Question UK Referendum to Stay or Leave the EU

[Fenrir]

There's a referendum in the UK coming up about whether to stay in or leave the EU and I'm interested in your thoughts and feelings. Was curious to see if where people lived affected their view.

So, do you think the UK should vote to stay or leave and why? If yes how do you think it should be handled (it's not going to be overnight after all)?

 

[Buffy Summers]

Leave - it makes them too much at the mercy of the bad policies of other EU countries.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

When Britain joined a few prices went up then over time other prices went up, then some idiots made the channel tunnel. The notion was for Britain to take control of the EU.
Trouble is if Britain leaves the EU now the shock to the system will be to much. Also it isn't just England anymore, there's Wales Scotland and Ireland.

 

[Bluebird]

Nevermind the EU, I want out of the UK first LOL!

 

[Priceless]

I haven't decided yet. Both sides make some good points. There's a feeling that is you want to leave beacuse you are worried about the impact of immigration, you must be some sort of closet racist. There are scare tactics being used on either side, with very few concrete facts.

We either stay and defend the status quo or take a leap in the dark and vote leave without knowing what the hell is going to happen 😱

 

[thetopher]

I live here and think we should bite the bullet and leave.
Better in the long run, other countries function fine outside the EU, make all their own laws and have strong economies. And all those people who are saying we need to stay and the same people who urged that we join the simgle currency.
See how well that worked out.

Btw- I have met countless people who were really angry and Barak Obama sticking his nose in and stating that the UK should stay. It really is none of his business.
Also hugely hypocritical from a country that values its own border controls so highly (as well it should).

 

[Priceless]

Btw- I have met countless people who were really angry and Barak Obama sticking his nose in and stating that the UK should stay. It really is none of his business.
Also hugely hypocritical from a country that values its own border controls so highly (as well it should).

Britain leaving the EU will have an impact on world politics, therefore I have no problem with Obama giving his opinion as a world leader.

I have voiced opinions on Hilary, Bernie and Donald on this forum and on social media over the last few months, but I am British and live in the UK - the world is a small place nowadays, everything impacts everything else, so even though I don't have a vote, I still have an opinion and that's a two way street.

Also, sometimes you are so close to an issue you can't see the wood for the trees and persoanlly I appreciate input by those not as close as I am

 

[thetopher]

Britain leaving the EU will have an impact on world politics, therefore I have no problem with Obama giving his opinion as a world leader.

Yeah, well I have a huge problem. Nothing to do with him at all. It's our country not his and yet he mouths off and people listen to him because they think he respresents the whole of the US.
He doesn't, he's on his way out. Not to mention that what he said has been found to be incorrect.

I have voiced opinions on Hilary, Bernie and Donald on this forum and on social media over the last few months

That's great but I doubt that the average US citizen if gonna be pursuaded by some random UK person on twitter. No offence.

People who's voice can sway people one way or another- because of their position- have a responsibility to use that voice only when nessesary.
It's why in general I'm against celebrities/actors in politics using their position to gain undue influence with their rather ill-thought out opinions.

 

[Priceless]

Yeah, well I have a huge problem. Nothing to do with him at all. It's our country not his and yet he mouths off and people listen to him because they think he respresents the whole of the US.
He doesn't, he's on his way out. Not to mention that what he said has been found to be incorrect.



That's great but I doubt that the average US citizen if gonna be pursuaded by some random UK person on twitter. No offence.

People who's voice can sway people one way or another- because of their position- have a responsibility to use that voice only when nessesary.
It's why in general I'm against celebrities/actors in politics using their position to gain undue influence with their rather ill-thought out opinions.

If he's not important to you and is on his way out, why do you have such a problem? Like you, I don't think many Brits care about his opinion, but I do believe he is allowed to give it. It's a rocky road when we start to censor what people can say politically.

Being a cynic I would say that most politicians are incorrect, not just Obama, especially over the politics of the EU. Which is why it is so difficult for people to make a rational decision, not one soely based on emotion.

I had hoped to sway public opinion with my Vote Hilary tweets, damnit 🙂 Even if no one listens, I still have the right to speak. That right extends to everyone, even policiticans, actors, writers and worse of all footballers of any nationality😀

You could argue that many many Americans live and work in the EU, they will be directly affected by our decision to stay or leave and Obama, as their leader was speaking for them.

 

[Athena]

I think the main issue is, there's so much uncertainty. We could choose to leave, but it's impossible to know what that would do to our economy. We rely on Europe for so much; good and bad. In my heart, I think I'd choose to stay, because I don't think being part of the EU is necessarily a bad thing. The outcome appears more certain to me that voting to leave, which while it won't change the country overnight, it will change every part of our lives, not necessarily for the better (but again, it's impossible to predict either way).

 

[vellavu]

My random food for thought as a total outsider:

Britain had helped saving Europe from unifying three times by defeating the Spanish Empire, Napoleon, and Hitler. It's might be time for Britain to leave and help saving Europe again.

It would benefit UK long-term as well. Just think what a terrible place the world, Europe, and UK would be, had Napoleon got UK unified.

EU may be a good thing but what it leads to is not. World government sounds nice but so were the Third Reich.

 

[sk]

Well, I know absolutely nothing about UK, EU and political in general.
But my wild guess is that not much will change for the average person either way...

Having said that I do kinda like the idea to unite the world though.
It obviously has its problem and is probably not even be possible but I do somehow think that should be the main goal in the long run.
But for now it feels like most want to break out and protect their own little bit instead.
I like to see one currency and even one language in the entire world. Traveling would be so much easier. lol

/SK

 

[Mr Trick]

Well, I know absolutely nothing about UK, EU and political in general.
But my wild guess is that not much will change for the average person either way...

