UK Finally Promised Referendum on EU

reply to post by michael1983l


The working time directive is a joke ?
It guarantees you days off. Rest, meal breaks, freedom from excessive hours.
It's a godsend to many millions of ordinary British working people.
The way you argue, I guess you'd prefer a 15 hour working day, children being sent up chimneys, no fpublic schools, no health & safety legislation in factories etc etc ... a total free market on everything and anything ?

Once it's explained to them what they'll lose, I suspect more British voters might prefer to remain in the EU. Because for them the alternative under your system would be a Dickensian nightmare.

reply to post by justwokeup


I hear you - but this guy's interview was specifically regarding the UK opting out of the EU. Maybe it wouldn't impact us militarily but, I think, the proverbial gun to the head, was in regard to the economy and trade.

Is there a vote to lynch our mate Dave yet?

Couldn't care less what he promise's, he's not getting my vote. Its the one thing i have that his government cant take... Or can they?

Originally posted by LeBombDiggity
reply to post by michael1983l

 

The working time directive is a joke ?
It guarantees you days off. Rest, meal breaks, freedom from excessive hours.
It's a godsend to many millions of ordinary British working people.
The way you argue, I guess you'd prefer a 15 hour working day, children being sent up chimneys, no fpublic schools, no health & safety legislation in factories etc etc ... a total free market on everything and anything ?

Once it's explained to them what they'll lose, I suspect more British voters might prefer to remain in the EU. Because for them the alternative under your system would be a Dickensian nightmare.

And yet the British people still *statistically* work longer hours than the rest of europe?

Now let's see if the rest of Europe follows. May we live in interesting times.

Originally posted by christina-66
reply to post by yorkshirelad

 

I'll give some EU laws that concern me.

1. EU law has taken precedence over domestic legislation since the late 1970's - I'd like to see that overturned.

2. All UK major contracts must be open to bidding for all EU nations and, since the likes of Spain's average salary is 3/4 of the UK's we simply cannot compete. e.g. a new motorway extension was recently completed in Glasgow at a cost of more than £50million/mile. A Spanish workforce undertook its construction. I'd like to see that legislation overturned.

3. EU workers are not required to pay UK tax for the first nine months of being here - that's not a level playing field. I'd like to see that overturned.

4. EU workers can claim child benefit for children still living in their country of origin. I'd like to see that overturned.

5. The wheelie bins (some houses round here have five at their front door). I'd like to see that legislation overturned (and I still want to know who owns the wheelie bin company). We could easily adopt a system like Switzerland where they simply buy a strip of coloured stickers (to denote the contents of the rubbish)at the shops and stick it on their black bags for collection - bin collection sorted and paid for in one fell swoop.....no we can't - not unless the EU says so.

edit on 23-1-2013 by christina-66 because: (no reason given)

You do realise that French people, Germans, Spaniards, Danes etc ... they can ALL say the same things ?

Well, not maybe about the wheelie bins, that's a particularly obscure reference for most of the ATS audience lol

Look, British drugged up dropouts can claim unemployment in Balearic social security offices. They can and do. I guess the Spanish taxpayer might be annoyed with that, no ? What about drunken British young people who pile up in Dublin hospitals every friday and saturday night ? Or that British pensioners can claim Spanish benefits while they while away their retirement using the Spanish health system ? Perhaps that Spanish company couldn't recruit enough locals in Glasgow to work, it's not as if that city has a work ethic of any kind and even if it did they surely must've been able to recruit labourers at minimum wage, no ?

It's a two way street ... that's won't you don't understand.

Some Brits are nailed to the Cross, such bleeding martyrs.

Originally posted by michael1983l
Today the Prime Minister has finally promised an in/out referendum on the EU.

Voters will be given the chance to choose 'out nation's destiny' and opt to stay in or leave the European Union by the end of 2017, David Cameron promised today.
In the biggest gamble of his premiership, the Prime Minister said he would campaign with 'all my heart and soul' to stay in the EU if he secures a deal to claw back powers from Brussels.

He promised to hold a straightforward ‘in/out’ referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU by the middle of the next Parliament, a move immediately ridiculed by the French government.

Speaking this morning to business leaders at the Bloomberg headquarters in central London, Mr Cameron declared: ‘It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics.'

www.dailymail.co.uk...



