Couldn’t resist pulling this one to bits today…
Here’s the re-post
This is a re-post of the so-called “98 reasons to remain in the EU” I’ve put my own answers and arguments to each and every bullet point in asterixes…
smallbusinessprices.co.uk/remain-eu/
Membership of the world’s largest trading bloc with over 500 million consumers, representing 23% of global GDP
That’s fine and dandy, if you are already a millionaire, and wish to stay one
The UK has greater global influence as a member of the EU
We cannot vote on actual legislation, so our “influence” is an illusion.
The EU provides a counterweight to the global power of the US, Russia and China
The US, Russia, and China - are not our Enemies. The EU is getting rather close to becoming one though!
With Trump in the White House the UK’s strongest natural allies are France, Germany and our other West European neighbours
With Trump in the White House - the whole world has just had a strong dose of Common Sense, and perhaps “Brutal Honesty” Trump is not our President, nor is he our Enemy.
Tariff-free trade within the EU
*Tariff-free trade, which we happen to lose money on - is like “Free Entry to a Betting Shop or Casino”. *
The abolition of non-tariff barriers (quotas, subsidies, administrative rules etc.) among members
*The public should be protected from throwing it’s money away - not encouraged to do so to enrich someone in a far away land. *
Participation in free trade agreements with Japan and Canada as an EU member
We can cut a better deal with Japan and Canada - once out of the EU with it’s over-regulation on Business.
The EU accounts for 44% of all UK exports of goods and services
Those exports - are World-Compatible. If the EU doesn’t want to buy our Exports - there is the rest of the world which we have access to from “being an Island”.
The EU accounts for 53% of all UK imports of goods and services
*We pay higher prices on EU imports out of convenience, when we could go further afield - and get the same goods on the most part - cheaper. *
Cheaper food and alcohol imports from continental Europe
When was the last time you purchased significantly cheaper food and alcohol on the continent - and were not prevented from bringing it home?
As a member of the EU the UK maintains a say in the shaping of the rules governing its trade with its European partners
I have not been asked once in my life "Would I like to vote on some legislation in the EU, or who gets to become the next commissioner. Even MEPs have no say, so we elect expensive and ineffective bureaucrats - but nothing more.
3.1 million jobs in the UK are directly linked to exports to the EU
3.1 million jobs - mine included - can now work for a different firm with greater international reach.
Free movement of labour has helped UK firms plug skills gaps (translators, doctors, plumbers)
Those European tradespeople already here - won’t be going home after Brexit. We’re not kicking them out!
Free movement of labour has helped address shortages of unskilled workers (fruit picking, catering)
Those European workers - have taken jobs that our own homegrown workshy don’t want. Tax Credits - ensure that they, too - will NOT be going home after Brexit
The Single Market has brought the best continental footballers to the Premier League
Our National Football team - hardly has any Britons left in it - and STILL we cannot win the world cup!
The EU accounts for 47% of the UK’s stock of inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), worth over $1.2 trillion
That makes it cheaper for foreigners to own our profitable businesses, and thus export profits that could have been to the good of Britons at home.
Access to the EU Single Market has helped attract investment into the UK from outside the EU
The drop in the pound has attracted more investment still!
No paperwork or customs for UK exports throughout the single market
No paperwork to smuggle either.
Price transparency and removal of commissions on currency transactions across the Eurozone
I have not been on a European continent Holiday since the introduction of the Euro as cash. The Euro’s high exchange rate has made the cost of living whilst on a European holiday so expensive, that it no longer economically viable to go on such a holiday any longer. The last time I did - was 1999, where I visited a dozen EU countries in that same year.
FDI into the UK has effectively doubled since the creation of the EU Single Market
The drop in the pound - continues to encourage an increasing FDI
The UK’s net contribution to the EU budget is around €7.3bn, or 0.4% of GDP (less than an eighth of the UK’s defence spending)
The EU doesn’t employ hardly anyone directly in Britain. The UK Defence industry - employs people all over the world in Well-Paid jobs such as Aerospace, Engineering, and Transport. The drivers of Food Delivery Trucks - are now more likely than ever before to be Ex-Military personnel.
