Not content with the wad of cash that we already hand over to the EU. I note that we have now been fined £150 million for failing to display the EU (foreign) flag on projects that have been part-funded by our friends in Brussels.
Several other schemes were also penalised for failing to use the "flag" on their letterheads.
However, I was pleased to see that our Communities Sec., Eric Pickles, has had the sense to condem these "over-bureaucratic" rules along with the UKIP leadership.
As good "Europeans" we will, of course, no doubt cough up pronto, although I do wish sometimes that we could do as the French do when "fined" and just tell them to "get lost" and totally ignore their demands.
I know that in the grand scheme of things 150mill`s not a fortune but surely it would be better spent here than sending it " abroad ".
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well you said it John, I feel we should not pay it but as you also said we will.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yes we should pay up and follow the rules as best we can.then claim all monies back with eu grants.should get our money back with intrest.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
But the E.U. still owe us cash they never pay what they say they will and it runs into many millions of pounds,we must get out ASP.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
vic,no not a chance,not untill we get all our money back with intrest.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
John and Vic you are both passionate about our withdrawal from the European Union but I dont think there is a wider appetite for withdrawal. Right across the main political parties there isnt even a whiff of withdrawal being mentioned. The Libdems are in favour of even greater integration, and they are in government currently with the Tories who dont want greater integration, but still want to be in the EU bigtime. Labour are between the two, almost as keen as the Libdems and more keen on it than the Conservatives, but nevertheless all three want to be there and be involved.
Too much trade and influence eminate from the total EU now, so it would not be a wise move turning away from the decision makers and the decision processes.
One hears all sorts of daft stories about the EU from the tabloids...and shure it sells papers, but has no basis in truth. Last week we had the one about the EU stopping eggs being sold by the dozen...they henceforth would have to be weighed. Suddenly everyone got concerned about having their eggs weighed, can you imagine the breakages!? Needless to say it was all nonsense, and almost as rubbishy as those other headlines about straight bananas and so forth.
Big influential block nations will be the big players on the world stage in the future. China, India, USA, European Union. They all speak for masses of people and big markets so carry clout.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
certainly no appetite for withdrawal from our politicians but the currency is heading for meltdown.
that would precipitate the end of the union, no reason to end the free trade market between the member states though.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
call me a pessamist, but cant see the euro dissapeering just yet.things may come as a surpise that the british pound might just go before the euro.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
Believe what you like, Brian. The Euro has had it, as have I with the EU. It just gets worse. I'm so hacked off with it all I can't even argue with you - the whole thing is just pathetic.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
And a lot of true horror stories too PaulB.
EU supporters do love to exagerate the trade issue and try to scare people into supporting membership of that expensive dictatorial neo-fascist club.
We are in a trade deficit with the EU - they benefit from exporting to us more than we do from exporting to them. They will not enter a trade war with us if we withdraw, they would be the losers.
We do not have to belong to the EU to trade with them. We can be members instead of the wider European Free Trade zone without their expensive dictatorial ways holding us back.
As for getting out.... I am certain it will happen in time but I agree, because it is easier to scare people into opposing change than to argue a more complex case for change a referendum now to get out would fail. That will change.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Barry you are saying what Andy, John, and me and many more have been saying for years, I know you are with us and think we need to come out of the EU now,so do the right thing and come and join us at UKIP that is the only way we will come out.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Let's put to bed some of the popular myths and scaremongering propaganda that anti EU lobbyists put forward. For instance Britain's trade with other EU countries has risen from about a third of our trade when we first joined to nearly 60 per cent now, despite the huge increase in the purchasing power of China, India, and oil producing countries in that time. The fastest growth rates of UK exports in recent years have been to the new EU Member States. 3.5 million Jobs are dependent on the export of goods and services to the EU.
If we were out of the EU, there would have even less likelihood of selling UK manufactured products to other EU countries, so the figures would be worse.
Once the rebate is taken into account, our net contribution is £3.3bn in 2009-10 about £1 per week per person. Some of this finances things like infrastructure development in the poorer EU countries, which British firms regularly win tenders for.
By being a member of the EU a firm can register a trademark once, valid throughout the EU, without having to go through 27 different sets of national rules, form-filling and fee paying. A lorry taking British exports to Italy used to need over 20 documents to present at frontiers. Thanks to EU legislation this is now down to one.
A Mori poll which interviewed 102 executives from Britain's largest businesses, 78 of them replied that the single market had been helpful to UK business.
Only 9.1 per cent of UK laws stem from the EU.
The EU is the worlds largest market and if Britain left it then what of the tariffs that would be imposed on UK trade with the EU. The UK is a country of 60 million people that is reliant on imports.
Both Norway and Switzerland have to accept EU market legislation with no say in shaping it. Both contribute to the EU budget (more per capita net contributions than the UK!). Both are small countries with very special features: massive oil reserves for Norway and a unique banking sector for Switzerland.
We are in it,thanks to Ted Heath, now lets stop whinging and make the best of it.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
marek
the flaw in your trade argument is that prior to joining our trade with the eec was about 30% as you say.
that however was with 6 nations, now there are 27.
doesn't sound like good business to me.
also as pointed out by blue barry we are nett importers, there is no way that brussels would ever put that trade at risk.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
howard,that makes it a bigger market place to our goods.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
brian
read posts 12 and 13 fully and you will see the point i am making.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Howard
But the number of persons dependent upon EU work has grown but as I have stated previously the debate about whether we should be in or out of the EU is a waste of time and money.We are and thats the end of it.
For the record I voted 'Non' to joining the EEC (as it then called) in the referendum.However we are in and should take a more active role.One can only change things from within..not jumping up and down outside it.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i voted yes to the market but was never asked about the political effect.
you are probably right that we as a country will never leave it, but i still believe that it will implode with or without our involvement.
the big question is whether germany will make the first move to withdraw, their electorate and many politicians want the mark back and no money going in the direction of the poorly run southern economies.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Howard
If anything is to break , divide or even weaken the the EU it will be the collapse of the Euro due to poorer countries handling their economic crisis.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
You`ve convinced me Marek, ( or have you been EU conditioned? )
I now realise that all my years of studying just what is emitted from the EU on an almost daily basis ( yes, I must get out more ) has been a waste of time as I`ve obviously got it all wrong in a number of different ways.
I accept that there are two arguments regarding the EU "trade" issue and some opposing points may indeed have some validity. However, trade is only one small componant of the wider issue.
As for "scaremongering propaganda", our beloved EU bureaucrats are past masters at that. I seem to remember that they did a fairly good job on the Irish when they HAD to have a second referendum just because the stupid plebs got it wrong the first time round!
Anyway, apologies for whinging!
PaulB, I have to agree with you about some of the tabloids pushing silly stories just to sell their papers with a catchy headline, but on the other hand there are a lot of serious issues that come out of the EU that are not widely publicised. Those that do make it are then classed as " anti-EU " articles.
I suppose at the end of the day, " you pays your money and takes your choice " as to which side you wish to believe.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Marek - you did not vote no to joining the EEC - you voted not to leave it, we were already in when the referendum was held. A very subtle but important difference. I regret that I voted to stay in and, further, campaigned to do so
Trying to change that monstrosity is a waste of time as it is wedded to socialistic big government interventionist policies, that is why we need to get out.
