The European Union

[TopSix]

In what ways does the EU affect you? In a positive or negative way? Does it impact on you directly?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

[Charles Bannerman]

In what ways does the EU affect you? In a positive or negative way? Does it impact on you directly?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

An extra and unnecessary layer of overpaid politicians and apparatchiks .... wads and wads of useless bureaucracy and red tape.... massive subsidies for French farmers..... getting told what to do by a bunch of foreigners....

I remember, as a kid, when de Gaulle said "non" to the UK's initial application to join the Common Market in 1963, various Highland Division veterans of my dad's acquaintance who had waded ashore in Normandy soon after D Day were very quick to use the word "ungrateful". I sympathised with their point but now realise that de Gaulle was probably doing us a favour. Mind you if the girny old git had realised that he would probably have said "oui" instead.

[PullMyFinger]

In what ways does the EU affect you? In a positive or negative way? Does it impact on you directly?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

An extra and unnecessary layer of overpaid politicians and apparatchiks .... wads and wads of useless bureaucracy and red tape.... massive subsidies for French farmers..... getting told what to do by a bunch of foreigners....

I remember, as a kid, when de Gaulle said "non" to the UK's initial application to join the Common Market in 1963, various Highland Division veterans of my dad's acquaintance who had waded ashore in Normandy soon after D Day were very quick to use the word "ungrateful". I sympathised with their point but now realise that de Gaulle was probably doing us a favour. Mind you if the girny old git had realised that he would probably have said "oui" instead.

It has opened up trading within Europe and many Scottish companies have grown with this increase in trade.

It has allowed wonderful low cost airlines (Ryanair being a shining example) to grow and expand affording the proletariate the freedom to explore our wonderful new United States of Europe.

It is now easier to move between member states, my brother now lives and works overseas in a member state where the standard of living is comparable and standards of public service far superior with less taxation.

It has shown me what a rip off our "social security" state is to those who work for a living.

Stick your Act of Union up yer erse, give me an independant Scotland within the EU any day. This is not an anti-English thing but a wish for self-determination for our region within a larger European state.

[Johnboy]

During the run up to the Iraq war, I had high hopes that the EU would present a united and meaningful challenge to the US plans for the devastation that they were planning to inflict on Iraq.

Unfortunately Tony Blair b*ggered all that up, and is now becoming obscenely wealthy with his involvement in the US/UK oil deals currently taking place in Iraq. It beggars belief that he was actually considering putting himself forward as an EU presidential canditate not so long ago.

[Alex MacLeod]

What gets me about the EU is that what we have now is not what the people voted for. The pro -europe people voted for a union that afforded all members a free market. We did not vote for a bunch of asses in Brussels making legislation on how we should live our lives.

We did not vote for a union that would dictate the numbers of UK fishing boats that can fish the North Sea so as to increase the number of Spanish and French boats in our region.

But on saying all that. Had we still been an independent UK we would not have the level of employment legislation and HSE legislation we have now.

There is good and there is bad in this union.

[Stevie]

In what ways does the EU affect you? In a positive or negative way? Does it impact on you directly?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

An extra and unnecessary layer of overpaid politicians and apparatchiks .... wads and wads of useless bureaucracy and red tape.... massive subsidies for French farmers..... getting told what to do by a bunch of foreigners....

I remember, as a kid, when de Gaulle said "non" to the UK's initial application to join the Common Market in 1963, various Highland Division veterans of my dad's acquaintance who had waded ashore in Normandy soon after D Day were very quick to use the word "ungrateful". I sympathised with their point but now realise that de Gaulle was probably doing us a favour. Mind you if the girny old git had realised that he would probably have said "oui" instead.

I'm impressed with your knowledge of the French language Charles ! B)

[Charles Bannerman]

I'm impressed with your knowledge of the French language Charles !

Merci beaucoup, tu es trop aimable!

[Sorted]

In what ways does the EU affect you? In a positive or negative way? Does it impact on you directly?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

An extra and unnecessary layer of overpaid politicians and apparatchiks .... wads and wads of useless bureaucracy and red tape.... massive subsidies for French farmers..... getting told what to do by a bunch of foreigners....

I remember, as a kid, when de Gaulle said "non" to the UK's initial application to join the Common Market in 1963, various Highland Division veterans of my dad's acquaintance who had waded ashore in Normandy soon after D Day were very quick to use the word "ungrateful". I sympathised with their point but now realise that de Gaulle was probably doing us a favour. Mind you if the girny old git had realised that he would probably have said "oui" instead.

It has opened up trading within Europe and many Scottish companies have grown with this increase in trade.

