It was actually 350 million per week that the Leave campaign were quoting. Of course they were selective about it and didn't mention the 96 million instant rebate that Britain gets for...being special, nor did they include the 86 million that the EU pumps back into Britain in the form of grants for infrastructure and job creation in poorer areas. Once you subtract all that stuff, Britain actually only pays around 8.5 billion a year into the EU, or about 0.45% of Britain's GDP. The question is: does Britain get more than - let's round it up - half a percent added to it's GDP every year as a result of being in the EU? Yes, Britain gets a boost to it's economy of somewhere between 4% and 6% p.a. as a result of being in the EU. The "membership fee" is therefore cheap and no, there isn't suddenly going to be an extra 350 million pumped into the NHS. The money will all be swallowed up supporting workers and businesses that suffer from losing privileged access to the second largest economy in the world.
You still don't get it, it was nothing to do with the money for most people although 8.5 billion is a significant sum to handover to the dictators.It is to be masters of our own destiny in the world FFS & not be dictated to by unelected arrogant nobodies like Junkers. The EU has ridden rough shod over more than just the UK & their failed social experiment is finished. Hopefully we can the get back to what we signed up for in the 1st place a pure trading block, not a political dictatorship that can't be sacked. We in the UK can see the s--t hole that is only getting worse on mainland Europe. Once those 1 million economic migrants that Merkel so kindly let into Germany (which the German people are fuming about, Merkel has zero chance getting re elected now) get German passports which will be in a maximum of 6 years from now.They will be free to go anywhere within the EU, but now they won't be coming to the UK to stir things up. The EU is a disaster zone of its own making & it is not going to get any better unless there is radical change, the UK has set the ball rolling. Lets see where it stops.
^ yep Big A.D. still don't get it. The EU's failed social experiment with those foreign freeloader scums is what did it. FFS
Northern Ireland did not vote down sectarian lines. Most Nationalists simply did not vote as they don't see themselves as British. The largely Unionist vote was surprisingly divided, with just under 56% voting to remain. As for Scotland not being able to survive without England's money - that argument has been trotted out every single time a former colony has talked about leaving. The results so far.... number of former colonies that have survived after leaving the British Empire (60). Number of countries that have realised the error of their ways and then begged to be ruled again by Britain (0). The EU already has Scotland so what they think about it is a moot point. In the independence/brexit scenario Scotland would continue to enjoy and be grateful for the benefits being part of the European community. England would leave. The English economy might do well as a result. Or it might not. In either case, at least the rest of Europe will never have to hear another English politician whinging and bleating for exceptionalism with an underlying attitude of arrogant self-entitlement. Economic crystal ball-gazing aside, My biggest worry is for the English people. If their problems (both real and percieved) don't magically disappear once Brexit is finalised what happens next? The EU is out of the equation, so who will they blame?
The EU is currently enjoying the longest period of peace since Jesus Christ walked the earth. If you want to see a proper disaster zone, there are plenty of places in the world you can visit. Reading the Daily Mail and grumbling about there being more brown people about doesn't count.
Enjoying?? Living with millions of Islamic foreigner freeloader scums that only divide and cause nothing but trouble is not living in peace but misery. A wise old man foretold that "And it will be that the fanatics of Islam will rise up against the countries of Europe and all will shake and quiver. England will be conquered and thrown down to the lowest level of misery." He was right, you are wrong.
For what it's worth, I don't think Britain should have another referendum, nor do I think parliament should refuse to pass the legislation allowing them to leave. It was a democratic poll and the British people voted to leave. That said, celebrating the British people's democratic right to do something stupid just doesn't seem worth being happy about.
You think hosting refugees fleeing a war is worse than actually being in a war yourself? Dude, you need to get a grip.
I think you're in denial. As we all concede, wars are waged economically now, with the odd sideshow thrown in to appease the military manufacturing industry and nationalists. Just because there hasn't been a war between European States since the inception of the European Community doesn't mean that the inception of the European Community brought peace. We are involved in less wars now than ever before, and the reason for that is economics - not Brussels. It's trade, capitalism and as a result the increasing quality of life that reduces the need to conflict over resources that bring peace. Peace and harmony brought about by a bureaucrat's ballpoint pen is never going to replace the harmony that mutually beneficial trade brings. The Uber State is in turmoil, you should be celebrating instead of lambasting. The Brexit is the excuse the central planners have been hoping for. :/
For motorbikez and others Brits who voted leave - I absolutely respect your democratic right for the Brtiish people to vote to be masters of your own destiny. Now you have ask yourselves, where's the plan for what you're going next - the so-called 'Leave plan'? Apparently there isn't one - Boris and the rest of the clowns who agitated for 'Leave' haven't got a Brexit plan, presumably because they didn't think they'd need one! These are the idiots now in charge of your country. FFS!
What refugees? Oh you mean the ones they now calling economic migrants after everyone realized they are not refugees. Maybe you need to get a grip on this one.
Oh wow - this was written on Weds 22nd, *before* the Brexit vote - it's remarkably prescient! Source: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/will-wake-vote-leave/
You are 100% right, but you seem to be missing the point that after WWII people understood mutually beneficial trade would help prevent wars and so they set about creating a trade bock across Europe to facilitate exactly that. Getting 28 countries that have spent the last 2000-odd years being in various states of war with one another was never going to happen without a lot of diplomacy and bureaucracy. Yeah, bureaucracy sucks, but Europe seems to have been better off employing bureaucrats rather than soldiers. Before now, the previous attempts at uniting Europe were made by Adolf Hitler, Emperor Charlemagne (9th Century) and the Romans under Trajan.
Boris Johnson's full op-ed, originally posted in The Telegraph :- Seems to me he has a bit of an idea
