EU Referendum

[Ice-Maiden]

Do you think we'll get it?

[Gromit]

No.

[jiggy-gb]

No, not from any party, no matter what flavour they are.

[Ice-Maiden]

I agree. Just wondered how others saw it.

[China Doll]

More chance of me developing wings and doing the sugar plum fairy dance.

[Loosehead]

No we won't because we cannot be trusted to give the "correct" answer. I don't like it but I think we are relying on the French to save us this time, bloody scary!

[Reverandfunk]

No

[Ice-Maiden]

Thank you - I can see why "the powers that be" are so afraid of what the answer might be. I've only heard resounding "no's" from everyone so far. Can't all be wrong, can we?

[China Doll]

I'm actually in favour of it in principle as it goes.

I just don't think we'll get the vote on it.

[Oneeyedvic]

No I don't think we will get it and I reiterate that I don't believe that the majority of this country (myself included) understand the full implications of the referendum - just the highlights / lowlights as picked out by the sensationalist media.

I therefore firmly believe that there should not be a referendum.

[jake-the-peg]

How many people who want a vote do you think have read it?

Personally I reckon most are in the "I don't need to read it to understand what it's about" camp.

Wish Universities worked like that :c)

[Twenty20]

LOL, a referendum on th EU Ice-Maiden?!!

Thats a good joke!!

[andrea81]

Can I have a really thick moment and ask what an EU referendum is?

[China Doll]

It's a vote on whether we become fully paid up members of Europe andrea.

[andrea81]

Thanks china - don't know enough about it. Will have to learn more, just in case I have to vote!

[jake-the-peg]

Woah there - we're already fully paid up members of Europe!

The point is that with the Enlargement of the EU the old way in which it worked where you had to get everybody to agree becomes more and more difficult and bureaucratic.

Imagine if all parties had to agree in Westminster before a law was passed!

The main thrust of the proposal was to move towards a voting system.

This was embedded in a constitution which had other proposals as well. This was rejected by a couple of countries and looked like being rejected here so it was back to square 1.

So some of the extraneous issues have been dropped and it's being reintroduced - not as a constitution.

Gordon Brown maintains that the UK was promissed a vote on any EU constitution but this is no longer a constitution. Other anti-EU elements want referendum because they want a chance to reject it and (I think it's fair to say try to do as much damage to the EU as possible)

The EU has brought in a fairly large number of controls on Businesses from additional safety on cars to taking companies like Microsoft to court for trying to squash competition to starting the smoking bans.

Unsurprisingly there are a number of organisations that don't like it - especially Rupert Murdoch and his papers and TV channels can often be relied on for an anti-EU angle.

They would quote bureaucracy and cost yet in blocking this they are stopping anti beaurocracy measures.

The debate is big and complex and generally pretty biased - I'm pretty Pro-European ( We've not followed them into any wars ) so that's my slant - I'd guess you'll probably find more people with an anti-EU bias on here

[delboy3]

Hear hear, Jake! I just wish that more people had the same attitude as you.

[China Doll]

That's kind of what I meant Jake... Just shorter! :0)

[jake-the-peg]

:c)
I know, it is a horrendously complex issue.which is one good reason not to put it to a referendum.

I'd be surprised if 1 person in 100 voting really understood the issues involved

[China Doll]

I agree.

I think everyone presumes it just comes down to whether we want the euro or not.

Because I've had to defend by pro-european stance a couple of times I've bothered to read up on it a bit.

And I still don't understand it all! :c)

(Your smiley face is cuter than mine so I'm nicking it)

[Loosehead]

Will you lot stop it with your self gratifying nausiating Europhiles together, anyone who doesn't agree must be retarded wallow. I'm feeling quite uncle dick! :-)