European Elections for the EU in Europe for the European Parliament.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Does anyone think that the current MP scandal will have an impact on the European Elections? I'm expecting a lower voter turnout that will help the fringe parties.

What are peoples opinions on the EU? I'm all for it. I couldn't help but hold my head in my hands after reading the pamphlets sent by the BNP and UKIP saying 'No to the EU' and 'No to unemployment'.

[Kristjan]

Wow, that's quite a thread title! I very much like the EU in Europe, but am too keen on the EU in South-Eastern Asia. Nor do I like South American elections for the European Parliament!

Seriously, now. I all for European integration, and I think there should be more of it. Yes, the bureaucracy is hideous, but the principles for the whole thing are sound and good. We only elect 6 new members for the European Parliament, but the election will nevertheless be hotly contested between the political parties.

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow Does anyone think that the current MP scandal will have an impact on the European Elections? I'm expecting a lower voter turnout that will help the fringe parties. What are peoples opinions on the EU? I'm all for it. I couldn't help but hold my head in my hands after reading the pamphlets sent by the BNP and UKIP saying 'No to the EU' and 'No to unemployment'.

I think that we should say no to the EU...Its caused us nothing but trouble..

[driveace]

My feelings are that the EU is now getting too large.The main benifitters seem to be the French in my opinion.I have see lots of projects in Spain with EU money,and in some cases it is on unessesary projects.With the SCANDEL of the British MP,s I honestly think that lots of people will switch their votes to BNP and other small parties .I am astounded by the attitude of the guilty ones,who have their snouts in the trough.

[steve_spackman]

The BNP is doing very well. I am not at all suprised really. I dont want a bunch foreigners telling me what i can and cant do..

A united european superstate.. wasn't this one of Adolf Hitler's goals in 1939?

[Kristjan]

Originally Posted by steve_spackman The BNP is doing very well. I am not at all suprised really. I dont want a bunch foreigners telling me what i can and cant do.

Interesting! Tell me Steve, what have them furriners made you do/not do that you did not like?

As for the BNP... well, I'm no expert on British politics, but from what little I've heard/read, I do think these people should be hospitalized a.s.a.p.

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by studiose Interesting! Tell me Steve, what have them furriners made you do/not do that you did not like?

They have taken away our national identity. We should leave the EU...

To end the drain on the country’s finances
To reintroduce the full authority of Westminster
To impose British policies on Agriculture and Fisheries
To capitalise on Britain’s individual national strengths
The ‘euro’ depends on ‘political integration’ so far not achieved‘
Protectionism’ is not free trade, it is inward-looking
Our legal system is not that of Napoleon: it has distinct merits
We must control OUR armed forces and how they are used

The EU was originally set up for trading purposes only.

Since joining the EU they have slowly but surely been eroding away the British way of life , our borders are no longer secure. We have to let every Tom ,Dick and Harry from member states in. The farming industry has been decimated, and reward is given for nonproduction. It has proved to be bad for the country economically, done nothing politically, and has given for one reason or another none of the benefits we joined to recieve.

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by studiose As for the BNP... well, I'm no expert on British politics, but from what little I've heard/read, I do think these people should be hospitalized a.s.a.p.

Why do you think that?

[Kristjan]

Originally Posted by steve_spackman Why do you think that?

Well, I don't wish to offend, but they seem to me to be populist nutters who feed on the basest of thoughts and the most irrational fears of people, promoting xenophobia and hatred.

Is that not so?

So the EU has taken away your national identity, eh? Eroded the British way of life?

Please, tell me more!
- What is the British way of life, and how is different from that of continental Europe?
- How has the EU achieved the robbing of your national identity? What was it? What is it now?
- What are the British "individual national strengths" that currently cannot be capitalised on because of the EU?

One thing I do agree with, though, is that the EU's policies on agriculture are rather stupid.

Here's how the money is spent:



You notice the 43% that goes for the development of "natural resources"...

And here's a map of the net contributors (colours from dark scarlet to orange) and the net recipients (colours from yellow to black):



This is the only rational reason, in my view, for some West-Europeans to not like the EU. They perceive it as unfair. "Why should we fund the East," they might say..

Well, why they should and how it's beneficial for them in the long run is another discussion entirely. And let's also not forget that the EU's budget is around 1% of the EU countries' combined Gross National Income. So I'd go so far as to say that we're not talking about huge sums of money here, comparatively speaking.

Still, there is much room for improvement in how the money is spent, no question! I can understand your dissatisfaction regarding that.

Your claims that the EU has somehow ruined the British way of life, on the other hand, seem utterly laughable.

<-- here's me laughing at that

[Cooper_S]

that must be an old map... the Republic of Ireland became a net contributor a few years ago...

I am and have always been a staunch supporter of the EEC, EC, EU and will continue to be so but will campaign for the kind of EU that I feel is right...

I do feel we are entering into an era where uninformed minority parties such as UKIP (spit) and the BNP (spit, spit) will have some electoral success in the forthcoming EU elections... and sadly that is down to the UK electorate being amongst the least informed of any member state...

