Expats lose referendum vote legal bid

[The_Equalizer]

Has any CUKer ever swapped sides in the Brexit debate?

[jamesbrown]

Has any CUKer ever swapped sides in the Brexit debate?

I haven't met a single person on either side of the argument that has swapped sides (across a fairly broad spectrum of views and backgrounds). The polls seem to show a systematic narrowing of the gap over recent months. Anecdotally, it seems that most people have decided, and the polls also show a reduction in the number of undecided voters. Only a fraction of them will actually vote. I'd guess that fewer than 10% (perhaps only 5%) of people are truthfully undecided now. It's more about turnout than the details of the campaign between now and June, notwithstanding any major events.

[Old Greg]

Has any CUKer ever swapped sides in the Brexit debate?

Yes. I used to be in favour of Brexit following Tony Benn's analysis that the EU lacks democratic accountability so should therefore be dismantled.

However, the Leave side is so constituted that I have come to the conclusion that that many cretins can't be right.

I could be in favour of Brexit if an alternative constitutional settlement and set of arrangements for workers' rights etc. was posited as an alternative, but in its absence I fear that Brexit would just be a precursor to the dismantling of workers' rights etc.

[AtW]

Should not there be a 3rd way - restoring British Empire and taking back colonies?

[Old Greg]

Should not there be a 3rd way - restoring British Empire and taking back colonies?

Restore the Roman Empire and rebuild Hadrian's Wall.

[sasguru]

I could be in favour of Brexit if an alternative constitutional settlement and set of arrangements for workers' rights etc. was posited as an alternative, but in its absence I fear that Brexit would just be a precursor to the dismantling of workers' rights etc.

Yes I agree.
I believe the people worst affected by a Brexit will ironically be the worst off who are more likely to vote for it.
British economic history is rife with workers given short shrift, and I say that as someone whose instinct is to vote Conservative.
Furthermore the only way to attract manufacturing FDI into the UK after Brexit will be low pay - post-Brexit it will be a no-brainer, career-safe move to build your factories in the larger markets of Europe.

[darmstadt]

Should not there be a 3rd way - restoring British Empire and taking back colonies?

Haven't you read the UKIP manifesto

[sasguru]

However, the Leave side is so constituted that I have come to the conclusion that that many cretins can't be right.
.

This too.

[Flashman]

I get a feeling that these "expats" want all the benefits of being within the UK system and don't want it to end but the public (not the big business mindless we still don't have enough billions corporations) who stay here and suffer the consequences of being in the EU have frankly had enough. This is a vote for your own conscience, not a vote to make the rich even richer. That's what is missing in this discussion. All we hear is how much worse off we will be financially. Nothing about how much worse off -or not- that we will be in our minds and bodies.

The ones that "grin and bear it" should be the ones who get a vote, not the ones that have run away to a better life.

The main scare story is that if Turkey etc. get access to the EU, as our minimum wage is far higher than any other country there will be many more economic migrants that don't add anything to the skills shortage we are suffering now. There's only so many "Polish Plumbers" needed. There's only so many jobs that economic migrants can fill.

It's this form of scare story that has most of the weight regarding the EU. If we are in, we cannot ever stop economic migrants, we don't have the infrastructure, power supplies, water supplies, housing, jobs, even sewage capacity for the numbers we have in the UK now. That's why, IMHO we are going to vote for Brexit. I know I am.

Because what we really need to get our country back on track is exactly what is in use in Australia, Canada, the US, New Zealand and many other countries no doubt. If we need your skills then you have a job. If we don't need more road sweepers then you don't get in. It's not isolationist, it's a matter of getting the influx of people we need, not the ones who are selling all they have to come here and sweep up. Or not.
I don't for one second beieve that immigrants come here for benefits, most that I come in contact with are here to earn a living. And they need everything that any other resident needs. Security, a wage, somewhere to live and taps that work, power that can be switched on.

We are at a stage now that in a few short years we will be unable to supply quite a bit of that through rather strange government policies that turn off generating power before the new stuff has even got foundations laid. That keep building pointless railways, that spend treasure dropping bombs on places we only know about because they are on the telly. Never mind. We won't be able to watch it when we run out of juice. Or use the web.

Rant over..

Strong stuff but well said. Unfortunately it's these kind of posts that get lost in the swamp of forum spammers...

[AtW]

Haven't you read the UKIP manifesto

Nope!