EU referendum

[Ali]

Those of you from the UK will know we have a referendum this week on whether to stay in Europe or not. 

I'm really worried about it. If we vote to leave will that mean I have to give back my French maid's uniform, and all my French knickers?

[micheleFFS]

Ummm...Under English common law, those items are personal property. (If one's knickers aren't personal, what is?) Therefore, you can continue to wear them. Now bend over!

[micheleFFS]

Well, they did it. Bad move, IMHO.

Unfortunately, we have a self-important ignoramus of a similar stripe on our side of the pond.

Scary times.

[nina]

"Well, they did it. Bad move, IMHO.

Unfortunately, we have a self-important ignoramus of a similar stripe on our side of the pond.

Scary times."

I disagree and believe it was the right thing to do.  Europe is in serious trouble and the UK is better-off going their own way, imo.  
  That said, you really run a good board here Michele, a vast improvement over the Voy Forum which was to limiting as far as freedom of speech.  I used to be a lurker on that forum but saw how you struggled to approve posts that weren't all that outrageous, imo.  Two thumbs up for the new PDQ Forum.  

[baby sam]

Well, they did it. Bad move, IMHO.

Unfortunately, we have a self-important ignoramus of a similar stripe on our side of the pond.

Scary times.

There are a lot of issues with the EU, that could have been fixed if the EU was willing to reform. The problem is that the EU has shown time and time again it is incapable of reform. What little Cameron got was really a slap in the face. 

Examples

Fishing - you catch fish that the wrong type/size, it's dead but under EU law until 2015 you had to throw it over the side and try to catch the right size/type. Norway said you must land what you catch so that we're no overfishing, in 1995 (at one point the fishing commissioner was from Austria)


Democracy - the EU parliament now gets a vote on the commission except that the largest grouping out of 9 (20%?) gets their way - this is major step forward! this democracy in action! 

On voting - MEPs are asked to vote on amendment numbers, but the order paper doesn't show the numbers just the title. Your grouping say vote down/for amendment numbers X Y Z and you're not allowed to think independently. Asking to know what you're voting on gets you - "That's not how we do things here"

Votes - the parliament meets in Brussels but votes in Strasbourg at a cost of £170m pa why - to appease the French. Screw the taxpayers.



In 1775 the UK wouldn't give the colonists the reforms they asked for, so you declare your independence.

Edit:

I'm seeing more coverage of European leaders /EU with regard to the Brexit. From what I'm seeing there are the two camps with in the EU leadership

• those the realise that there is a strong anti-EU popular voice
  
  
• Those that bury their heads.
  

What the leaders of the EU actually do (even if they call it no changes like inviting Italy to the Franco-German Talks) will be interesting/telling. Some of the EU officials appear not to be able to understand that the little people  have decided that they don't want to be talked down to and don't like this European Project - they must be wrong idiots fools and incorrect. It reminds me of The Emperor's New Clothes.

[diaperedByDesign]

I was fervently pro EU...then I went to law school and read those treaties, learned how to read them too.

Ive erased my anti EU rant, it's not the time and place for it. I'm pretty happy with this outcome. I'm not happy and frankly terrified that the EU is unraveling pretty much according the worst case scenarios I've always imagined (and got called alarmist and crazy over). 

For Britain this is a good decision. Some short term pain, huge potential gain. In fact, maybe I should migrate there.

[Bonzodoug]

I was fervently pro EU...then I went to law school and read those treaties, learned how to read them too.

Ive erased my anti EU rant, it's not the time and place for it. I'm pretty happy with this outcome. I'm not happy and frankly terrified that the EU is unraveling pretty much according the worst case scenarios I've always imagined (and got called alarmist and crazy over). 

For Britain this is a good decision. Some short term pain, huge potential gain. In fact, maybe I should migrate there.

Also Mrs May appears to be a formidable lady, quite capable of taking full control of those naughty Tory boys!

[Ali]

There's a more articulate debate about this on here than there was between the politicians! They should let sissies run the country!