EU Referendum Thread

[Lucky13]

Out.

 

[Clevers]

In. Multinational companies would locate in the EU if we exited.

Leaving would mean you would have comply with regulations without having an input to their enactment.

I believe that people (UKIP) are lobbying for no based on an imagined past that never existed.

 

[smudgedj]

In. Multinational companies would locate in the EU if we exited.

Leaving would mean you would have comply with regulations without having an input to their enactment.

I believe that people (UKIP) are lobbying for no based on an imagined past that never existed.

They would only move to make more profit. Which they would do anyway, they don't remain in the UK through the goodness of their heart.

 

[cibaman]

Definitely voting to stay in.

I believe pulling out would be such a risky enterprise. Those who imagine it will have no meaningful impact on our trade with the remaining EU countries, and consequently our economy, are completely wrong imo. Furthermore any such ongoing trade with those countries would be contingent on us complying with all the red tape, so frequently cited by those in favour of withdrawal as a reason for leaving.

To describe leaving as anything other than a huge risk is intellectually dishonest imo.

I'm interested how you think our trade with the EU would be affected if we were to exit? Trade tariffs on UK goods? Restricted access? I'd also be interested to hear how exporters of German cars, French wine and Belgian chocolate would feel when we reciprocate. Remember we import far more from the EU than we export to it. A trade war would be hugely damaging to EU economies and just wouldn't happen. It's just a scare tactic to intimidate people to vote to stay in and if anybody is being intellectually dishonest it's people who are spreading scare stories.

We import more than we export but we are much more dependent on trade with the EU than the EU countries depend on trade with the UK.

About 50% of UK exports are to the EU. Exports from the major EU countries ( Germany, France, Itlay, Spain, Poland) to the UK are in the range of 5-8% of their total exports. The Republic of Ireland is more dependent on trade with the UK, with roughly 15% of their exports being to the UK. A trade war would be much more damaging to the UK economy than it would be to the rest of the EU. The EU would be in an overwhelmingly dominant position in any negotiations.

I very much doubt that there would be an all out trade war with the EU involving import tariffs. But over time our tading position would be undermined by hidden trade barriers, red tape, quotas etc.

 

[urmston]

Out.

Labour, the Guardian and big, multinational, tax avoiding, tax haven using, worker exploiting business are all very pro-EU.

That fact should be enough to persuade any rational person to vote no.

 

[kas_tippler]

Will Australia and Israel be having a vote whether to stay in Europe?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

In. Multinational companies would locate in the EU if we exited.

Leaving would mean you would have comply with regulations without having an input to their enactment.

I believe that people (UKIP) are lobbying for no based on an imagined past that never existed.

Multinationals would gravitate to low-tax, low-regulation regimes, which we would be. We also offer access to the most sophisticated financial services market outside the USA.

 

[Clevers]

In. Multinational companies would locate in the EU if we exited.

Leaving would mean you would have comply with regulations without having an input to their enactment.

I believe that people (UKIP) are lobbying for no based on an imagined past that never existed.

Multinationals would gravitate to low-tax, low-regulation regimes, which we would be. We also offer access to the most sophisticated financial services market outside the USA.

I understand what you are saying but I just can't shake the feeling that leaving would be bad for the economy.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

A definite IN

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

If you're the German Chancellor, I'd wish you luck going to the CEOs of BMW, Mercedes and Audi, and telling them they can no longer export to Britain, because they need to teach Britain a lesson for having the timerity to exercise it's democratic right not to be involved in a failing project of financial and political union that it's people never voted for in the first place.

Do you really think that our trade with EU countries will be completely unaffected if we withdraw?

Yes I do, as I've tried to explain above, they have far too much to lose from a trade war for it to happen. We'd also be free to negotiate our own trade deals with the rest of world. This would be a net gain to Britain.

You appear to be saying (and correct me if I'm wrong) that we derive no benefit whatsoever from membership. Such a viewpoint, I would suggest, is one that demonstrates an inability to apply any form of objective thought to the subject. I don't believe life is as black and white as that on this, or any other subject. There are good and bad things about our membership. I can accept that. The EU is certainly far from perfect, but very little is in this world.