MoneySaving Poll: Should the UK stay in the EU?

Former_MSE_Sam_M

Poll started 12 October 2015

Should the UK stay in the EU?

Should we stay or should we go? The campaigns for both sides of the EU debate have now launched with the referendum due by the end of 2017. The wording of the referendum question is unlikely to change. So we want to test your current view based on that exact wording.

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

Click here to vote in the poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click here.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Thanks!


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jmarko

On a point of pedantry (yes, it's always me!), there are those of us who don't live in Scotland, Wales, England or Norn Irn who are still eligible to vote as expats. There are around a couple of million of us abroad. And we're probably quite torn, weighing up issues such as 'will I get deported if they leave' or 'can't they just leave the rest of us alone and leave if they don't like Europe' (other concerns are available).

Chickenbrain2009

People lived abroad years before the EU came about! Holidays abroad became popular in Spain years before we entered the EU! The idea that people are going to be thrown out of a country just because we leave the EU is ridiculous! It's the kind of intimidation which is being spouted if anyone even dares suggest we could live without all this nonsense. You just enter into reciprocal arrangements. I was in Iceland earlier this year, they have a reciprocal arrangement with health care, if I get ill there I get treated as though it was the EU and vice versa. You just come to common sense agreements. We must get out, the EU is collapsing in on itself and will drag us down with it. It was a good idea which has turned into a nightmare. Essentially undemocratic it is now more about corporate interests and vanity then ordinary peoples needs. The people are dis-empowered by it. Younger people have never known anything else, they lack confidence in our ability to manage our own country! The EU is a Trojan Horse.

jmarko

Of course people lived abroad before the EU came about. However, as you'll know if you put your prejudices aside for a second, those who live in EU countries who are not themselves from other EU countries face extra hurdles to entry, movement, establishment, working, access to healthcare and a raft of other things.
Your ability to use Icelandic healthcare comes about from its membership of the EEA and NOT as a result of an independently agreed reciprocal. All EEA members are part of the EHIC scheme.

Archi_Bald

For those interested in some facts regarding the many myths spread by the Out campaigners: http://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/category/mythbusters/

Anyone interested or involved in science and research might also find the "Scientists for EU" website of interest: http://scientistsforeu.uk/

Finally, The Economist was running an article this week
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21674698-there-growing-risk-britain-will-leave-european-union-it-needs-be-countered?fsrc=scn%2Ftw%2Fte%2Fpe%2Fed%2Fthereluctanteuropean that pretty comprehensibly dismantled the economic arguments for Brexit.

The debate will remain heated but hopefully people can find it in themselves to base their positions on verifiable facts rather than on party-political agendas and emotion.

patanne

My opinion has still not found cause to change. If we had never gone in then so much the better - but we did and that changed things and so we now need to stay in.

No I am not surprised by the results but I am worried about them and wonder if people are looking beyond the immigrant crisis, which is now a major worry, to see what could be in our future once that crisis is resolved.

asdr14

This is an interesting vote and has a good number of people for a sample. Any chance the powers that be could add a running total for yes and no at the bottom of each section and a complete total then at the bottom? Thanks!!

Tropez

Well if we leave the EU then I'm out of a job, so pretty keen to stay in. Looking for a new job is just a faff.

I also quite like the EU in general. Much more than I like the UK on its own.

ArtyH

As a 60 year old male who has never been out of work and had 20+ years as an electrician in the mines and then 20+ years as a police officer I think I could say my life experience is quite varied. Never in my lifetime have I been so concerned about the future of our country and the young people who live and work in it. I have seen Labour and Tory governments squander the North Sea Oil revenue to ( IMHO ) garner votes for elections ( Norway saved their bounty and each citizen, one paper is a millionaire so they say ). Also all our main industries ( Electricity, Water, Gas and others ) are either owned by foreign countries who can turn the screw and hold our country to ransom. In effect our previous governments have sold our silver ( or GOLD, by Gordon Brown under Labour ). The worst thing IMHO is that "our" country is not OURS any more, as a country we are the puppets of the E.U who we did not vote for, nor did anyone else for that matter, they just evolved and took over. It is disgraceful that we get news broadcasts from the media which are subsidised by the E.U to spin how wonderful the E.U is, its Emperors new clothes, the union is destroying Britain IMHO. It is embarrassing watching Cameron dancing to the tune of Merkel and co, to me he appears as a naughty schoolboy after being disciplined by the headmistress. So if you have read this far you will know I vote to withdraw from the E.U. Do not confuse this with not wanting to trade with Europe which is 18% of our GDP and essential to the prosperity of our country. I think this is a point which often gets muddled, we want to trade within Europe but without the strings attached whilst in the E.U, it is possible to do this and practical, but new trade agreements would have to be made, this would not affect any company or any revenues or cost any jobs.
This is just my humble opinion based on my life experience in my area The North East, I am appalled at the devastation in the jobs area in my country, and seeing more young guys at checkout in Lidl and Aldi on zero hours contracts breaks my heart.

happyinflorida

I definitely want out of the EU.

For starters our prices will go down 20% with the removal of VAT - something I have always been very angry about and very against.

For people worried about losing trade with the EU - don't worry - both Norway and Switzerland are not members of the EU and they both trade with EU extensively.

The main reason our government wants to stay in is because of the many fat cats in the UK who own lots of land and are getting enormous subsidies from the EU to do absolutely nothing with it! One example is Iain Duncan-Smith - he lives rent free in his wife's family mansion - they own a lot of land but do nothing with it and are receiving £millions in subsidies from the EU. These are the people who will lose out by leaving the EU and enjoy their £millions which we are paying for.

Help stop this by voting no when, if ever, we get the chance to do so.

Oldbiggles

ArtyH wrote: »

As a 60 year old male who has never been out of work and had 20+ years as an electrician in the mines and then 20+ years as a police officer I think I could say my life experience is quite varied. Never in my lifetime have I been so concerned about the future of our country and the young people who live and work in it. etc.

Well said!
I couldn't agree more with your whole post.
The problem with David Cameron's attempt to renegotiate UK terms is that he not only has to contend with Merkel, he also has to jump to the tune of Obama who wants the UK to stay in the EU purely as a benefit to the USA.