Fun time ahead... maybe it is time for the UK to attempt to withdraw from the EU (a feat easier said than done) just so we can see just ho special the USA relationship is... I personally feel that the USA wants a friendly 'partner' inside the EU... if the UK where somehow leave the USA would turn to others still inside..

Also just because the UK where to leave (if it was possible) what makes you think the EU would treat the UK favorable with regards trade and travel...

[BTCC Fan#1]

I had the misfortune to recieve some BNP election material through the post yesterday, what a disgraceful bunch they are. 'Vote for us to Stop 80 million Muslim Turks swamping your country!'

The BNP are racist, homophobic thugs. You can add holocaust denial to that list as well. Truly they represent the worst in politics, and I think it would be awful to have Nick Griffin represent the North-West of England, an area larger than 10 EU countries, in the European parliament.

[steve_spackman]

The EU will never work..Different countries, different cultures, different historys, different languages.

I am NOT European..I am English...

As for the UKIP and BNP..its a sign of the times dont ya think? And its not because we are mis informed....

If you want to live in a EU superstate go for it...

The EU should of been left as it was meant to be..for trading purposes only. Not hand over the government to a foreign power.

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by studiose Your claims that the EU has somehow ruined the British way of life, on the other hand, seem utterly laughable. <-- here's me laughing at that

From what i have seen from your posts, you know very little about Britain..

Im sure you like the idea of a Eurostate as im sure Estonia would have alot of benefits from it?

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by BTCC Fan#1 The BNP are racist, homophobic thugs. You can add holocaust denial to that list as well. Truly they represent the worst in politics, and I think it would be awful to have Nick Griffin represent the North-West of England, an area larger than 10 EU countries, in the European parliament.

The BNP are racist, homophobic thugs? The BNP want to put the indigenous population first, opposed to the major parties who seem to put us last.

The enemies of British Nationalism continue to parrot the claim that the BNP is a “racist party.” This claim is most often repeated because the BNP unashamedly addresses itself to the issues and concerns of the indigenous British population, and because it seeks to ensure that British people remain the majority population in this country. Opponents point to the fact that the BNP has an all-white membership, and that they address issues concerning white people.

If the BNP is racist for holding this position, then, we would suggest, all of the following organisations - some of them state funded - are also “racist” because they too address themselves exclusively to the issues and concerns of their respective communities:

1. Watford Asian Community care

2. Watford African Caribbean Association

3. National Black Police Association

4. Metropolitan Black Police Association

5. Black Londoners Forum

6. Black Information Link (BLINK)

7. Operation Black Vote

8. Federation of Black Housing Organisations (FBHO)

9. Black Training Enterprise Group

I would suspect that Nelson Mandela agrees with putting his fellow black South Africans first; I wonder if that makes him racist?!?

[Kristjan]

Originally Posted by steve_spackman From what i have seen from your posts, you know very little about Britain..

Do educate me, then. Can I repeat the questions?
- What is the British way of life, and how is different from that of continental Europe?
- How has the EU achieved the robbing of your national identity? What was it? What is it now?
- What are the British "individual national strengths" that currently cannot be capitalised on because of the EU?

Originally Posted by steve_spackman Im sure you like the idea of a Eurostate as im sure Estonia would have alot of benefits from it?

Estonia is currently a net recipient, yes. It's unlikely to stay that way long, though, since Estonia's economic growth is normally way above the European average (although, currently, we're in deep recession). From 2000-2008, our average annual GDP growth rate was 8.6%.

I like the idea of a Eurostate because, unlike you, I identify myself as Estonian AND European. And I see way more benefits than drawbacks.

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by studiose Do educate me, then. Can I repeat the questions? - What is the British way of life,

Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.

[steve_spackman]

You should take a trip, then you can have first hand experience of the British way of life mate...Give it a try

[Kristjan]

Originally Posted by steve_spackman You should take a trip, then you can have first hand experience of the British way of life mate...Give it a try

I've spent a few weeks in Southern England a few years back. So I do have a bit of first hand experience. Which is part of the reason I find your posts so weird.

And it seems you're making no real attempt to explain what you meant with the seemingly meaningless slogans of post #7..

[BDunnell]

Originally Posted by steve_spackman From what i have seen from your posts, you know very little about Britain..

I would suggest that you are the one who doesn't have a true picture of reality in Britain. I am British, I live in Britain, and I simply do not understand how anybody can say that British values (whatever they are - I hate the idea that there is one homogenous set of values to which we all belong on the grounds of nationality) have been eroded. This is an utterly meaningless concept that bears no serious analysis.

[steve_spackman]

Originally Posted by BDunnell I would suggest that you are the one who doesn't have a true picture of reality in Britain. I am British, I live in Britain, and I simply do not understand how anybody can say that British values (whatever they are - I hate the idea that there is one homogenous set of values to which we all belong on the grounds of nationality) have been eroded. This is an utterly meaningless concept that bears no serious analysis.

I was waiting for the backlash to arrive. So i have come to the point that i have given up on this subject due to my views are invalid and i will probably be marked as a racist too, which i am not.