European Politics

Re: European Union

As far as I'm concerned the European Union can fuck right off.It was sold to the British people on a lie(Europe will only be a trading partner-Ha) and continues to be a lie.

I'd love to see some kind of financial balance sheet- what we as a nation put in against what we get out of it.
 
Re: European Union

Um....the UK isn't a full-blown partner, so exactly what else has the EU done to the UK?
 
Re: European Union

The UK funds the EU by billions of pounds, I'd like to know if we're getting our monies worth.Plus I'd like my government to make its own decisions instead of being dictated to by Brussels ie the Human Rights act.
 
Culture of intolerance in Northern Ireland

Bashing in Belfast.

Seems there's a huge increase of racism vs Eastern Europeans in Northern Ireland.

More than 100 Romanian people fled Belfast, intimidated after a series of attacks.
In 1996 there were just 41 racial incidents.  Last year there were around 1000!

More on this BBC News site and this Sky News site.
 
Re: European Union

Kopfanatic said:
The UK funds the EU by billions of pounds, I'd like to know if we're getting our monies worth.Plus I'd like my government to make its own decisions instead of being dictated to by Brussels ie the Human Rights act.
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Considering Germany is the financial backbone of the EU and ALL countries surely contribute their share, how exactly is it unfair for the UK to "fund" the EU with billions of pounds?
 
Re: European Union

I didn't say it was unfair or otherwise.I answered the question posted by Loose Cannon about The UK not being a full blown partner.At the moment, until someone can persuade me otherwise, Germany can keep the EU .As I've previously mentioned, show me a balance sheet of plusses and minuses for being in the EU.
 
Re: European Union

I got one plus for you, a unifying currency, that's a HUGE plus. Another one, ease of travel. No need to pull your passport out every 45 minutes or so. Now granted. Few people travel extensively, but that, as far as I know, was the EU's main goal. minuses? I don't know, dealing with the French more often than one might like?
 
Re: European Union

sorry not convinced, we still have the pound and therefore still part of our sovereignty, and we can dictate our own interest rates to suit our own economic circumstance at the time.

As for the travel, I still don't think its worth between 4-12 billion pound subscription(depending on who you listen to).

I would still prefer laws to be passed by someone I have elected-yes I know our Prime Minister has not been elected.

I like the point about the French.That's part of the problem, some states think of the EU as their own private club and will twist(or ignore) the rules to suit themselves.

There was an opinion that Britain was allowed into the EU to act as a bridge between Brussels and the US.That may have been the case at some point, but now I don't think the US could give a shit one way or another.

That may be another topic altogether-whether the 'special relationship' between the US and UK really exists. Maybe they sometimes need moral support from this country, but I can't think of anything else.
 
Re: European Union

Of course you still have your own currency, hence partial member... But the idea behind the same currency is ease of trade, not just travel. And isn't the EU "presidency" rotated? So France is currently in charge (is it not?), but soon its term will end and someone else will get a shot, right?
 
Re: European Union

Kopfanatic said:
sorry not convinced, we still have the pound and therefore still part of our sovereignty, ...
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Because you still have the pound, you will find your foreign holidays more expensive, and Euro visitors will find your country cheap.

Happy with that?
 
Re: European Union

Oh, it's true.  But if he's going to Jamaica, say...

Anyway, I'm really not learned enough on the EU to say what the benefits are.  I would think that the free trade would be the big benefit, being able to sell your goods made in Edinburgh all the way in Venice with no taxes or tariffs, but I don't even know if that is truly the case.
 
Re: European Union

Kopfanatic said:
The UK funds the EU by billions of pounds, I'd like to know if we're getting our monies worth.Plus I'd like my government to make its own decisions instead of being dictated to by Brussels ie the Human Rights act.
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I hate to be a smartass, but the human rights act (I guess you're talking about the one legalising the European convention on Human Rights?) doesn't have anything to do with the EU.  The European convention on Human Rights is drafted by the Council of Europe, which is a lot older than the EU. 

As for the EU's accomplishments, there's free trade, free travel, common currency, peace in Europe brought about by integration, and emphasized human rights and environmental protection, that I can think of off the top of my head.  For small countries especially, this opens far more trade possibilities.  I would say the EU has far more upsides than downsides. 
 
Re: European Union

You know its costing Sweden about 1 billion Swedish crowns to have the EU presidency these next 6 months? In euro I think thats about some 500 million. Its raising some sure hell here what with the economic situation as it is and Sweden hard-hit after the issues Lithuania has been having. Oh, and in case anybody is interested Sweden wants to focus mainly on the economic crisis and on the environmental issues that the Baltic is facing while on the presidency. Another issues that makes for some debate here also are the gas pipelines from Russia that are planned to go through the Baltic but the government hasn't really taken a stance either for or against it.
 
Re: European Union

The Baltic Sea is a pool of acid, basically.  The Dead Sea is not in the Middle East.
 
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