benefit. We joined when we were an economic basket case and it’s cost us a fortune ever since, we’re still paying into it. Merkel thought she was the ruler of the EU, and perhaps she was, hence the casual way she dismissed Cameron’s concerns. The EU wanted ‘ever closer Union’ and I certainly didn’t.

Remember too that the U.K. is about to boot out the Tories and will do so with any failing government, none of whom will be able to point at Brussels and blame them. We are independent with no additional supranational oversight nor costs. Now your vote really does mean something….

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

I know.

 

[wandyr79]

And yet still no response as to why the EU is so great…I think silence says it all, but I’ll leave it there…….

From a personal level, it allowed me to keep my job. The UK team was disbanded and moved to Germany just over 10 years ago, such easy access to work in Germany was a massive boost and gsve me the opportunity to sample a different culture without any visa and other paperwork hassle. Luckily, when Brexit hit, Germany understood the importance of being human and made the process of getting residency extremely easy.

Married over there, to a US/German, wanted to come back closer to family but unfortunately spousal Visas were ridiculously difficult and could have had us separated for up to 6 months before my wife's case was even seen to. We moved to Ireland, which still as an easy access to work fir UK citizens, extremely cheaper university programs for my wife, as an EU citizen. The course she is doing is 4 times more expensive for non UK citizens than in Ireland, for EU citizens.

The EU invested heavily in a lot of UK projects and many in Liverpool & Merseyside. There were reports straight away how much money some regions and cities were now going to lose because EU funding would stop.

Politics aside, being part of EU funding programs was massive for the UK.

I remember reading a few times (sorry, no link) that the UK was actually getting more money from the EU than we were paying in. May be wrong but it is something that rings a bell.

 

[peteblue]

From a personal level, it allowed me to keep my job. The UK team was disbanded and moved to Germany just over 10 years ago, such easy access to work in Germany was a massive boost and gsve me the opportunity to sample a different culture without any visa and other paperwork hassle. Luckily, when Brexit hit, Germany understood the importance of being human and made the process of getting residency extremely easy.

Married over there, to a US/German, wanted to come back closer to family but unfortunately spousal Visas were ridiculously difficult and could have had us separated for up to 6 months before my wife's case was even seen to. We moved to Ireland, which still as an easy access to work fir UK citizens, extremely cheaper university programs for my wife, as an EU citizen. The course she is doing is 4 times more expensive for non UK citizens than in Ireland, for EU citizens.

The EU invested heavily in a lot of UK projects and many in Liverpool & Merseyside. There were reports straight away how much money some regions and cities were now going to lose because EU funding would stop.

Politics aside, being part of EU funding programs was massive for the UK.

I remember reading a few times (sorry, no link) that the UK was actually getting more money from the EU than we were paying in. May be wrong but it is something that rings a bell.

We had always been a net contributor, but I do take your point about family……

 

[Chewbacca]

From a personal level, it allowed me to keep my job. The UK team was disbanded and moved to Germany just over 10 years ago, such easy access to work in Germany was a massive boost and gsve me the opportunity to sample a different culture without any visa and other paperwork hassle. Luckily, when Brexit hit, Germany understood the importance of being human and made the process of getting residency extremely easy.

Married over there, to a US/German, wanted to come back closer to family but unfortunately spousal Visas were ridiculously difficult and could have had us separated for up to 6 months before my wife's case was even seen to. We moved to Ireland, which still as an easy access to work fir UK citizens, extremely cheaper university programs for my wife, as an EU citizen. The course she is doing is 4 times more expensive for non UK citizens than in Ireland, for EU citizens.

The EU invested heavily in a lot of UK projects and many in Liverpool & Merseyside. There were reports straight away how much money some regions and cities were now going to lose because EU funding would stop.

Politics aside, being part of EU funding programs was massive for the UK.

I remember reading a few times (sorry, no link) that the UK was actually getting more money from the EU than we were paying in. May be wrong but it is something that rings a bell.

The EU acted as a redistributionist ‘government’ at times when the UK government literally couldn’t care less about the region’s outside the M25.

 

[Bluerover]

From a personal level, it allowed me to keep my job. The UK team was disbanded and moved to Germany just over 10 years ago, such easy access to work in Germany was a massive boost and gsve me the opportunity to sample a different culture without any visa and other paperwork hassle. Luckily, when Brexit hit, Germany understood the importance of being human and made the process of getting residency extremely easy.

Married over there, to a US/German, wanted to come back closer to family but unfortunately spousal Visas were ridiculously difficult and could have had us separated for up to 6 months before my wife's case was even seen to. We moved to Ireland, which still as an easy access to work fir UK citizens, extremely cheaper university programs for my wife, as an EU citizen. The course she is doing is 4 times more expensive for non UK citizens than in Ireland, for EU citizens.

The EU invested heavily in a lot of UK projects and many in Liverpool & Merseyside. There were reports straight away how much money some regions and cities were now going to lose because EU funding would stop.

Politics aside, being part of EU funding programs was massive for the UK.

I remember reading a few times (sorry, no link) that the UK was actually getting more money from the EU than we were paying in. May be wrong but it is something that rings a bell.

What part of the old sod did you settle in a Chara/

 

[Bluerover]

We had always been a net contributor, but I do take your point about family……

Pete, perhaps if one only examines net funding to v funding from the EU.

What does not seem to be taken into account was the enormous benefit to UK industries in terms of tariff free access to the other 27 countries, and minimal overheads as regards import of vital goods from the same 27.

It was bean counting exercise by goons in the Brexit wings which only looked at Exchequer income and expenditure, and completely ignored realities on the ground as regards jobs created and export opportunities.

 

[wandyr79]

What part of the old sod did you settle in a Chara/

Initially stayed with friends in Dublin, eventually found a place in Kildare.

 

[Prevenger17]

Initially stayed with friends in Dublin, eventually found a place in Kildare.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Ok, then do so, but eliminate Covid and Ukraine related costs…over to you…..

Ah ha, but but but 'what about' those very same issues to your comparisons elsewhere like - Germany.