No time consuming border checks for travellers (apart from in the UK)
It wasn’t that bad before 2000, and “going through customs with too many duty-frees” was part of the adventure!
The City of London, as a global financial hub, has acted as a bridge between foreign business and the EU
… And it still does, and will into the future.
British banks and insurance companies have been able to operate freely across the EU
Insuring Euro-wide higher insurance risks - has pushed up premiums back in Britain.
Cornwall receives up to £750 million per year from the EU Social Fund (ESF)
Ask the general popualation of Kernow - and they’ll argue “We don’t see that money spent on US” Cornwall voted very strongly to LEAVE - and I’ve just given the reason WHY there.*
Structural funding for areas of the UK hit by industrial decline (South Wales, Yorkshire)
All such spending has done in the past - is kept Pro EU parties in power in local government.
Support for rural areas under the European Agricultural Fund for Regional Development (EAFRD)
We should be able to decide for ourselves “what crops to cultivate”. Man does not live by Rapeseed and Lavender alone!
EU funding for infrastructure projects in the UK including £122 million for the “Midlands engine” project
The Midlands Engine Project may well prove to be the UK’s trojan horse in the EU!
Financial support from the EU for over 3,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK
Anyone’s business that you know though?
EU funding for the British film industry
Jobs for the Remainer-voting Young - IF you’re talented enough
EU funding for British theatre, music and dance
Jobs for the Remainer-voting Young - IF you’re Good enough
EU funding for British sport, including football apprenticeships, tennis and rugby league
Jobs for the Remainer-voting Young - IF you’re lucky enough
Glasgow (1990) and Liverpool (2008) benefitted from being European capitals of culture, stimulating their local economies
Unemployment is still high in these places, as is the benefits bill.
EU competition laws protect consumers by combatting monopolistic business practices
We’ll be keeping such laws Post-Brexit.
Strict controls on the operations of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in the EU
That’s not what it looks like with Amazon, Google, and Big Pharma
Human Rights protected under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
The rights we’d like to keep - were ours from Magna Carta transplanted into the EU in the FIRST place. Such rights are not going anywhere.
The death penalty can never be reintroduced as it is incompatible with EU membership.
This country would like a referendum on “Bringing back the Death Penalty for Mass Murderers, Child Killers, and those who kill our Police/Military Personnel.” The EU and our EU-loving Parliament - would never let us have such a referendum though!
Minority languages such as Welsh and Irish are recognized and protected under EU law
Minority Languages are already protected - by people still speaking them
The right to reside in any EU member state
I cannot afford to live in any other EU member state. I’m not allowed to migrate about the EU, unless I can do it without claiming benefits there. The jobs available are not well-paid enough to warrant such a migration on my part.
The freedom to work in 28 countries without visa and immigration restrictions
I cannot afford the cost of living in any country that has employment for me
The mutual recognition of professional qualifications has facilitated the free movement of engineers, teachers and doctors across the EU
Standards are Slipping
The mutual recognition of educational diplomas
British qualifications - have been eroded over the past 20 years in particular
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has standardized assessment of language proficiency across the EU
…But does not enforce any right for the UK to turn immigrants away if their standard of English - our home language - is too low to get a job
The freedom to study in 28 countries (many EU universities teach courses in English and charge lower fees than in the UK)
IF you can afford the higher cost of living in such European Universities.
