Euro Elections...Use your vote

[beorhthelm]

What a pathetic Europe that would be. I want the European constitution to protect my rights to travel and work anywhere in Europe. I want to continue to enjoy the benefits of the Italian health care system when I am there, and I want it paid for out of the VAT I pay when I buy things at Marks and Spencer.

And I want a European Parliament that will defend those rights and give me some representation in shaping the future.

If all we have is "trading rules", the show will be completely run by US dominated multinational companies.

you already have the right to travel/live/work anywhere in europe as its part of one of the treaties already in place (maastricht?). So why do we need to have a constitution to establish somthing already in law in every european country?

As for health care i dont know the system in Italy but do know that we are the only country in europe (possibly the world expect Cuba) that has a 100% free at the point of service health system. Yes it might be in bit of a state, but they dont ask you to pony up £20 to see your GP or check your nationality before dealing with you as is the case elsewhere. So its europe that needs to catch up with us, and why should we subsidise their public services when our own are in the state they're in?

As for the 'democracy' in the EU, there is only a pretence and there will never be a properly elected and powerful institution. Its not in the interests of incumbent governments of any state to allow this to happen. The idea is to have the political elite of each country appoint people to wield the real power as then you a, have some control over them and b, line yourself up a nice retiremnet job.

Cynical? Yes, very. But you have to bear in mind whats lead to this dream of a european state (if anyone wants proof, open your eyes and dont dismiss *everything* in the media as right wing nonsence). A small Austrian was democractically elected in Germany once, and this is generally considered to have been a Bad Thing. One of the flaws of democracy is that *anybody* can potentially get into power. The only way to stop this is to fragment the popular concensus and select the decision makers from amongst the group holding power in each fiefdom. In the UK we call these Quangos and we dont like them. But the EU supporters seem happy enough to have the same mechanisim on a larger scale with even less accountablity.

Also, while i agree that the idea of horde of east europeans streaming across the channel is a little obsurd, do please acknowledge that there will be some economic migrants coming from these countries and this isnt necessarily a Good Thing. mind you they usually take the jobs English people cant be arsed to do and i for one welcome anyone willing to do a hard days work.

 

[Mr C]

What a pathetic Europe that would be. I want the European constitution to protect my rights to travel and work anywhere in Europe. I want to continue to enjoy the benefits of the Italian health care system when I am there, and I want it paid for out of the VAT I pay when I buy things at Marks and Spencer.

And I want a European Parliament that will defend those rights and give me some representation in shaping the future.

If all we have is "trading rules", the show will be completely run by US dominated multinational companies.

You already can travel and work in Europe, and would be able to even if we didn't have a constitution.

If you're on holiday in Italy and you fall ill, I am sure the Italians will look after you, regardless of the state of the EU.

As far as trading rules are concerned, what we have now is far more restrictive and unproductive. Surely this helps the "US dominated multinational companies" who will find it easier to compete against UK/EU firms who are being hampered by ill-thought-out and restrictive EU legislation?

Anyway, if we were to leave the EU, we'd have so much more to spend on ourselves (literally) that the quality of life improvment you'd see would far outweigh any extra "inconveniences" you might experience as a result of us not belonging to the EU.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

As far as trading rules are concerned, what we have now is far more restrictive and unproductive. Surely this helps the "US dominated multinational companies" who will find it easier to compete against UK/EU firms who are being hampered by ill-thought-out and restrictive EU legislation?

But I thought that what YOU wanted was a European Common Market. Won't it have trading rules? Won't these be made in Europe? By bureaucrats, without the democratic input currently exercised by the European Parliament?

Make your mind up. I think you want us to have nothing to do with any sort of European organisation.


And a little PS about Italian health care. When I first lived in Italy, the UK wasn't a member of the EEC. Yes, they would look after my health. But at a price.

 

[Mr C]

But I thought that what YOU wanted was a European Common Market. Won't it have trading rules? Won't these be made in Europe? By bureaucrats, without the democratic input currently exercised by the European Parliament?

Make your mind up. I think you want us to have nothing to do with any sort of European organisation.

And a little PS about Italian health care. When I first lived in Italy, the UK wasn't a member of the EEC. Yes, they would look after my health. But at a price.

Of course the common market would have trading rules, but the point I was making is that in its current state (ie more than a trading agreement), the rules are stifling and unproductive.

On the point of healthcare, I am not convinced free healthcare in other EU countries is enough of an incentive to belong to the EU.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

But I thought that what YOU wanted was a European Common Market. Won't it have trading rules? Won't these be made in Europe? By bureaucrats, without the democratic input currently exercised by the European Parliament?

Make your mind up. I think you want us to have nothing to do with any sort of European organisation.


And a little PS about Italian health care. When I first lived in Italy, the UK wasn't a member of the EEC. Yes, they would look after my health. But at a price.

There is a marked difference between a free trade market ( which is all the British electorate voted for ) and the all encompassing EU dictating defence policies, tax levels, government expenditure etc. Switzerland and Norway ( amoungst others ) have a free trade agreement with the EU and are not bound by the rules by which we are.

We don't have to belong to the EU to get free health care in other countries. There's something called reciprcal aggreements like those in place with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Iceland, South Africa etc etc.