A couple of things:

Over 50pc of UK trade is with the European Union.

In the event of a British exit, the EU will not want to sign a free trade agreement with the UK. This will basically send a message to others that you can be outside the common market but still enjoy the benefits without any political obligations. That would lead to the whole EU project basically disintegrating.

In reality the UK will lose trade, which it will find very hard to replace.

Secondly, the Freedom of movement thing - nothing stops the UK from enforcing their own industrial policy on the minimum wage. Their government just chooses not to do it, especially the Tories. This drives resentment, racism and nationalism amongst the British working classes.

It's also important to remember that in the 1990s, 13.7 million British lived in poverty. Many had the freedom to go to other countries in continental Europe to make a living, which was doing better economically at that time. Now, when the situation is reversed, people want to pull the plug on continental Europeans doing the same? That seems a bit selfish.

Edited by lastbroadcast: 26/5/2015 10:21:18 PM

or in 2004 , local villages in Scotland,couldn't understand why any body would want to steal all the tennis nets, on till a farmer finds a group of Lithuanians using the tennis nets to catch all the salmon in he river system :lol:

Why do you people flick your neck when referring to alcohol?

The red-green-pink (pink for the feminist party) just approved a strategy giving returning ISIS fighters support in many ways. For one, through a cooperation with the housing corporations to give them housing. Another, by introducing them to various job offers and getting them jobs

This strategy has been met with criticism by the right, who believe that the left is rewarding ISIS fighters rather than punishing them. "There is no reason to treat IS fighters any different than any other citizens. You don't get jobs and housing simply because you are a criminal", says People's Party Lotta Edholm.

Ewa Larsson, Greens, counter by saying that having a job is a fundamental human right and their concern is the social part rather than the judicial one.

Get out please Britain, save yourself from the sinking ship.

UK doesn't need to be in EU.....un like the rest of Europe, which need to be in a EU for many reasons , the UK doesn't

If the Uk had maintains it trading connection with the Commonwealth countries (especially Australia and Canda) the Uk would have a bigger economy today ,of course this is in hindsight..Today , the UK doesn't need to be inside the EU to have free trade agreement with the EU or any other country , as Australia and US would be signing a free trade agreement soon with the EU

David Cameron will use the up coming referendum to try and push the EU to make very needed reforms..

for all the Scot, who want Scotland to stay in the EU....do you like that you country is now full of Polish and Lithuanians?, who have free movement in and out of Scotland, but Australians, and Kiwis (none Uk grandparents) don't ?..would you like to see Scottish people be giving free movement in Australia or less restrictions? because Australia government will never give such free movement to UK citizens un less it reciprocal to Australian citizens, and under EU law, UK can not make such agreement with Australia or new Zealand

Wow, there really is a lot of mis-information being thrown about here, especially when it comes to what laws the EU "can force" on the UK.

Whilst there are some labour standards that come from the EU level, labour market issues like minimum wages etc are set at the national govt level, not the EU.

Also, with all the talk of Lithuanians and poles "flooding the UK job market", you do realise that the unemployment rate in the UK is 5.4%, lower than in Australia, right?

I think all the Litthos and Pols coming to the UK for last 10 years has been good for the UK

there nothing funny them listing to some Pol, talk about the potatoes famine, and saying fuck the English in a really thick Irish accent
Edited by adrtho: 22/2/2016 06:23:29 PM

The royal family is seriously considering making a dramatic intervention in the referendum debate with an announcement that it supports Britain remaining inside the European Union.

That the royals are prepared to risk provoking a potential constitutional crisis shows just how deep their anger is at parts of the British press and senior politicians.

According to a senior source close to official figures, there was particular resentment at the Sun’s newspaper’s depiction of the Queen as a Brexit supporter.

But the anger runs through the generations at Buckingham Palace: there was fury at the claims about “workshy” Prince William, a campaign mounted by two papers with an anti-EU stance, the Daily Mail and the Sun. And there was a feeling last week that rock bottom had been hit with a story in the Mail that Kate was now posher than the other royals.

Using outside experts who advised that the intervention would need to be presented by a figure with impeccable European credentials, a strong affinity with the continent and the character to speak out, the family has decided that the move should fronted by Prince Philip.

“He has been hugely impressed by the way the EU stepped in, not just once but several times, to save Greece,” said one official with knowledge of events. “He admires what Tsipras and Varoufakis achieved – in fact he told friends he sees something of his younger self in the charismatic, motorbike-riding, eye-for-the-ladies Varoufakis. Mind you,” added the source, “he also thinks the Greeks would never have got into this mess if the colonels had still been in power.”

Another well-connected source explained that the royals now see a tightening conspiracy between the pro-exit papers, notably the Sun, Telegraph and Mail, and certain politicians. “The leader of Vote Leave is Michael Gove – that awful little leaker who put it about that the Queen wanted out. They can’t stand him. And as for Boris, the other main outer – he’s a cycling maniac from Islington. All he has done for the royal family is make it difficult to get around London in a decent-sized Daimler. And the third of the trio – Farage – what another awful little man.”

Part of the reason for stepping into the debate in such an unprecedented way is huge disappointment in the prime minister, David Cameron.

“The feeling is that we can’t leave it to him. Look what happened at the last referendum we had, on Scotland. We nearly lost Balmoral and the shoots. Nicola Sturgeon could be sat in that castle now – we know she had her eye on it – it was a damn close-run thing.”

Royal circles found particularly offensive Cameron’s portrayal of the Queen as having “purred down the line” when he telephoned her to tell her Scotland had voted against independence. “The cheek of the man. There was real fury about that comment. And the irony of it – coming from a fat cat,” said a source.

Remaining questions of strategy are being resolved by an inner circle at the palace. On timing, the date picked for Philip to make a nationwide address is 10 June, crucially just two weeks before the referendum on 23 June. Courtiers have noted the added poignancy of 10 June – it is Philip’s 95th birthday.

On which platform to use, the source said: “We want to avoid that ‘bloody little man’, as Charles called BBC royal reporter Nicholas Witchell.”

Kensington Palace sources say the choice is a tight one between ITV’s news anchor Tom Bradby, who is preferred by Prince William, and Prince Harry’s strong favourites Ant and Dec. Harry argues that the Saturday Night Takeaway presenters would reach a different demographic and be particularly appealing to “people in the north with accents”.

“William says that chap at ITV, Bradby, sees things like us. And there is a strong feeling that we should do over the Bleating Broadcasting Corporation. Serve them right for cocking up the Queen’s water pageant with those disc jockeys instead of using a Dimbleby.”

Another insider said early proposals to do a live broadcast have been rejected in favour of a pre-recorded session because of Philip’s propensity for swearing. “The words have to be perfect,” she said, “but we’ve got time to iron things out between today – 1 April – and June.”

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/01/exclusive-royal-family-considering-dramatic-brexit-intervention

How likely is the Brexit?

Interested to hear in what those who spend a lot of time in the UK say.

I would have thought there was Buckley's chance based on what the betting agencies are saying.

That's usually a good gauge. At least in sport, it is. Betting agencies can go by past performances, type of players and have a far better idea of the variables. Do they have anything like that kind of accuracy with referenda?

I can't remember what the bookies said before the General Election. But lots of people seemed to think it was going to be really close. Yet the Conservatives won at a canter (big thanks to Lynton Crosby, I suspect).

Can they be so sure about this referendum? It seems to me that there's a huge amount of dislike of the EU within Britain.