The Erasmus programme of university exchanges (benefitting 16000 UK students a year)
Not accessible to those on “trades apprentiships”
The freedom to set up a business in 28 countries
If you can afford the higher overheads
The ability to retire in any member state
If your pension makes ends meet with the too-high Euro exchange rate
Pension transferability
If you can do this without risking it being stolen away by criminals or changes in EU laws
The right to vote in local and European Parliamentary elections if resident in any member state
But not the right to vote on legislation, nor for the EU commissioners
EU laws making it easier for British people to buy property on the continent
If you can afford the over-inflated Euro-denomiated prices
The right to receive emergency healthcare in any member state (EHIC card)
Most hospital operations - are not of an “Emergency” nature. A&E only protects one therefore from “Accidents” rather than medical ailments in general - “for free”
Consular protection from any EU embassy outside the EU
Does anyone ever get to use this?
The EU has played a leading role in combatting global warming (Paris 2015 climate change conference)
Global Warming requires Sea Defences being built, and an industrial base to continue operating to ‘build further’ rather than pretending we can stop the sea rising by closing down smokey industry.
Common EU greenhouse gas emissions targets (19% reduction from 1990 to 2015)
More CO2 - increases green growth elsewhere on Earth. Cutting CO2 artificially - doesn’t do any good then.
Improvements in air quality (significant reductions in sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) as a result of EU legislation
Look what that is doing to the Car Industry, that still has to burn fossil fuels!
Reductions in sewage emissions
More stink in a neighborhood near YOU from the proliferating Sewage Works!
Improvements in the quality of beaches and bathing water
Needs more workshy people “on the beat” to provide that cleaning service.
EU standards on the quality of drinking water
Not easy to sue, or even find someone to blame - should one become ill from drinking tap water
Restrictions on landfill dumping
Sensible, and we would have done it ourselves by now in any case
EU targets for recycling
Not sensible, as it encourages “Moral Hazard” such as “arson of waste dumps” which is cheaper than exporting it.
Common EU regulations on the transportation and disposal of toxic waste
Not sensible, as it encourages “Moral Hazard” such as “illegal dumping” which is cheaper than exporting it.
The implementation of EU policies to reduce noise pollution in urban areas
Makes it harder to build industry, and supply better-paid employment for the local population.
EU policies have stimulated offshore wind farms
Which we used to build ourselves, but now we have to pay an inflated Euro price to import from Continental EU manufacturers
Strict safety standards for cars, buses and trucks
Legislation we would have done anyway
Protection of endangered species and habitats (EU Natura 2000 network)
Legislation we would have done anyway
Strict ban on animal testing in the cosmetics industry
Do we still HAVE a cosmetics industry?
Membership of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) which monitors the quality and safety of medicines (until recently located in London)
There’s not much point re-locating the British version of this authority - overseas!
13% of EU budget earmarked for scientific research and innovation
Can be increased sharply, as our rebate will effectively be 100% in future.
The UK receives £730 million a year in EU funding for research
Can be increased sharply, as our rebate will effectively be 100% in the future, post-brexit.
EU funding for UK universities
The UK can fund its own projects post-Brexit, once again from the unspent former EU contributions.
Cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a member of Euratom
The EU have not paid for us to build our own nuclear power plant here.
Minimum paid annual leave and time off work (Working Time Directive)
This restricts the amount of overtime I can do, and reduces my pay, plus gets me into trouble over daft things like “Not taking a break by six hours into my shift”
Equal pay between men and women enshrined in European law since 1957
Equal Pay discourages employers from accepting female applicants for work that requires physical hard labour
The right to work no more than 48 hours a week without paid overtime
Overtime payments - are easy for employers to circumvent. “Not counting breaks, POA nor commute time” for example. Salaried workers find it even harder still to get “paid overtime” - such as employment in the Emergency Services.
Minimum guaranteed maternity leave of 14 weeks for pregnant women
Good, if you don’t mind someone else getting your job - but not so good if you are a career girl keen to get back to your high-flying career after giving birth.
Rights to a minimum 18 weeks of parental leave after child birth
But paid so low, or not paid at all - that only the Wealthy can afford to take this!
EU anti-discrimination laws governing age, religion and ■■■■■■ orientation
An employer should be allowed to refuse a Muslim a job in a Bacon packing plant, deny a Foreign person a front-line job where perfect English is required, - but “age” is routinely still used to disallow applicants in many lines of employment, including joining the Police Force.
