The EU Referendum

[AdamW]

Indeed, BAE Systems still employ around 100,000 people for a start. I know that isn't all defence, but as FWL points out, they own all sorts of various interests at home and abroad.

Grants to encourage hares? Hares aren't even indiginous!

I'm going to start a "people farm", it will be a real money spinner:

1) I will get a subsidy for each child I sire
2) I will get a cut of any benefits the mother receives
3) I will get lots of procedes from the associated website, "Adam gets his oats"
4) It won't require much land, so I can get a subsidy to lay a few acres fallow
5) Technically, I will be farming "puppies", of the chest variety, so will qualify for puppy farming subsidies too.

I think I'm on to a winner here. Anyone want to invest?

 

[david and julie]

Adam, as a Europhile who kept out of this, I reckon you think its time we lightened up a bit.

Hope you are OK, its been quiet since you got that new computer.

 

[AdamW]

Yes, it attached electrodes to my brain and brought me into a Matrix/Lawnmower Man type thing. As Paul Simon once sang, "You can call me HAL"

I don't think I have ever been described as a Europhile before! I would say that I see Europe as I would a 17-year old girl... it is a pleasant concept in my head, and in the future it might be something special, but right now it would be a bad idea.

 

[Damocles]

Like I said before. We have a negotiated budget rebate. This sounds very nice but it is much nicer for the government than it is for us. The size of the rebate depends upon the difference between EU money coming to Britain and that going out. If the EU gives a billion more in grants to people in the Uk then the government gets a billion less in rebate.

Which means that the Government has a vested interested in PREVENTING uk citizens from getting EU grants. Which also does not help the image of the EU here when british officials are going dead slow on helping them to apply for grants. Some grants require british government to match funding or supply a proportion. Ours is REALLY not keen on that sort of thing because it reckons it is paying twice.

If the rebate was taken away it would have some advantages. Our government might then switch to trying to get grants rather than trying to prevent them.

 

[Richardp]

i am not one of the cruel people you insinuate i am.

Freddie! I'm only teasing you, dont take things to heart your spending to much time with Dave.

 

[Freddie]

Damacles is not a miner but as suspected some kind of civil servent

 

[Richardp]

Damacles is not a Farmer but as suspected some kind of civil servent

never mind! someones gotta do it.

 

[Freddie]

I know but he is putting across a distorted agenda to keep his job and also he is one of problems with the waste and fraud

 

[Damocles]

Well tell me wise guy, which kind of animal is not considered agricultural in this country?

 

[Freddie]

Well tell me wise guy

 

[kendor]

Note how much BRITAIN PAYS FOR ALL THE OTHERS AND THEY WANT MORE OF YOUR TAX MONEY----YOUR HARD EARNED TAX MONEY-----THEY WANT YOU TO GO TO WORK TO KEEP PAYING FOR THEM

Ok i've come into this late and havn't read any replies but to answer to the original post. The payments have been agreed on a proportional basis to what is contributed to what is taken out and what each country can afford to keep the system as a whole working , so if britain wishes to take advantage of being in the scheme then they must contribute likewise, if you honestly think our trade and industry will be better off out of europe then vote against it but the leaders of the other countries would in my opinion be perfectly justified in not allowing britain back in if things didn't work out ok bit like a lottery syndicate you can't just opt out and back in again when it wins.
If britain didn't think it worthwhile why join in the first place? Now Labour and future governments have to make it work. Instead of knocking the elected government of britain back them to get the job done, i'm old enough to remember the slogan "I'm backing Britain" so what happened to all those backers?

 

[david and julie]

Damocles as you seem knowledgeable on EU matters can I ask you to clear up a few of points please?

1. Do any EU memberstates charge VAT on new build houses? (I know it may be called something else in some states) and do you know if they intend extending this to older houses?

2. Basically(I don't expect chapter and verse) what does tax harmonisation mean? specifically in relation to my above questions about VAT on new housing.

You don't have to answer this one as it could be considered personal.

Are you a Consultant or do you work at a grant aid consultancy?

 

[david and julie]

If britain didn't think it worthwhile why join in the first place? Now Labour and future governments have to make it work.

But you know very well we were misled into it. We were told we were only joining a trading block with another 6 countries. Most people have accepted that. When you start changing it to 25 countries, one army,one money, constitutions etc,without further consultation, it is totally different.

If you were against the EU you would probably agree with me on this.

In answer to you edited part.

i'm old enough to remember the slogan "I'm backing Britain

That what we are trying to do, It wasn't called I'm backing the EU was it.

 

[kendor]

but europe doesn't cover just 6 countries? so it is obvious that all countries in europe would want their say in the end.

Im backing britain in the context above to mean back your elected government to do the job they were voted in for.

If you disagree with this then you don't agree to democracy and the majority vote.

Agreed it doesn't stop one moaning about it though

 

[Freddie]

This is the old crap that is always thrown up Kendor-----------regardless if Britain can or cannot succeed on her own out of the Eu, you could argue that all day long, facts are Britain has before and by her accounts could well do so again maybe even more so without all the restraints of the EU.

But your point is that If Britain goes it alone she will lose trade with the EU---------total crap for a number of reasons, one is it is against EU and World trade agreements where barriers are at this moment being broken down, and a member country isnt going to stop buying British goods because one they are cheap and 2 because of the quality.

What you are inferring is that Britain only trades with the EU because other member states are forced to buy her goods because she's a member of the EU and that is EU political b u l l s h i t.

Also when this argument was first thrown up, Britain was in the doldrums because of the last Labour goverment and the main trading block at the time was the EU and America, so at the time there may have been an element of truth in that argument. Since then the rest of the world has took off and the EU trading block isnt as important as it was in the late 70's because of the emergence of other markets