Should we pull out of Europe?

[Tealeaf]

Well, the future for the UK will be a hell of a sight worse if we remain in the EU......but do you really think those Frogs & Germans could be so dastardly to throw out all the Brits when we finally turn round to them and say "Enoughs enough....up yours, Jacque & Gerald..."

[Mik Dickinson]

I have heard on this website there are a lot in Springhill as well

[Mik Dickinson]

Not to forget all the industrial business Britain would more than likely lose out on

[mez]

below the belt mik ha ha

[Mik Dickinson]

Hey Mez T is taking away my livelyhood here and they know in Europe that an Englishman goes down fighting eh?At least they do in this part of Germany anyway.

[jambutty]

An Englishman doesn’t go down Mik. We stay up fighting and win.

Geologically the British Isles may be part of the European continent but that is all. Socially and politically we are far removed from the continent and have been for hundreds of years. Let’s keep it that way! Trade with Europe by all means but WE decide our fate not Brussels.

Better still turn the Untidy Kingdom, sorry I mean United Kingdom, into an off-shore tax haven for the world and a tourist trap.

[gpovanman]

If Britain pulled out of the EU tomorrow, they would still be allowed to work in the EU. Switzerland is not in the EU, but they can still work anywhere in the EU without a problem. On the subject of Europe, the European Parliment and Constitution, the EU is the biggest mistake to befall Europe since WWII. I live in Mallorca, and see how the money is wasted. This year, the Germans are all broke agin, cos they're funding the EU gravy train. In 89 the Berlin Wall came down, and naturally the West had to pay to bring the eastern part up to scratch. On top of this, they have to pay to bring the rest of Europe up to scratch. Example. 3 yrs ago, the Passeig Calvia project was started. This involved cobble paving the main coast road from the borough boundary of Palma, through the borough of Calvià, and right through to the borough boundary with Andratx. This was a two year project. I don't know the exact financial figures, but they used 5000 trees, and 100,000 bedding plants, all with irrigation. This project was funded 80% by the EU (i.e. northern Europe). What makes it worse is that Calvià is the richest borough in Europe, richer than bloody Zurich!! So next time you look at your wage slip in Munich, remember that a large portion of the taxes that you have paid go towards economies that could quite happily live without it. Oh, another thing, could you tell me why Spain gets so much funding from the EU, when it has 19 (nineteen) bank holidays per year? "You pay your taxes while Pedro sits drinking sangria" might seems very much like an anachronism, but it aint. The EU represents the greatest economic threat to the UK since Hitler. Bad as he was, you knew where you were, with the EU, they move the goalposts as and when they feel fit.

[Acrylic-bob]

We know from recent experience that the EU is rife with corruption from the highest levels to the lowest. In italy it is seen as a soft touch and is used by the mafia to fund their activities. I am sure that Eastern European criminal organiisations are already hard at work milking the system for all that they can get out of it, while that welsh windbag Kinnock and his wife sit in Brussels and pontificate on what is best for us.

Incidentally, I met his wife once, what a snooty, stuck-up mare! Clearly under the impression that she was in some way better than us mere plebs.

I notice in the news yesterday that htere was an announcement that the Referendum on the EU Consitution would not be held until the end of 2006. That is two and a half years away. Tony Bleeeuugh is obviously hoping that we will all get bored with protesting about it and the thing will be passed with a low turnout. Apparently oblivious to the fact that, one way or another, he will be out of a job come the General Election.

[Darby]

I don't think that the UK should pull out of Europe. The UK should stay in but not accept the constitution or the EURO. The EU needs to be regulated with some common sense and the UK can provide that. Not at the moment though, as Tiny Blahr and his croonies do not have any common-sense, nor can they plan more than 1 day ahead.

Europe without the UK will not help anybody, especially the UK who can lead Europe on to better things. Remember that the UK has gained a lot of benefits from the EU, which should remain a Common Market for the benefit of all West Europeans. Just stop the Frogs and these German Socialist control freaks from taking over the rest of the world. The 4th Reich needs to be halted now!

MikDik shouldn't have any fears living in Bavaria. Once he has his "Unbefristet Aufenhaltserlaubnis" (Unlimited Residence Permit) they cannot or will not throw him (and me), out of Germany. I got mine...have you got yours Mik?

[Mik Dickinson]

Got mine years ago matey. Completely forgot about that.As to the spanish.Well we get 12 bank hols over here.I am not complaining and the general ruling is we get 30 days paid hols over here too, and that at a time and half.Not to mention the Xmas bonus i receive of 55% of my wage.
I will agree that i can see a lot of benefits with England staing in the EU.All this EU constipation, sorry that should read Constitution but ithink it fits anyway so i am going to leave it in

[Weary Tourist]

The European Union's head commissioners announced today that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language standard for European communications -- rather than German, which was the other option. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish ("Euro" for short).

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replased
with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replased by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 persent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"s in the languag is disgrasful, and they should go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by z" and "w" by v. During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

Ze drem vil finali kum tru!

[Neal]

an old one, but it still makes me smile

[Weary Tourist]

The EU isn't going to go away, but I would like to think that rip-off Britain would, if we joined the Euro and drove on the other side of the road.

If we turn our back on the EU then let's get back to the way we were, and bring back imperial weights and measures, pounds shillings and pence, the Commonwealth (what's left of it) and dig up the Channel Tunnel.

We need to influence the EU decision making process, and form alliances, for better or worse, richer or poorer, until death us do part. mmmm.

[Mik Dickinson]

No problem with that but how can you dig a tunnel up??? The only thing you could do is fill it in.As for alliances in Europe.Well who would the alliances be with,the French = run away at the first sign of trouble.The Spanish = too busy selling arms to the enemy.Actually the Spanish have one of teh biggest arms sales in Europe.The Germans = too busy fighting among them selves and giving everybody else the blame except them selves.Not many left over that have any major influence on world politics

[gpovanman]

It's all very well saying that the UK would have a bigger say in European affairs, but bearing in mind that there are now 25 member states, having just 4% of the say, ain't saying much.