EU rules governing health and safety at work
Common-sense on the most part, and we’ll be keeping such legislation on our statute books
The rights to collective bargaining and trade union membership are enshrined in EU employment law
It has never been harder to start a new Union at a new and large Business
The UK enjoys an opt out from the single currency and maintains full control of its borders as a non-member of the Schengen area
*We lose our opt-out once the Lisbon treaty is implemented in full 2020. *
Since 1985 the UK has received a budget rebate equivalent to 66% of its net contribution to the EU budget
This 66% is not correctly adjusted for inflation. The true figure is a much lower percentage. Measuring from 1985 instead of say, “The last parliament” - obscures the truth here.
EU cross-country coordination offers greater protection from terrorists, pedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime
I’ve yet to see any such “Protection” work in law!, such as Paedo Politicians and Business leaders being locked up, or foreign criminals actually deported/imprisoned in large numbers.
The European common arrest warrant
…Gets routinely abused to persecute “Free Speakers”, and isn’t used to chase Wealthy Fugitives. This country also succeeded in keeping the President of the United States OUT of the country, whilst allowing hoards of actual Criminals IN during the same period of time.
Europe-wide patent and copyright protection
The Internet has already rendered “Copyright” Obsolete, which the EU has yet to understand nor accept as yet. I have no desire to see an EU law lock me up for “cutting and pasting” say, Getty Images online and making Memes out of them.
EU consumer protection laws concerning transparency and product guarantees of quality and safety
A UK-based version of this - will continue after Brexit
Improved food labeling
…But not improved food Prices, or reduced food packaging ‘pollution’
A ban on growth hormones and other harmful food additives
Keeps food prices higher.
Cheaper air travel due to EU competition laws
Not cheap enough in my mind to make it worth the while running the gauntlet of Airport checks, which have nothing to do with Brexit
Common EU air passenger rights
Except the right to be paid instant compensation when the Airline gets it wrong big-time!
Deregulation of the European energy market has increased consumer choice and lowered prices
A total lie. Energy prices for Gas and Electricity - have never been dearer at the retail end, despite being “well off the top” at the Wholesale end. Only the price of Oil coming down over the past parliament - brings the "average"of the entire energy pricing complex down with it. A misleading figure designed to obscure the truth. The REST of the mis-conception - is that every customer has automatic access to the cheapest tariff - when it clearly does NOT.
Mutual recognition of the common European driving license
I’m a professional driver, and have driven for more than 30 years. In that time, I’ve driven less than 100 hours on the European mainland. It would be nice if we could NOT recognise a member state’s inferior driving licence standards here in Britain, especially for the purpose of obtaining employment as a Professional Driver.
The introduction of the European pet passport
Does the mainstream public know of anyone to use this?
The abolition of mobile telephone roaming charges
It is cheaper to go to a country, buy a cheap burner phone - and ditch it when you come home
The EU acts as a guarantor of the Irish Good Friday Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement collapsing - hurts the IRA rather than the Loyalist cause. I can live with the GFA standing or falling on it’s own merits or lack thereof
A frictionless Irish border
NO one is going to build a wall between the two Irelands.
The EU acts as a guarantor of the special status of Gibraltar
The Spanish will NEVER be allowed to Annex Gibraltar. Galtieri of Argentina had more chance with the Falklands - and completely mis-estimated Britain’s resolve to keep it’s crown colonies and dominions.
The EU helped support and maintain democracy in Spain, Portugal and Greece from the 1970s and these countries have become major destinations for British tourists
Not for me since the rolling out of the Euro. The Mediterreanean zone - isn’t a competetive place to take a holiday any more, nor for some time since.
EU membership has helped facilitate intercultural dialogue
If that were true, we would have shaken hands on Brexit, and had it “done” by the Autumn of 2016.