Remain or Leave

Tomorrow will be one of the most important days in the history of the United Kingdom. Whether or not you vote to remain in or leave the EU. I have followed most of the televised debates with a sense of alacrity, only to become disenchanted with the appalling abuse thrown by both sides towards the other. I am left with the same feeling of despondency over the behaviour of so many individuals on social media. This ‘debate’ has polarised our nation. Knuckle-draggers have emerged on both sides, hurling vitriolic comments at each other. If you are in the ‘Remain’ camp you are prepared to surrender every last vestige of our sovereignty to Brussels, if you are in the ‘Leave’ camp you are a racist. Where on earth do these confounded arguments come from? Those of you who cannot debate without dissolute finger pointing should perhaps reconsider your behaviour when it comes to posting on social media. I have read so much unfounded, ill-conceived comment from both sides, enough to make me wonder if perfidy is rampant in our society. I have yet to read any comment on social media that is not at least condescending or at worst, derogatory to the ‘other side’. I know my own mind and I know how I have decided to vote in this referendum. We do live in a democracy (well, just about) and if you are a friend of mine I respect your decision to vote either way. I trust that you will respect mine. I will be voting to Leave and my decision is based upon my experiences of dealing with EU bureaucracy during my tenure as Managing Director of a company in Brighton. I built a thriving company (and it still is after me) by importing materials from disparate countries such as China, India, Indonesia, South America and Canada. Those same materials sourced from EU suppliers were too expensive and often subjected to insurmountable EU restrictions. My export markets were developed along the same lines - to build markets outside of the EU, although much sales business was conducted with UK customers. UK supplier to UK customer. During my tenure as Managing Director I wrote on several occasions to the EU Commissioner on subjects of EU doctrine that concerned me. Not once did I receive the courtesy of a reply. EU diktat destroyed an opportunity I had developed for a product that realised over £200,000 in sales, to countries outside of the EU. Not a decision made here in the UK but one I had to reluctantly accept. That decision came from Brussels. I am not therefore surprised that so many owners of small businesses believe that we have better prospects when we shake off the influence of the mandarins of Brussels.

BREXIT - Damn Right!

I am tired of listening to the negative political spin being espoused by Cameron and Osborne about our membership of the EU. Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 seems to fawn over the ‘IN CROWD” and casts mild sarcasm at those who opine that OUT is better. Well, Mr Cameron, Mr Osborne and Mr Vine - here is just another reason while I will be voting OUT come 23rd June although I suspect I will be in the minority:

MEPs: The salaries and allowances of the MEPs of the 27 EU states now total £137million. But this does not include the cost of the £217,000 office allowance available to each MEP. Do you know who your MEP is? Did you vote for an MEP at the last election? MEPs earn about 200 per cent more than Westminster MPs! Unlike MPs in this country, MEPs still vote on their own salaries and perks. And what exactly do they do for us? I would suggest something like the square route of diddly-squat! Do we need them? The answer for me lies in the question. MEPs on the Brussels gravy-train now enjoy an average income of £182,826  including allowances for attendance and travel. Why? Why on earth do we put up with this? MEPs now have incomes up to 20 times higher than the people they represent. But have you ever seriously asked yourself - what do they do for this extravagant lifestyle afforded to them by an eye-watering level of income? If you are going to vote “IN” are you really happy with this? I am extremely concerned about the cost of the European Parliament, which maintains expensive legislatures in both Brussels and Strasbourg but still has relatively few real powers, except over the EU budget where it has repeatedly voted for above-inflation increases. The power in Europe lies with the unelected EU commissioners. 

I am voting for an end to this gravy-train, at least for our British MEPs, control of our own borders and no more payments for being a member of an organisation that I see as marching towards a Federal Republic of Europe. And let’s be clear about what we do contribute. Our “rebate” is effectively deducted at source, and so not actually sent to the EU.  Using the post-rebate figure, it’s more accurate to say the UK sends £35 million a day to the EU. That still represents a net figure of £12.8 billion per annum! Just consider how better we could use such a sum for our own purpose.

Here is my parting shot Mr Cameron. I would rather endure a period of austerity in which we are in control of our own destiny than for ever relinquish our sovereignty to the mandarins of Brussels and Frankfurt. That is not a choice I can, for one moment, consider. You know which way I will be voting…. 

European MEP Elections

For readers in the UK, will you be voting tomorrow to elect MEPs in your area? There are 31 parties putting up candidates for these EU elections tomorrow, 22nd May. Yes, that is thirty-one.

Those parties who had candidates elected in the 2009 big yawn event included Conservatives with 25 MEPs, UKIP with 13 MEPs, Labour with 13 MEPs, Liberal Democrats with 11 MEPs, the Green Party with 2 MEPs, the BNP with 2 MEPs, the Scottish National Party with 2 MEPs, zzzzzzzzzz..... sorry, almost nodded off there for a moment.

What is my point? Well, I guess my point is that most of us do not know what the fuck these 'elected' MEPs do for us apart from turn up in Brussels or Strasbourg or wherever else the fancy takes them, earn ridiculous salaries, draw untold expenses, keep their heads down and have no influence whatsoever on the legislation that matters to us because that has already been decided upon by unelected EU Commissioners. 

Nick Clegg would have you believe that you are unpatriotic if you do not want the United Kingdom to stay in the EU. Unpatriotic?! I know where my patriotism lies Mr. Clegg...

Do you know how much the United Kingdom pays into EU coffers? Britain's payments to the EU have soared to an eye-watering £53 million a day. Even taking into account Britain's receipts from the EU we taxpayers are still contributing a net figure of £30 million to Brussels every day. These figures show just how much we are being bled dry by our membership of the EU. Can anybody show me the benefits? After Germany, the UK is the second biggest net contributor to Brussels of the 27 EU member states.

If you would like to see an end to this, like me, get out to your polling station tomorrow and vote, or, if you are happy with the status quo, don't bother but please don't put your faith in the promised EU Referendum offered by David Cameron. Pipe dreams...