It has allowed wonderful low cost airlines (Ryanair being a shining example) to grow and expand affording the proletariate the freedom to explore our wonderful new United States of Europe.

It is now easier to move between member states, my brother now lives and works overseas in a member state where the standard of living is comparable and standards of public service far superior with less taxation.

It has shown me what a rip off our "social security" state is to those who work for a living.

Stick your Act of Union up yer erse, give me an independant Scotland within the EU any day. This is not an anti-English thing but a wish for self-determination for our region within a larger European state.

With you 100%.

Imagine how much better off we would be if we had joined the Euro at 1.65 when we had the chance? Sadly the politicians that are supposed to represent us didn't. They let the "Save the ?" lobby convince the rest of the country we really are too thick to cope with change.

How did we cope with decimalisation?

How did the Poles manage to cope with old Zloty, then new Zloty and now here comes the Euro?

Are we really the backward nation we pretend to be?

Surprised at one so intelligent as Mr Bannerman nonetheless. Never had him down as a UKIP kind of guy.

Highlander, Scottish and European. That's me.

[PullMyFinger]

History suggests that large heterogeneous political blocks always break down eventually. I doubt the European Union will be any different.

Could you please identify which heterogeneous political block which history suggested and if they were democratically elected?

[SMEE]

It would be a good thing....IF it wasnt costing the UK ?40M each and every day.I dont see the point of including countries like Poland, Bulgaria and Romania who bring NOTHING to the table.

[PullMyFinger]

It would be a good thing....IF it wasnt costing the UK ?40M each and every day.I dont see the point of including countries like Poland, Bulgaria and Romania who bring NOTHING to the table.

How much do UK businesses make from the EU every day?

The former communist countries are developing and are going to play a major part in the future of this region of the world, to exclude them now would be a big mistake.

[Sorted]

It would be a good thing....IF it wasnt costing the UK ?40M each and every day.I dont see the point of including countries like Poland, Bulgaria and Romania who bring NOTHING to the table.

At this present time, due in some respect to our antiquated benefits system, much of our economy is being supported by Eastern Europeans. This generates profit (unless of course they work in a bank :004: ) which gives the country tax income and so it goes on.

Without there contribution we would be, to quote IHE, fecked.

[Yngwie]

How much do UK businesses make from the EU every day?

Not much.

They do however make money from trading with companies in other EU states, which would still be the case if the EU were abolished or if we withdrew from it.

[PullMyFinger]

How much do UK businesses make from the EU every day?

Not much.

They do however make money from trading with companies in other EU states, which would still be the case if the EU were abolished or if we withdrew from it.

You'll find that trading in the market within the EU is a lot simpler than dealing with non-EU countries and as such non-membership would have a significant impact on our exports and in turn would have an adverse effect on the UK economy.

[Yngwie]

There's extra bureacracy but other countries like Switzerland don't seem to suffer.

As things stand, British companies and individuals pay (through their taxes) to subsidise european farmers and fund the obscene salaries and expenses of overpaid and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who make our lot seem squeaky clean. And then you have massive duplication and travel costs because the French still insist on having some sessions in the Strasbourg parliament.

[PullMyFinger]

There's extra bureacracy but other countries like Switzerland don't seem to suffer.

As things stand, British companies and individuals pay (through their taxes) to subsidise european farmers and fund the obscene salaries and expenses of overpaid and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who make our lot seem squeaky clean. And then you have massive duplication and travel costs because the French still insist on having some sessions in the Strasbourg parliament.

Our own farmers receive compensation from the EU as well, Polish farmers receive little in comparison.

Our MPs have been publically exposed for the expenses scandal, can you provide some evidence about the MEPs please or is it just our own MEPs?

[PullMyFinger]

There's extra bureacracy but other countries like Switzerland don't seem to suffer.

Switzerland do not rely on their exports.

[EWS]

There's extra bureacracy but other countries like Switzerland don't seem to suffer.

As things stand, British companies and individuals pay (through their taxes) to subsidise european farmers and fund the obscene salaries and expenses of overpaid and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who make our lot seem squeaky clean. And then you have massive duplication and travel costs because the French still insist on having some sessions in the Strasbourg parliament.

Our own farmers receive compensation from the EU as well, Polish farmers receive little in comparison.

Our MPs have been publically exposed for the expenses scandal, can you provide some evidence about the MEPs please or is it just our own MEPs?

There was a German(?) TV Company that were thrown out of the EU Parliament Public area because they were legally filming MP's showing up to sign in then bugger off for a long weekend.

[PullMyFinger]

There's extra bureacracy but other countries like Switzerland don't seem to suffer.

