EU Vote

[Robert]

Well, the BBC should be independent but they still take EU money.

[John Wheat]

Were they? I don't watch TV very much at all.

No one forces anyone to watch Sky. People pay for it if they want it - unlike the BBC which people have to pay for even if they don't want it.

Yes. Many people get Sky News on Freeview who should be independent but were pushing for Brexit.

[Robert]

Were they? I don't watch TV very much at all.

No one forces anyone to watch Sky. People pay for it if they want it - unlike the BBC which people have to pay for even if they don't want it.

[John Wheat]

Well, Alexander Lebedev who owns the pro-EU Independent isn't short of a bob or two.

Murdoch rode two horses - the Sun was for leave and the Times was for remain.

Don't forget Sky who were obviously pushing Brexit.

[Robert]

Well, Alexander Lebedev who owns the pro-EU Independent isn't short of a bob or two.

Murdoch rode two horses - the Sun was for leave and the Times was for remain.

[John Wheat]

Well we're out now. Wether that's a good thing or a bad thing only time will tell. I suspect it will be a bad thing. Wonder why Boris and Rupert Murdoch both mega rich by the way wanted Britain out the EU?

[Errata]

I have no idea if it's true or not, all I know is that it made me laugh pretty hard.

[Robert]

Graham, no, there was no vote in 1973. The 2 to 1 majority that you're remembering was in 1975.

[Graham]

We weren't asked in 1975 about joining - we were already in. We were asked if we wanted to be in or out.

Hi Robert,

there was a vote in 1973, and it was 66% for 'in' and 34% for 'out'. I was out of the country anyway in 1975.

Hmm...can't agree with you about Cameron. I think during his first term he got things about right, and as a pensioner he certainly did me a favour. My own feeling is that he didn't expect to win the last general election, and it threw him when the Tories got in with a majority. I like his missus, too!

Worst PM's for me: Heath, Callaghan, Douglas-Home, Brown, Blair. Not in any particular order of de-merit.

Graham

[Robert]

Hi Graham

We weren't asked in 1975 about joining - we were already in. We were asked if we wanted to be in or out.

I was just thinking the other day, I thought Heath was our worst Prime Minister. But then I decided that Cameron just shades it. Maybe Chamberlain at #3 with Blair #4.

I voted for Labour in 1974 precisely in order to get a referendum. It was clear that the tories - the 'patriotic party' as they impudently style themselves - weren't going to give us one. I don't believe that Wilson would have either, were it not for the knife-edge nature of his majority.

Re the City Slickers - I believe violent mood changes are common amongst cokeheads.

[Graham]

I voted Remain, and until about an hour ago thought that the UK electorate had made a big mistake. However, on reflection, I'm not so sure. I remember very well Edward Heath when Prime Minister pushing for all he was worth to get us into the EEC, as it then was. I voted against joining (the vote at the time was 2 to 1 in favour of joining). I always felt, as did zillions of others, that joining the EEC was Ted Heath's personal crusade - after all, he did precious little else for the UK, apart from screwing us up with his disastrous Industrial Relations Act and his god-damned Three Day Week. I voted against him at the 1974 General Election, which as expected was won by Harold Wilson's Labour party. Heath in my humble opinion was the worst PM this country ever had, with the possible exception of Callaghan. Anyway, I had an e-mail a short time ago from my friend in Holland, who said that the general feeling on the streets there is 'three cheers and good luck' to the UK! There is, he said, a big undercurrent of anti-EU feeling in Holland, and it's getting stronger, as it is in other EU countries including France and Italy.

I've been thinking what has being in the EU for 43 years done for me as (a) an individual; (b) as a member of my local community; (c) as an employee of a British company until my retirement. Answer: not a lot. At least, nothing tangible other than to swamp my former employer with red tape. Another thing: earlier today the City Slickers were lining up on window ledges ready to jump because the FTSE100 had fallen 8% or so; yet it's back up almost to what it was this time last week. Plus, the Japanese Nikkei Index has fallen 8% over the last day or so. Has Japan left the EU as well, then?

So far, the only country to have left the EEC/EU is Greenland, and they seem to have done all right, all 75 of them. And Robert - re: your post, I was no fan of Gordon Brown but you are absolutely correct in what you say about his refusal to join the Euro.

I thank you.

Graham

[Abby Normal]

Best of luck to my British friends! God bless and hope it turns out OK.
Hope the world economy/security holds up. scary times.

But as Caz said-it is a democracy.

[Robert]

Jeff, as far as the Common Market etc is concerned, Thatcher was barely better than the other PMs. She was a member of Ted Heath's government which took us in, and I think I'm right in saying that she campaigned for us to stay in during the 1975 referendum.

Actually, apart from Farage, the guy who leavers like me most have to thank is pro-European Labour PM Gordon Brown. During his years as Chancellor of the Exchequer he consistently refused to join the common currency (the 'Euro'). Of course, we were warned of disaster if we didn't join, but nothing happened. But something did happen to the Greeks, who did join the Euro. Something very unpleasant indeed.

[caz]

Aha! Why am I not surprised?

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/683...EU-vote-Remain

I take it the 'leavers' are already realising their mistake then.

Love,

Caz
X

[Mayerling]

I'm no fan of Cameron, but he did warn everyone of the likely economic repercussions of leaving, and the Brexit conspiracy theorists thought this was just a scaremongering lie. It's not a lie that the pound has done a huge belly flop. They were also all set to accuse MI5 of fixing the vote (FFS) when they feared it might go the other way.

Cameron gave us all a say in the matter, but wanted us to remain, so I'm not sure I blame him for giving someone else the unenviable task of steering us through our uncertain future. Someone should have told Boris to be careful what he wished for.

I'm depressed for the younger generation but this is democracy.

Love,

Caz


X

Hi Caz,

I get the impression Britain has not had much success with Prime Ministers since Mrs. Thatcher - but looking at U.S. Presidents, who am I to talk.

It will be a curious year to come, with the ripple effects on the EU by Brixit, and the effect on not only Britain's economy but the global one. It may affect ("shudder!!!") the U.S Presidential election.

During the last week I noticed a curious item. Somewhere Gunnar Myrdal must be acting like he's on a rotisserie spit in his grave. Sweden tightened it's immigration laws against the wave of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. Myrdal, so eloquent a denouncer of the U.S. for it's racist policies towards African-Americans in the 1950s, probably would not know what to make of this. But on top of the action by Sweden, what does Frau Merkel in Germany think of it?

Jeff