Well, I personally see this as blackmail more than anything else. The Prime Minister knows that he is not getting re-elected and has only promised this vote convieniently after the next election. Basically he realises that the UK people want a renegotiation on Europe or we pull out and he knows no other party apart from UKIP will offer this. This is essentially blackmailing the British public, because if he really meant it, he would do it before the next general election and not wait until 2017. I'm still voting UKIP.

It's just a pathetic attempt at vote grabbing. Have the referendum now and lets get out of Europe
and start doing business with the winners, the Chinese! Lets also kick out all the Eastern Europeans that are draining our country dry!!! I wont apologize for that..

EDIT: I agree with your sentiment entirely. s&f

reply to post by LeBombDiggity


We don't want a two way street, if we go to another country, we will be happy to pay our way for those services you describe. I do not know many UK citizens leaving our shores to go and utilise another european free health service or their benefits system. I do know however that citizens of some poorer EU nations do come to Britain, solely for this purpose. So in reality its not even a two way street.

OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT
OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT

reply to post by LeBombDiggity


Wow - you sold it to me The Spanish company did not recruit at all from Glasgow (despite the unemployment - which is where you might be getting your ideas about lack of work ethic in the city from) they brought their own workforce because...ta da....they can pay them 75% of what they would need to pay our own. The same issues have been affecting down south - I seem to recollect a rather large disgruntled unemployed workforce demonstrating outside a power station - being overhauled by those cheap Spanish workers.

We should never have got involved with the Europeans.. British
people have never been any good with foreigners.

comment removed, off topic.

Originally posted by rigel4
We should never have got involved with the Europeans.. British
people have never been any good with foreigners.

Haha the "British" people is made up of foreigners (Been invaded a lot over the centuries) - Even out language is practically based off of many other lingos!

You know what I mean though............bloody foreigners

Originally posted by christina-66
I heard an extremely concerning interview this afternoon on BBC World Service where a US official stated that the US intends to declare a free trade agreement with the EU 'sometime this year'. He added that the US now regards its 'special relationship' as being with Germany and not the UK in regard to the UK voting to leave Europe (not so subtly hinting that we would be out in the cold as far as the US is concerned should we leave Europe).

US-EU Free Trade - Huffington Post

We have a special relationship with the USA? Last time I checked, Obama never paid us a visit in the last term nor it is planned that he will come here in his second term... If our relations would be so good, don't anyobody think that he should have said "Hello"?
Oh well...

And yeah, the UK thing is all over the german media. But mostly the news got somehow twisted, stating, that Cameron wants special rights and treatment for the UK, or they will have a referendum for leaving...

Originally posted by LeBombDiggity

You do realise that French people, Germans, Spaniards, Danes etc ... they can ALL say the same things ?

I think you'll find they do!
Certainly the Germans do..
Nor does some other countries being in the same position make it right.
Nor can you compare a few of our drop out 'hippies' overseas to the influx of migrant workers that countries like UK have had. Seriously? Really?

reply to post by Talliostro


It's evident to all of us mere mortals that there is no special relationship with the UK (I bet the US says that to ALL of it's 'friends) - but our politicians and media somehow think that relationship being 'special' (I think they mean "special" don't you) matters to the British public - I don't think it does.

reply to post by christina-66


Well, if that Spanish company built a Scottish motorway using only Spanish men then isn't that just market forces at work ? It's that "free trade" area that some Brits want for themselves , but like you they'd deny to others ? And the Spaniards simply undercut the locals during the tender process ? It's no worse than Scots and Irish working in London, it's mean spirited to deny people employment.

Anyway, wasn't that nice new road a good deal then for the British taxpayer ?!

reply to post by rigel4


No, please enlighten us...

reply to post by christina-66

3. EU workers are not required to pay UK tax for the first nine months of being here - that's not a level playing field. I'd like to see that overturned.

That and closing the European tax loopholes would be a good thing too.

If products are bought and sold in the UK (or any other European country) so should the corporation tax be paid to the UK.

Amazon for example, generated well over £3 Billion profit from British sales last year, but paid ZERO corporation tax.

None at all.

Yet all day on the radio, i've been hearing overt threats to ordinary British men and women that if they do not get their tax returns filed with the tax office on time (not paying the tax, just filing the return), we'll be fined £100 each.

It's disgraceful.

And the Pro-EU posters worry that large corporations will go elsewhere if we pull out of Europe...not with our insane corporate tax laws they won't.