[Jiggly]

A bunch of britfags on here will be voting soon to decide whether the UK will stay in the EU. This has been a hot debate recently and stats have suggested a relatively 50/50 split in opinion.

What is happening?
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union to be held on Thursday 23 June.

What is a referendum?
A referendum is basically a vote in which everyone (or nearly everyone) of voting age can take part, normally giving a "Yes" or "No" answer to a question. Whichever side gets more than half of all votes cast is considered to have won.

What is the European Union?
The European Union - often known as the EU - is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries (click here if you want to see the full list). It began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation, with the idea that countries which trade together are more likely to avoid going to war with each other. It has since grown to become a "single market" allowing goods and people to move around, basically as if the member states were one country. It has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries, its own parliament and it now sets rules in a wide range of areas - including on the environment, transport, consumer rights and even things like mobile phone charges.

See source for more info.

What would you pick and why?

[Master]

The UK will be taking a "big gamble" with its security if it votes to leave the European Union, defence secretary Michael Fallon has claimed.

It is through the EU that the UK exchange criminal records and passenger records and work together on counter-terrorism. We need the collective weight of the EU when dealing with Russian aggression or terrorism. We need to be part of these big partnerships. Leaving the EU would threaten jobs and put the UK's economy at risk, shown as the pound falls further against the dollar on Tuesday following its biggest one-day drop in almost six years on Monday driven by uncertainty over the UK's membership of the EU. I'm voting to remain.

[Panther_]

Out. There is no reason to remain. Any pro EU propergander is weak and general disprovable. Most people I've spoke to are strongly for out a few on the fence but they said they are leaning towards leave. From what I saw from the BBC, both Radio 1 and on BBC News the tactic was similar. They where talking about the EU, while splicing in video/audio from general public saying how they like the EU and want to stay some times personalizing the issue, or are not sure about it. No equal discussion on it from that side as far as I saw.

We are the second biggest contributor to the EU. We will be the lynch pin that causes it to fall.

[Oni]

Out. There is no reason to remain. Any pro EU propergander is weak and general disprovable. Most people I've spoke to are strongly for out a few on the fence but they said they are leaning towards leave. From what I saw from the BBC, both Radio 1 and on BBC News the tactic was similar. They where talking about the EU, while splicing in video/audio from general public saying how they like the EU and want to stay some times personalizing the issue, or are not sure about it. No equal discussion on it from that side as far as I saw.

We are the second biggest contributor to the EU. We will be the lynch pin that causes it to fall.

I guess my question about the EU is, should it fall?

[Panther_]

I guess my question about the EU is, should it fall?

Yes. It serves no purpose. All it does is move many governmental decisions out of the country to be decided by unelected officials that are paid in mass to do a job, that we already have a Parliament to do. It's pretty much just a scam. There are no down sides to leaving the EU. The only slight thing it may impede is free travel, but we do not NEED the EU to arrange that with other countries. That can also be applied to many other things that the EU "provides" us with. Things such as trade, which by the way if we stayed it is harder to trade with countries out of the EU thanks to laws imposed by the EU, will not be harder if we left. Not to mention, the member ship fees on top of that. And "we" can just be applied to any EU country pretty much.

I'm shit out of luck on voting though, I'm not 18 but I think my family agrees with my opinions so hopefully they will do the right thing.

*EDIT*Does any one know of any pro eu YouTubers, pod casts things along that line, that have some solid arguments I can hear. The BBC ones are piss weak?*EDIT"

[snoopy]

I'm on the fence at the moment, I've not really paid much attention to it at the moment. I do wonder how it will affect me and my family, once I get my arse in gear and look into it, I will be making a decision based on which would be better for my family.

[Jiggly]

I'm on the fence at the moment, I've not really paid much attention to it at the moment. I do wonder how it will affect me and my family, once I get my arse in gear and look into it, I will be making a decision based on which would be better for my family.

That's probably not a bad way of looking at it. I had an idea of which way I leaned initially but the more I learn, the more I want to be absolutely sure I know. There's so many factors coming to light such as David Cameron's new deal with the EU if we do stay and the fact that Boris Johnson wants to leave (which surprised me but when reading up, it made more sense). I feel like it's going to be very 50/50 in the same way the Scottish one was.

[dojax]

Things such as trade, which by the way if we stayed it is harder to trade with countries out of the EU thanks to laws imposed by the EU, will not be harder if we left.

You do realise if we leave the EU this binding policies and agreements will still be in place preventing us from trading, and going against forming new trade policies.

You can't just uproot centuries worth of legally binding policies.


Let all the lefties and fascists cry when we remain in the EU, whilst the tories continue to rebuild our economy

[Jiggly]

You do realise if we leave the EU this binding policies and agreements will still be in place preventing us from trading, and going against forming new trade policies.

You can't just uproot centuries worth of legally binding policies.


Let all the lefties and fascists cry when we remain in the EU, whilst the tories continue to rebuild our economy

Apparently, we are still able to trade with them... At a cost. There are rumours about potential increase in trade with China and other countries. Many of our farmers are shitting themselves too as their businesses are going to be hit very hard if we leave.

Our relationship as part of the EU began around 1945 so it's been a long history. Leaving is high risk and I would like to see some clearer arguments for leaving before I totally dismiss it. I feel like the media has had more clear cut explanations about the benefits of staying - although they've had 70 years worth of history to base those claims upon.

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I wonder whether people will be making decisions based on the welfare of the country or the fact us leaving will severely damage the EU. I would like to think it's more important to think about what the consequences of leaving or staying are within the UK.

On another note: Does anyone have any info on how changes to the UK, if we were to leave, would impact other countries? For example, would we have a closer relationship with the US?

[Loki123]

Apparently, we are still able to trade with them... At a cost. There are rumours about potential increase in trade with China and other countries. Many of our farmers are shitting themselves too as their businesses are going to be hit very hard if we leave.

Our relationship as part of the EU began around 1945 so it's been a long history. Leaving is high risk and I would like to see some clearer arguments for leaving before I totally dismiss it. I feel like the media has had more clear cut explanations about the benefits of staying - although they've had 70 years worth of history to base those claims upon.

---

I wonder whether people will be making decisions based on the welfare of the country or the fact us leaving will severely damage the EU. I would like to think it's more important to think about what the consequences of leaving or staying are within the UK.

On another note: Does anyone have any info on how changes to the UK, if we were to leave, would impact other countries? For example, would we have a closer relationship with the US?

It actually isn't that hard to see a logical reason to leave the EU.

Countries that are a part of the EU are required to pass any laws that the EU wants them to which means that the country itself doesn't control its own laws, it looses the right so set forth their own rules and laws on a lot of matters that are important and required to follow the EU decision on it. A good example is for how long ISP and internet traffic logs are stored, that is entirely laws that the UK has to follow and set because of the EU.

You see where I am going with this ?

This could in theory become a disaster but can be really good. But the view of the people in the country isn't taken into account with these laws. They just don't have a choice if they want to be in the EU.

Now there is a membership fee in the EU too but extra cost into negotiation for extradition of criminals and so on would increase if you leave.

There are other reasons to leave that I do not know. But in my honest opinion, I really dislike the fact that the EU can control so much of laws with in the countries that are a member of it.

There are a lot of things you need to consider. It isn't just black on white.