It's worth bearing in mind that the EU has agreed to speed-up the negotiations with Turkey so that its accession will take place sooner rather than later. Turkey has a population of about 75 million which means it will be the second most populous member after Germany and would (theoretically) have around 85-90 MEPs. As the Lisbon Treaty restricts the size of the European Parliament to 750 MEPs (plus its President), there will have to be a downsizing of each country's delegation in order to accommodate Turkey. Due to the perverse manner of granting the smaller countries greater representation, this downsizing will affect Germany, the UK and France far more than other nations. This means that the two of those three major net contributors will have even less say over how their money is spent. Indeed once Bosnia, Macedonia and the three other countries waiting to join are members, Britain's voice will reduced to around 45-50 MEPs and one Commissioner (we did have two).
No chance of either of those ever happening, I fear. The EU is fast becoming the capitalist's wet dream - pro-big business and anti-working class, centralised planning and centralised control. It will be a federalist model that's closer to the old Soviet Union rather than the United States. Everything will be decided by the elite in Brussels, tax rates will be set by them and the tax collected by them but the elite will continue to enjoy their 'peppercorn' tax rate. National Parliaments will be powerless and redundant. Your freedom of choice will become increasingly restricted to a standardised range of goods approved by the ruler. With qualified majority voting, there is no safety in numbers unless you always vote with the majority. And qualified majority voting all-but removes Britain's ability to influence policy. It won't be you or I who will bear the consequences, it may not even be our children. But it will almost certainly affect our grandchildren.
It wont, it will have a negative affect. It will open the flood-gates to Turkey and all the migrants, ISIS and all. Better to vote out IMO.
What a joke: Voters in the EU referendum 'told to vote for Remain in postal vote guide', prompting protests from Brexiteers http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...erendum-told-to-vote-for-remain-in-postal-vo/
The unelected EU Commission, led by the equally unelected Jean-Claude Juncker, has just awarded itself some extraordinary powers - powers that seriously erode voter democracy throughout Europe. Juncker and the Commission have decided that all populist right-wing parties across Europe will be barred from all decision-making in the EU. This means that if the people of any European country elect a right-wing populist government, that country will face sanctions and possibly lose all of its voting rights. It also means that right-wing MEPs, including those belonging to Ukip, would be unable to take their seats in the European Parliament or take part in any of its votes. Poland has been warned that it may now face sanctions and be stripped of its decision-making powers. Why? Because the Poles recently had the temerity to elect a government that the EU considers to be repellent. Juncker also apparently warned the Austrians not to elect a right-wing government or they would be barred from decision-making. France too is lurching to the right with Marine Le Pen, of the far right National Front, hotly tipped to succeed Hollande as the country's next President. And since Cameron is to be replaced as Tory leader and Prime Minister ahead of the next General Election and might well be succeeded by Boris Johnson or Michael Gove (and I favour the latter), Britain could also face the same threat. And before our Corbynista triumphantly predicts the end of the Tory Party and heralds a Corbyn-led utopia, I should point out that populist left-wing governments are equally unwelcome. Remember what happened when the Greeks voted Syriza into office on an anti-austerity ticket? They were bullied into giving up all the policies upon which they were elected. The EU wants countries to be socially liberal and financially conservative. Nothing else will do.
What about all the myths spouted by the Remain camp?! I am surprised that anyone should believe anything stated by George Osborne, a history graduate whose numeracy skills must surely be called into question following his budgetary blunders and enforced U-turns. To expose and counter some of those myths, Ashoka Mody - who is a Visiting Professor of International Economic Policy at Princeton University, has written a highly readable article in the Independent. Mr Mody was, incidentally, a former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund's European and Research Departments, a man who has probably forgotten more about the EU and economics than Osborne will ever know. Here's an excerpt: Another myth touted by the Remainers is that Brexit means that British citizens who are currently resident in other EU countries - Spain or Portugal, for example - would no longer be entitled to live there have to return to the UK. And vice-versa for EU nationals currently in the UK. WRONG!!! According to MigrationWatch's Andrew Green, their rights would be preserved and are in any case guaranteed by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969 which most EU member states have ratified.
The EU Commission is getting out of hand with their powers Why don't more people in the UK wake up and smell the coffee?
This referendum is stressing me a little, I feel so strongly that we should leave, even made sure today that I would be at home to vote on the 23rd June
My bold above..... The EU faceless wonders who make decisions in secret are stressing me a lot, Timmers
Phone and online survey shows a 52-48 split in favour of leaving the EU as referendum campaign gathers steam. http://www.theguardian.com/politics...-leaning-towards-brexit-guardian-poll-reveals
Unless there is a clear majority of at least 20-25% then the losing side will feel morally-justified in demanding a second referendum.
I don't watch TV much but I hope that the debates and programmes that will be on prior to the 23rd will allow Brexiters to address the government's obvious bias. Asking Obama to add his view for example. I hope the Brexiters will start opening many cans of worms to sway more people to vote for an Exit from the EU.
