If Uk Membership Of The Eu Wasn't A Good Thing Why Would Politicians From All The Major Parties...

[sandyRoe]

...want to stay in? We hear plenty about its disadvantages. Who's telling us about the advantages?

[youngmafbog]

Why do politicians want to stay in?

The answer is simple; Many intend to hop on the EU gravy train when they are booted out of their seat. Kinnokio style.

[whiskeryron]

I cannot for the life of me understand the principles involved in wanting a United Kingdom breakup ( Welsh separate system, Scottish separate System, Northern Ireland Maybe etc.) & at the same time wanting to amalgamate with Germany, France, & other foreign countries whose way of life is so different to what we have always known. Sheer bloody madness.

[ToraToraTora]

Politicians like to have an easy trough for their snout when they leave front line politics. There is no more sumptuous gravy train than the EU. Beyond that the primary function of the EU is as a support mechanism for the disastrours CAP so French farmers are happy.

[New Judge]

The only thing really holding it together is the fear of the consequences should it fall (or more likely blow) apart. This fear has been stoked up by the Euromaniacs. But if people would simply step back and take a rational look at the likely consequences they would see that they are by no means anywhere as bad as the consequences of staying in a fractured, fractious dysfunctional organisation that has long since exceeded its usefulness.

The UK is tired of unfettered immigration from Europe; the PIIGS nations are tired of austerity imposed upon them as a result of the single currency; Germany is tired of being pressured into bailing out those nations; France seems tired of everything and is falling apart (one article over the weekend described it as "Britain in the 70s but with nicer clothes"). The whole thing is an unadulterated mess and those in charge of it show no signs of sorting it out. It just stumbles from one crisis to another, paper is pasted over the cracks but the foundations continue to fail making the cracks appear even bigger.

The Eurocrats need to accept that the "European Project" has failed. A strategy needs to be devised to unpick the seams allowing member states who wish to do so to go their own way. The first and most important challenge is to see an ordered return to national currencies. The euro crisis is about to rear its head again (as it will continue to do as it is simply unworkable in its current form). The alternative to this is a disorganised explosion. Politicians need to accept that their second career gravy train has hit the buffers and they need to act in the best interests of their countries instead of their bank accounts.

[BlackadderV]

Let us not forget that the House of Commons was literally bullied into voting to join the EEC. Heath made it clear that if the Bill was rejected he would call a general election. Given that in the previous year the Tories had passed a number of measures which made them unpopular, those Tory members with small majorities toed the line, rather than risking their seats prematurely.

[mikey4444]

Sandy...perhaps they know something we don't...perhaps it IS a good thing after all ?