As things stand, British companies and individuals pay (through their taxes) to subsidise european farmers and fund the obscene salaries and expenses of overpaid and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who make our lot seem squeaky clean. And then you have massive duplication and travel costs because the French still insist on having some sessions in the Strasbourg parliament.

Our own farmers receive compensation from the EU as well, Polish farmers receive little in comparison.

Our MPs have been publically exposed for the expenses scandal, can you provide some evidence about the MEPs please or is it just our own MEPs?

There was a German(?) TV Company that were thrown out of the EU Parliament Public area because they were legally filming MP's showing up to sign in then bugger off for a long weekend.

Do they have duck islands in their moats?

[Yngwie]

Our MPs have been publically exposed for the expenses scandal, can you provide some evidence about the MEPs please or is it just our own MEPs?

In February 2008 MEPs on the Budget Control Committee voted by 21 to 14 not to publish the so-called ?Galvin Report?, which revealed widespread abuse of allowances, allegedly worth ?125 million a year, and rejected calls from a public information watchdog for scrutiny of pension perks.

Source

When a UKIP MEP was jailed for fraud, I think it was thanks to a newspaper expose which prompted a British police investigation. The European Parliament found nothing wrong and did SFA.

[Caley Stan]

It has shown me what a rip off our "social security" state is to those who work for a living.

How did it mange that? Have you compared social security rates with comparably rich EU nations like France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden?

[ictchris]

There are positives and negatives around the EU.

I was once shown a graph in an Economics lecture which showed the cost of the Common Agricultural Policy in comparison with income from farming. The cost of CAP just keeps on rising, whereas income from farming just keeps on falling. The CAP is just a huge, massive drain on money - a pointless subsidy to keep farmers sweet in Western Europe. There is also a major issue over lack of democratic control over much of the EU. While the Parliament is democratically elected (although whether a list system is truly democratic is an arguable point) the real power in Brussels sits with bureacrats who are cossetted away from the realities of the member states. It's interesting to note that even in countries which are generally pro-EU there have been numerous anti-EU referendem results, with countries like France, the Netherlands and Ireland voting down proposed treaties. I'd suggest that tackling this democratic deficit is an important task in future with regards to the EU.

However, there are positives to the EU - as an institution it has helped enormously the transition to a more liberal democratic society in the former Soviet satiellites and former fascist states. Within the EU it has lead to more liberal immigration, reduced border controls and freer movement of labour and capital - all positive developments. Of course, the flip side of this is that while within the EU there is more freedom, the EU leads to a kind of 'Fortress Europe' stance, with protectionist policies adopted with regard to trade etc.

In the future I think the EU should focus on areas that really require cross governmental co-operation to address, rather than looking to inplement more regulations and directives in it's member states. This can be done by increasing democratic accountability within the EU system and bureaucracy.

[Sorted]

There are positives and negatives around the EU.

I was once shown a graph in an Economics lecture which showed the cost of the Common Agricultural Policy in comparison with income from farming. The cost of CAP just keeps on rising, whereas income from farming just keeps on falling. The CAP is just a huge, massive drain on money - a pointless subsidy to keep farmers sweet in Western Europe. There is also a major issue over lack of democratic control over much of the EU. While the Parliament is democratically elected (although whether a list system is truly democratic is an arguable point) the real power in Brussels sits with bureacrats who are cossetted away from the realities of the member states. It's interesting to note that even in countries which are generally pro-EU there have been numerous anti-EU referendem results, with countries like France, the Netherlands and Ireland voting down proposed treaties. I'd suggest that tackling this democratic deficit is an important task in future with regards to the EU.

However, there are positives to the EU - as an institution it has helped enormously the transition to a more liberal democratic society in the former Soviet satiellites and former fascist states. Within the EU it has lead to more liberal immigration, reduced border controls and freer movement of labour and capital - all positive developments. Of course, the flip side of this is that while within the EU there is more freedom, the EU leads to a kind of 'Fortress Europe' stance, with protectionist policies adopted with regard to trade etc.

In the future I think the EU should focus on areas that really require cross governmental co-operation to address, rather than looking to inplement more regulations and directives in it's member states. This can be done by increasing democratic accountability within the EU system and bureaucracy.

Think this is a pretty fair assessment.

On the subject of democratic deficit, I think there are far more pressing issues closer to home. What kind of system where, hypothetical speaking, you can finish second by one vote in every seat in the land and receive no representation can be viewed as democratic?

At least there is some form of proportionality in EP elections. We allow the old and new Tories a free hand as whilst they tell us "your vote counts" or "every vote counts" they both do the utmost to ensure that this is not the case and the status quo remains (unlike I'ness ).