I didn't say they would leave, I said there were calls for a referendum in those countries (according to news reports Friday morning). Of course the Brits were net payers. Now what happens? Who steps up to pay the British share? Do the receivers get less, or does someone pay more? If receivers get less, they are pissed. If payers pay more, they are pissed. Either way someone is pissed.
Is the UK a net payer?? Here's an attempt to do the accounting: https://fullfact.org/europe/our-eu-membership-fee-55-million/ It's pretty complex. Also: "Being in the EU costs money but does it also create trade, jobs and investment that are worth more? We can be pretty sure about how much cash we put in, but it’s far harder to be sure about how much, if anything, comes back in economic benefits" Another thing to realize is that the UK departure will leave Germany holding the bag : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...n-to-eu-annual-budget-could-rise-by-2bn-afte/
Yes the UK was a net payer. And what is most shocking is how ill prepared the leave camp now is. It looks more chaotic than a night Bazar in Moldova. Nobody knows anything. Nobody has a clue about the implication. There never has been a fair discussion and a presentation of the fact that the productive elements of the UK, which are young people by huge majority want to stay inside the EU and sentimental retirees who only collect money and contribute very little today were the majority of those wanting to leave. Usually it is the young that need to shoulder the future. Now Scotland and Northern Ireland almost certainly will leave the UK. It looks like the mess on the UK side is far larger than on the European side. Also consider that not only do you now end up with an entirely split country. No, you already have 3.5 million signatures postulated a 2nd referendum. Very much not British like at all and unconventually chaotic for UK standards.
With respect, there is a lot tripe in this summary. Don't be mislead by shoddy media reporting. Most of the young people who voted to stay are students and/or have never worked. Half of the eligible young voters didn't bother to vote, no doubt quite a few were getting stoned at Glastonbury or the Download heavy metal festival over the weekend. They might be productive getting laid, but not yet in terms of the UK economy. Northern Ireland is very, very unlikely to leave the UK. Scotland might have have a referendum on leaving but with current oil price it's far from certain they'll leave UK. The Scottish National Party is jumping up and down and making a lot of noise. I personally don't expect them to leave UK at the moment but no drama if they want to hold another referendum in a few years time. As for that "petition", it is being investigated for fraud. Thousands of names are bogus. Unless there are more than 17 million genuine signatures from eligible voters, not people from other countries who don't have a vote, or virtual people with bogus names, it's a non issue. Even the left leaning BBC is reporting this:- http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36634407 You don't know whether the Leave camp is ill prepared or not. How could you? What is certain is that there will be a lot of discussions behind the scenes between EU member states. In due course, we'll know whether the Leave camp is prepared or not, but Article 50 has not even been triggered yet, and won't be for several weeks. UK is still an EU member state until they trigger the clause and then they have two years to negotiate their exit. Only democratically elected UK politicians will decide when to trigger the clause, not unelected EU officials. Remain side is in meltdown because they never saw this coming. First, they didn't want to leave, and now they're desperate to leave and trigger Article 50! The UK will do that when it suits them, and not when it suits the EU.
That is not true, * a large majority of the under 30 year old wanted to remain in the EU. Who else do you define young? * this is only an opinion re Northern Island and Scotland, but so is yours. And a Scottish referendum will not be done in a few years if they decide to indeed hold a 2nd one. It would be within 2 years if not even much earlier. Northern Island by majority wanted to remain in the EU. If the UK wants to risk another decade or longer of civil war and a return to the weapons then they should go ahead and pressure Northern Island to go with the rest of the isles. But if they are smart they will let Northern Island decide for itself. * yes 70,000 of 3.5 million signatures might be fraudulent. That is 2%. Big deal. Shall we list the many lies the exit camp has put on the table to influence the gullible? Law in the UK is that a parliamentary body now decides whether the matter will be debated in parliament. It certainly will with the large number of signatures and importance of the issue. * I dont know whether the leave camp is ill prepared? Are you kidding me? Then why do you think the rest of the world is waiting and sitting there for the UK to act? Nobody in the exit camp knows shit. Nigel and Boris know nothing. There were no plans made, nobody knows the legal implications, no road map has been prepared. Nothing. It leaves the rest of the world to look at the UK with raised eye brows. You know, this issue does not just affect the UK. The rest of Europe has a right to know what is going on now. They have a right to demand a road map and enter into exit negotiations ASAP. It impacts real people, real businesses. This is not just a rosy theoretical debate with nationalistic repercussions as most retirees and older people in the UK seem to see it. No, it impacts the lives of real people. And the exit camp stands there, unable to move forward, because they have no clue what to do. Of course are they ill prepared. And sure, you can piss off the rest of Europe by making more one-sided demands in the same way as the UK has conducted itself for many years, how it tried to eke out more and more exceptions, concessions, and exemptions. In the end Cameron got nothing in his last EU negotiations. European ministers simply told him to take it or leave. They left, so now make a move and get the fuxx moving. You are holding up the rest of the world. And I recommend to make the exit in a peaceful way because the UK imports a lot more from Europe than what it exports. Unless you wanna be forced to switch cars from Benz and BMW to Tata and Chinese brands I would recommend to play the ball low and exit in a prompt and fair manner. * No remain side is in meltdown, why should they be? They lost and conceded victory to the exit camp in a very fair and respectful manner. It is the victors now that everyone is waiting for. Start moving Boris.
I agree that a large % of those young people that voted choose remain. But a large number of the young people who were eligible to vote did not cast a vote either way. They did not show up to vote.
WTF, so you then take the liberty to determine which way they might lean or what? Isn't it that the votes are counted of those who vote? Furthermore, you got your stats wrong. It is not true that young people did not turn up to vote. If you knew a thing about your UK demographics you would understand why the overall result still turned out favorable to exit. Fact remains that the pensioners with the lowest life expectancy and contribution to the UK from today into the future decided for those who have to live under this decision for another 50-60 years and carry the majority of the economic and societal burden. http://www.theguardian.com/politics...n-voters-came-out-in-force-but-were-outgunned http://time.com/4381878/brexit-generation-gap-older-younger-voters/
conduit, you're acting like a real drama queen here. Don't be so hysterical fella. Chill man, it will be fine. I'm British, living in UK and very happy to be leaving the EU. And also pro-Europe and pro-Europeans, just not the unelected institution that discriminates against non-EU countries. Either one of Boris Johnson or Teresa May will be a great PM. Nigel Farage will NOT be involved in the exit negotiations, he was not part of the official Leave campaign, was voted out parliament last year during the election, but is someone who the media loves to focus on because he's so outspoken and divisive. His contributions to the debate almost cost the Leave side victory because he presented so many open goals for the Remain side to focus on. Personally I wish he'd stayed out of the debate, there was a racist undertone to some of his comments, but that doesn't eradicate the strong arguments for leaving the EU. Sorry I cannot address all of your points now due to trading commitments, but regarding Northern Ireland, 54% voted to stay in EU, and unification of Ireland might happen some day but it is not the UK government stopping this. It is the fact that people of Northern Ireland themselves are divided, with many unionists wanting to remain in UK. But Irish politics and divisions is whole another topic that deserves a new thread...