European Union; your thoughts please

[stek]

They DON'T. Since the date quoted.

Was the Tories that stopped exit controls so we don't know who's gone!

[cojak]

On balance out.

I've went from being very pro-eu to staunchly anti-eu and I've been getting increasingly frustrated by the fact that eurospecticism is seen as the preserve of the xenophobic eejits.

Britain has never engaged in the eu in the same way as most member states i.e. use it as a platform for furthering national interests. At a national level, most governments understand that this is what it should be used for. One of the major side-effects of this most countries pay lip service to enforcing regulations and have, when it was fashionable, gone along with concepts like federalism when they are not remotely interested in it. In Britain, they apply the rules and waste their time hand-wringing over concepts most others ignore. The net result is that we see it as a regulatory straitjacket but other countries see it as a way of getting ahead. Basically, we are wasting our time and there are other ways to ensure free trade.

WHS.

Britain just doesn't understand the EU, it's not in our psyche to ignore rules and regs that are not in our interests.

[Mich the Tester]

it's not in our psyche to ignore rules and regs that are not in our interests.

A nation of jobsworths?

[cojak]

A nation of jobsworths?

Partly that, but partly a deference to authority and 'doing the right thing'.

[Paddy]

I say OUT. Nobody is going to stop trading with us just because we have chosen not to slavishly follow rules dreamt up by EU career politicos. Plus we could then apply the same points scoring rules to immigration across the board. And I doubt anyone but the Frogs will get too miffed in light of the problems that some of those tied to the Euro are currently experiencing.

Even non EU countries diverse as Norway and China have to comply with EU rules if they export to the EU. If the UK is in the EU, then at least they can get involved in drafting the rules.

I do however think that the EU has lost its way. It started out with the wellbeing of citizens as its primary concern. These days the primary concern is to protect big businesses and banks.

[Sysman]

Besides, what calibre of numpty cannot pass Johnny Foreigners points requirements?

Those who end up unemployed as a result of being outsourced to Bob and pals?

[shaunbhoy]

Those who end up unemployed as a result of being outsourced to Bob and pals?

Eh? Outsourcing has nothing to do with failing an Entry Points system to another country.

[swamp]

Britain should negotiate its exit from the EU. We would still work very closely with the EU, but we just wouldn't be in the actual union.

I think it's lack of confidence, plus politicians' general desire to strut the big stages that has lead to the UK being inside the EU. We've never really wanted political integration with europe, but we've been scared of missing out on the action. Plus we felt we had to be in it else France would run the whole thing.

The UK should leave the EU on good terms and have the vision to forge a new independent future. Euroskepticism is not a dirty word, and it does not imply xenophobia or 'little Englander'. If anything, if the UK left it would actually help the EU.

[darmstadt]

Out. I'm a paid up member of UKIP.

The EU is bad, bad, bad. Unelected, corrupt, expensive and unaccountable.

We need to regain control of our own destiny, of our own borders and do what's best for the people of this country. Our sovereignty was given away without our consent, in my view a treasonable offence.

Please explain the above statement?

Unelected - I believe that you can vote for MEPs much like you can vote for an MP. Civil servants, whether Euro or UK are not elected
Corrupt - so tell me which government is not corrupt. You only have to look at the scandals that have hit the UK government recently
Expensive - yes it is but so is the UK government, possibly more so in relation.
Unaccountable - not its not, the same as the UK government. They were both elected therefore your vote counts

Admittedly there are some wrongs which need to be righted