A second point. No-one I have heard has seriously suggested that we want to abandon the reasons we originally joined, ie easier trade between countries. Therefore, we would, I suspect, look to become part of EFTA, the European Free Trade Area, joining Switzerland and Norway. Switzerland and Norway have to pay the EU to be part of EFTA, so the logic of "we'll save £50M/day, which we can spend on schools and hospitals" is sadly not true. There are still Brussels-controlled rules as part of being within EFTA, which we would have to continue to abide by. At the moment, we have to abide by these rules, and have some small part in their formulation and evolution. As a member of EFTA, we have to pay, we have to abide, but have no control. That points me towards staying in.
What worries me is that people will listen to the Farages of this world, who will say what the general populace wants to hear. But that might not actually be in the best interests of the UK.
Let's have a look at what happened in Greece. They had a general election at a time when there was a great deal of austerity measures imposed by Brussels. One party said "We'll renegotiate the austerity". It was what the electorate wanted to hear. That party won the election, and have since failed miserably to renegotiate anything. The point is to be wary of believing what you want to believe, just because someone who you want to believe says it.
Akasha, what we don't know, indeed can't know, is what position we would have been in, had we not joined the EEC (as it was at that point) in the first place. With all due respect, you've listened to Farage (you said as much), but have you listened to Call Me Dave, with an open mind?
What worries me is that people will listen to the Farages of this world, who will say what the general populace wants to hear. But that might not actually be in the best interests of the UK.
Let's have a look at what happened in Greece. They had a general election at a time when there was a great deal of austerity measures imposed by Brussels. One party said "We'll renegotiate the austerity". It was what the electorate wanted to hear. That party won the election, and have since failed miserably to renegotiate anything. The point is to be wary of believing what you want to believe, just because someone who you want to believe says it.
Akasha, what we don't know, indeed can't know, is what position we would have been in, had we not joined the EEC (as it was at that point) in the first place. With all due respect, you've listened to Farage (you said as much), but have you listened to Call Me Dave, with an open mind?
