Sack cloth and ashes

[joe-90]

He's got one of those heads just inviting a fist.

 

[ellal]

He's got one of those heads just inviting a fist.

I raise you...

Michael Gove!

 

[joe-90]

Nah! That's a headbutt.

 

[Graeme1983]

I suppose reluctantly I must agree that not absolutely everything to do with the EU is all bad! To be fair, I think that a free-trade organisation (as it was initially) would be a good thing if run fairly.

I do not, however, agree with foreign MEPs - and their vast army of bureaucrats - dictating to us how to run our own country, especially when so many of their decisions appear to be completely against our interests and more to the benefit of other countries.

The EU is as good as it is bad. For Bill in Bognor Regis who is born there and dies there he just sees it as Brussels letting the Poles in to nick jobs and a comfy life on benefits, or the human rights acts letting Abu Qatada take the ps as its what the DM says. But a lot of Brits do well out of the EU, education is much better here and Im happy Ill be sending mine there who will come out with at least 3 languages in their ars pocket and wont be debt ridden after uni. I couldnt get a job here before they joined the EU when I was here the first time, just cash in hand stuff I went back to the UK for a couple of years and then came back here after the EU had kicked in and since then there is plenty of work for Brits and the rest and if you do lose your job then the safety net is there and you wont have to go home right away. Without the EU many Brits wouldnt have the choice to live abroad. Its a double edged sword for the locals as many British property speculators have pushed up property prices out of the reach of the locals in Prague in between 04'-07 or Bulgaria these last couple of years. Berliners have the same issue.

I think all parliaments have fat that needs trimming, the MEP's should be trimmed but so should the House of Lords which is a lobbyists paradise. I dont buy into the repatriation of British law and legislation that the Tories and UKIP peddle as all it would do is take it out of central control in Brussels to handing it over to multinationals and the yanks or dodgy resources backed Middle Eastern and Russian consortiums. If it wasnt for the EU it would be GM everywhere and dead bees in the UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/18/lobbying-buying-influence-taints-politics

I guess a lot of it comes down to identity as well. In the early days here the only Brits I knew here mostly had already made some money and just ran spiv companies like buy to lets, pension schemes and running English teaching agencies which underpaid the teachers under the table, an expat bubble based around the chamber of commerce club. Now with the multinationals and proper work its a mix of people from all round the EU and most of my mates are Spanish, Italian, Greek and French as well as Czech. There is a bigger European identity so a platform just based on anti foreigner schtick like Farage spouts about EU people getting benefits and robbing jobs doesnt appeal. Farage would have everyone on zero hour contracts and no benefits to fall back on, wages would drop in a race to the bottom.

 

[joe-90]

We'll stick with Nigel thanks mate. You do what you like with your 'mates'.

 

[Graeme1983]

We'll stick with Nigel thanks mate. You do what you like with your 'mates'.

An ex top banker in charge of a country in thrall to the banks, the fox guarding the hen house. He should change his title if he gets in to Prime Spiv.

 

[joe-90]

He won't get that far, but most people in this country don't want a European Superstate. You do - so stay where you are.

 

[Graeme1983]

I dont particularly want anything like a superstate. I want less pollution, less corruption, I want my taxes spent on roads, education, nhs and the oldies, not in politicos pockets. Here the EU is the best thing for those goals, they come down more on corruption then our own system, development money penalties are given out when the funds go missing, people are ****ed off and attitudes are changing, govts fall, the police is becoming more independent then it was, EU laws improve the law system and the judiciary is more independent then pre EU, MP's are being hauled off to jail. Benefits are universal for all, not just the locals. It works for me, this place is better then early '04.

I just dont buy into all that EU and xenophobic scaremongering that Farage, the Tories trying to keep their voters from UKIP and the Daily Mail push, usually about Romanians and Bulgarians, Ive worked with them for years they arent an issue, its the gypos you need to worry about but these already have a network with British gypos and have been coming over to the UK for years, swapping passports and forging, they know the benefits system better then IDS.

The UK alone under these spivs would just be the 51st state, even less when the jocks do one. Frankfurt is taking over the banking role and with trade tariffs whats left of UK industry would be hit, there would be no point in trading with the same stuff available on the continent with less hassle, everything is already made in Germany which isnt made in China there would be no incentive to trade with the UK rump state. At least if the jocks stay in the EU when they secede, shortbread biscuit supplies wont be hit.

 

[joe-90]

Here the EU is the best thing for those goals, they come down more on corruption then our own system,

You should do stand-up.

 

[JBR]

I want less pollution, less corruption, I want my taxes spent on roads, education, nhs and the oldies, not in politicos pockets.

Like you, I want less corruption. Like you I want my taxes spent on roads, education and the oldies. (I'm not too fussed about pollution, though.)

I also agree that my taxes shouldn't end up in politico's pockets...

...nor in foreign aid or funding the EU bureaucracy.

 

[pred]

Can you remind me again please why the employment agency have not phoned me in the last 3/4 months to do a bit of truck driving!!

 

[jockscott]

Aye I reckon Graeme would be great at standup. "They come down more on corruption here." Had me in stitches.

Graeme, have ye not realised the EU accounts have not been signed off for donkey's years, because all of the MEP's are bloody fiddling, (more than the lead violinist at a Riverdance concert)