I think with Europe's history, we can all agree that a united Europe under democracy with a common market is a very good thing. The problem with the EU is that it is no longer democratic. It's incapable of reform and bringing extreme depression era, if not pre-revolutionary levels of unemployment, reinforced with uncompetitiveness that relegates many member states to remain in depression for all eternity - there is simply no way out. Meanwhile, Germany prospers and has such power that it unilaterally declared Europe open to all and sundry last year with all the social chaos, expense and security risks we all now face. Thanks a bunch! Merkel's grovelling to Erdogen hasn't gone down too well in these here parts either.

Ultimately, Thatcher has been proven right, the single currency and the present EU will fail. Hence all the moves to creat a federal superstate, which will also fail, as the needs and realities between members are too disparate.

I work in a globalized business and prosper from this and many of my colleagues are aghast at the prospect of a return to national borders and soveriegnty and the implications to just-in-time delivery, import duties and waiting at the borders for several hours. I also see first hand that not being in the EU does not hinder Indian nationals coming into mainland Europe to work in the oil & gas and engineering sectors, so I don't necessarily agree that talent will not be able to work abroad with a Brexit.

My gripe with the current EU is that it poses a danger to my future and certainly my daughters liberties and cannot and will not guarantee our security. In which case, I am all for a return to the consensus of national states and borders.

If Britain stays in, or exits it will all work in Boris's favour. The flashpoints for crisis are well developed and Boris will be able to say, 'I told you so!' when then proverbial starts hitting the fan as it already is in several countries.

Ultimately, the dominoes will fall one by one, if Britain is not the first to go, then others will act as pointmen. Do you really think the Italians will allow their country to turn into another Greece?

I've said before, Europe dominated by Germany never ends well and this is no exception. I don't expect another second world war, but I do expect chaos and disorder in the break-up of Europe, also too failed states much to close for home for comfort.

And the truth is, despite all the flowery, touchy, feely, all soft and gooey humanitarian BS: Europe does not have the capacity to absorb all the world's poor, destitute and those fleeing war, nor can we offer them a first world lifestyle that isn't paid for, as much as we would like to. And this harsh reality will also play it's part in the breakup of Europe as one by one the generous welfare states start to collapse. I mean what planet are the likes of Angelina Jolie lecturing us on our humanitarian response, when we cannot even give employment and a future to our own kith and kin?

Inherently, it is anti-democratic and the seeds of something quite repressive lurks in its centralized power structure.

As Mandelson said, we live in a post-democratic world......for now.

My fear is that if we do leave the EU perhaps the everyday citizens won't notice anything until it's too late - i.e. not from day one.

Money is flexible, so exchange rates would take the first hit. Prices won't seem to change much at first for local items, then after a while prices will start to increase across the board as older stocks get used up and everyone scrambles to stay in business. This will be when the resentment from everyone kicks in, which could do a lot of harm.

The money that's currently going to the EU may end up being spent trying to fix the new problems as they arise, and this might or might not be enough - but those new problems will exist. There would be more extremism as people search for someone to blame.

Seeing as how this year none of the potential US presidential candidates seem peace inclined, and how Russia isn't likely to just play nice with everyone else either, plus there's an actual war over oil and ideology going on with high stakes, and radical people willing to increase those stakes. Isn't it more important now for the EU to stick together even if the terms may be unfair?

The latest pronouncements from the 'in crowd' have referred to a fall in house prices - Osborne says they will drop by 'as much 18%' - how does he know this? He doesn't of course its just a figure plucked from the air, he couldn't even predict last autumns fall in tax receipts that left the Treasury financially embarassed. Talk of property prices falling is a cycnical tactic designed to target the British house owning psyche and strangely Lagarde, Osborne and Carney have all come out with it in the last few days. Equally transparent are the procession of big business leaders and celebs being wheeled out to endorse the Remain campaign, hopefully by now ordinary people are thinking yes its alright if you're loaded but whats in it for me? In the end I think the female vote will swing it, call me a sexist, but I suspect a lot of them will decide on the basis of gut feelings over issues like whether someone has told them it will cost more to go on holiday.

The French do not have long working hours.

Quite the opposite.

The French have also been known to kidnap their employer during negotiations or literally rip the shirt off the back of fleeing management.

French still have decent staff restaurants and wine at lunch when British counterparts were penny pinching, handing restaurants over to the likes of Compass and removing bars from workplaces. I remember having a very nice lunch in Paris and enjoying the discomfort of our HR director as the wine was opened.

Last edited by Kingston1an (2016-05-22 04:30:20)

Invade the world. Invite the world.

Elites and bought politicians on the make do not give a flying what's it about anybody - apart from themselves.

What's frustrating about the EU is the fact that for a huge organisation that costs billions of pounds every year to run, cannot - perhaps dare not - have its books of account looked into, which to me is very damning. It is one of those things that politicians know is there, know it is glaringly obvious to anyone who looks, but still hope we won't notice what it means. It means that the EU is fundamentally dishonest with its use of money and resources; that huge sums can vanish and nobody is held responsible. This EU is far more dishonest than most big multi-national companies, which at least give some account of their annual returns.

This is not the sort of organisation we thought we were joining way back; we thought we were joining some kind of multi-national trading club, where one country's surpluses could be sold cheaply to other member countries, and all would benefit.

The original vision of the Economic Community, and today's reality, are two very very different things.