I Am British
While I am strongly pro European Union, I do think that we shouldn't just consider the benefits of staying, but all of the circumstances and possibilities. One of the most important things to remember is that the UK won't leave the EU the minute the vote is in. We will most probably remain in the EU for another few years while the leaving terms are negotiated, so the predicted economic issues with leaving will probably not be as harsh as they could be. Nevertheless, people in the UK will have to start dealing with income tax from products outside the UK for some products, but not all depending on trade agreements.
One thing that should be considered is the state of immigration if we leave. Something that will happen is that the British government will have more control over the borders. People may however be surprised by how that control is used. One primary strategy used by the British government to deal with an excess of elderly people that require care, is to bring in more people from other countries to raise the numbers of economically active people in the country. The British government is pro immigration, despite what you may hear.
Now, the money. First things first, the UK does not give as much money to the EU as people are claiming. But they are giving closer to 200 Million pounds. And that is a lot. For you and me. But considering the amount of money the UK makes every week, it's more like letting someone keep the change than selling your soul.
Next thing, is EU regulations. The most important thing to know about them is that for the most part they won't go away. If the UK wants to trade with other countries, they need to adhere to the regulations to stay in any in of business. And the EU's human rights. The most important of which, if we leave, is the "Right to Privacy of Communication and Correspondence". If we leave the EU, the government will write a new British Bill of Rights, which may, or may not, rather alarmingly, include that human right. The famous "Snooper's Charter" is essentially outlawed by that EU human right, and if we leave we might find that one of our essential human rights accidentally disappears. On the other hand, we might not. We really don't know what the government and the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters, essentially the British NSA) are going to do. And that's really the theme of leaving. We don't know what's going to happen. One thing is certain. It can definitely go very badly for the UK if we leave. It could, economically speaking, get slightly better for the government wallet, but that's about it.
I don't personally think that leaving is a good idea because I believe in Global Unification, so I'm against any kind of split, but that's a very personal and non-economic view, so I understand that it's not that important a thing. If we do leave the EU, I will try me very best to move somewhere else in the EU and remain an EU citizen, because that's the best thing for me. And then when Scotland does the right thing and abandons the UK for the EU, I'll go live there. Edinburgh is by far my favourite city anyway. (Followed closely by Dublin, maybe I'll move there if the UK leaves).
In conclusion, I'm worried that the UK may actually leave. It will most probably be very bad for both the country's economy as well as the financial situation of the common man. However, I can understand why people want to leave. I just don't think racism should factor in for such an important economic decision, that's all.
One thing that should be considered is the state of immigration if we leave. Something that will happen is that the British government will have more control over the borders. People may however be surprised by how that control is used. One primary strategy used by the British government to deal with an excess of elderly people that require care, is to bring in more people from other countries to raise the numbers of economically active people in the country. The British government is pro immigration, despite what you may hear.
Now, the money. First things first, the UK does not give as much money to the EU as people are claiming. But they are giving closer to 200 Million pounds. And that is a lot. For you and me. But considering the amount of money the UK makes every week, it's more like letting someone keep the change than selling your soul.
Next thing, is EU regulations. The most important thing to know about them is that for the most part they won't go away. If the UK wants to trade with other countries, they need to adhere to the regulations to stay in any in of business. And the EU's human rights. The most important of which, if we leave, is the "Right to Privacy of Communication and Correspondence". If we leave the EU, the government will write a new British Bill of Rights, which may, or may not, rather alarmingly, include that human right. The famous "Snooper's Charter" is essentially outlawed by that EU human right, and if we leave we might find that one of our essential human rights accidentally disappears. On the other hand, we might not. We really don't know what the government and the GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters, essentially the British NSA) are going to do. And that's really the theme of leaving. We don't know what's going to happen. One thing is certain. It can definitely go very badly for the UK if we leave. It could, economically speaking, get slightly better for the government wallet, but that's about it.
I don't personally think that leaving is a good idea because I believe in Global Unification, so I'm against any kind of split, but that's a very personal and non-economic view, so I understand that it's not that important a thing. If we do leave the EU, I will try me very best to move somewhere else in the EU and remain an EU citizen, because that's the best thing for me. And then when Scotland does the right thing and abandons the UK for the EU, I'll go live there. Edinburgh is by far my favourite city anyway. (Followed closely by Dublin, maybe I'll move there if the UK leaves).
In conclusion, I'm worried that the UK may actually leave. It will most probably be very bad for both the country's economy as well as the financial situation of the common man. However, I can understand why people want to leave. I just don't think racism should factor in for such an important economic decision, that's all.