Having said that I do kinda like the idea to unite the world though.
It obviously has its problem and is probably not even be possible but I do somehow think that should be the main goal in the long run.
But for now it feels like most want to break out and protect their own little bit instead.
I like to see one currency and even one language in the entire world. Traveling would be so much easier. lol

/SK

Am with you on that I don't think we will see any big changes one way or the other, at least straight away. But I do think that the EU is a bit of an outdated system which only really benefits those in big business. If I felt that leaving would seriously effect our connections with Europe or movement when it comes to working or travelling aborad etc.. than I'd vote to stay in, but I'm not convinced that it will. Its a tough and complex decision, but for those reasons I think I am edging to voting to leave.

 

[thetopher]

If he's not important to you and is on his way out, why do you have such a problem?

Obama should be aware of his role in the world and not get involved with things that don't concern him. It's not what he's doing, but what he's trying to do.

He has been sigularly disinterersted in the 'special relationship' between the US and UK in any sense and now he thinks his voice matters?
Screw him. You put the effort in to cultimate something and have influence or you don't bother. Hell his standard policy has pretty much to ignore anything to do with other nations- ally or enemy- for most of his 8 years.

Like you, I don't think many Brits care about his opinion, but I do believe he is allowed to give it.

Well it doesn't affect them in the way that he clearly hoped. It's had a negative reaction. Most of the people I talk with are for staying in, but they resent the 'warning' from foreign leaders. It just smacks of bullying really.

 

[Lyri]

Also it isn't just England anymore, there's Wales Scotland and Ireland.

NORTHERN Ireland. Ireland is a whole other country onto itself and has nothing to do with the UK. We in Northern Ireland are part of the United Kingdom.

Personally, I'm voting to Leave. I'd rather not state my reasons as they're mine and mine alone, but I think we wold be better off as a nation out of the EU.

 

[Athena]

It's interesting actually, because pretty much everyone I know who's willing to give an opinion is choosing to vote to leave and are very vocal on that fact. Personally, to people I know, I'm remaining silent on my choice, because I've seen people I know on social media say they're going to vote to remain and the leave voters just tear into them, giving x reason or y reason why their choice is wrong and, quite frankly, being really rude and disrespectful about it.

Are the majority of remain voters just choosing to keep quiet for those reasons, or are we literally in the minority? I have no idea. All I know is, in real life, I won't be telling people I know my choice, because a) I'm entitled to choose whatever I like and b) I just don't want the hassle that I know I'll get, because other people have.

There doesn't seem to be anything the other way round though, I've not seen personally any examples of vote to remain people having a go at vote to leave people, although undoubtedly it does happen.

 

[Mr Trick]

It's interesting actually, because pretty much everyone I know who's willing to give an opinion is choosing to vote to leave and are very vocal on that fact. Personally, to people I know, I'm remaining silent on my choice, because I've seen people I know on social media say they're going to vote to remain and the leave voters just tear into them, giving x reason or y reason why their choice is wrong and, quite frankly, being really rude and disrespectful about it.

Are the majority of remain voters just choosing to keep quiet for those reasons, or are we literally in the minority? I have no idea. All I know is, in real life, I won't be telling people I know my choice, because a) I'm entitled to choose whatever I like and b) I just don't want the hassle that I know I'll get, because other people have.

There doesn't seem to be anything the other way round though, I've not seen personally any examples of vote to remain people having a go at vote to leave people, although undoubtedly it does happen.

Not sure myself because haven't spoken too much with my friends about it. I know one friend I spoke to yesterday hasn't yet decided, and I don't think there would be any issues within my social circle. Think most people can see both arguments, this is slightly different than voting for a politican party after all. All I can say is that I am almost certain that I will vote leave, but I would never give a remain voter a hard time about it their choice. It is their right to vote that way, I understand their reasons and would just like an informed debate on it.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Btw- I have met countless people who were really angry and Barak Obama sticking his nose in and stating that the UK should stay. It really is none of his business.
Also hugely hypocritical from a country that values its own border controls so highly (as well it should).

Agree absolutely.

 

[The Bronze]

I'm from the UK and I'm dreading the vote. It's a massive decision and at the moment it's a choice between 2 bad options. The EU has been a force for right wing economics and has helped to cripple countries like Greece and Spain. They've been trying to sign up to TTIP to hand over more control to greedy corporations.

So the natural choice would be to leave. Only we have an extreme right government. They've been dismantling our health service and education system and essentially stealing anything that isn't nailed down.

So I'm stuck between voting out because it'll be our only chance to avoid the damage the EU can do to us or voting in for protection from the damage our government would cause if left unsupervised.

 

[Mr Trick]

I'm from the UK and I'm dreading the vote. It's a massive decision and at the moment it's a choice between 2 bad options. The EU has been a force for right wing economics and has helped to cripple countries like Greece and Spain. They've been trying to sign up to TTIP to hand over more control to greedy corporations.

So the natural choice would be to leave. Only we have an extreme right government. They've been dismantling our health service and education system and essentially stealing anything that isn't nailed down.

So I'm stuck between voting out because it'll be our only chance to avoid the damage the EU can do to us or voting in for protection from the damage our government would cause if left unsupervised.

I wouldn't say I'm dreading it, for the simple fact that which ever way the vote goes, it isn't going to make that much difference, while that maybe depressing, it at least means there is not so much riding on it. I tend to think that it will go the way of the remain. Just because a lot of people will see it as too much of a gamble to leave, and that retaining the status Quo is the best option.