I would just like my country back ....... Great Britain! FL2 now gone and have a couple of items left for sale:-

Brodit active iPhone holder + Brodit dash clip,
Bluetooth Music Streaming Module.

SakoQuad wrote:

No it doesn't but I'd bet serious money that they will be scrapped in the name of employer freedoms along with other stuff like Human Rights legislation (and that is not the madness it is portrayed as by some of the media reporting what amounts to occasional abuse).

Leave 21MY Defender 90 S 3.0 D200

I hear more Scots wanting to leave than stay, down here the media makes Wee Jimmy Krankie's wishes to stay, as being the collective voice of Scotland.

The SNP want us to stay and rest of UK to leave in the hope of another independence referendum, but I think Scotland will vote to leave. 21MY Defender 90 S 3.0 D200

The more I think about it the more complex a withdrawal becomes. Interesting discussion with Ken Clarke tonight where he points out that leaving is not a simple overnight event. It will take years during which we will be renegotiating our trade and legal relationships with the EU. We will have to comply with all of their regulations if we want continued trade (like we do with the USA) and won't be in a position to influence from the inside.
Also if Scotland has another referendum and votes to come out of the UK and join the EU we will have to rebuild border posts at Hadrian's wall! 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

We buy more goods from them than they buy goods from us so I think it will be more a case of them complying with our regulations if they want to sell to us. Currently our trade surplus with non EU countries is increasing. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Keeping the peace - that's NATO not the EU
Trade - the EU will want to sell their goods to us (BMW and VAG especially) so there will be desire on both sides for a trade agreement.
Security - we'll have a better chance of security by controlling our borders - no open borders where terrorists can move undetected between countries as France knows to its cost
Jobs at risk through no EU grants - well we only get half the money back we give to the EU - that's a lot of grants we can give ourselves
Jobs - imagine being able to restrict other countries dumping surplus goods on our shores and killing our industry - anyone remember we had a steel industry once finally killed by Chinese imports?
Fishing - imagine we could fish our own waters (assuming there are some fish left)
Red tape - no need for the public sector to tender contracts across the whole of the EU...just the UK will save millions

It will take time to unpick but I believe change isn't something to be scared about - have confidence in ourselves and not be bullied by the FrancoGermans. Where's that British bulldog spirit so epitomized by Winston Churchill.

donksey wrote:

SakoQuad wrote:

No it doesn't but I'd bet serious money that they will be scrapped in the name of employer freedoms along with other stuff like Human Rights legislation (and that is not the madness it is portrayed as by some of the media reporting what amounts to occasional abuse).

The ECHR I believe is separate to our membership with the EU.

donksey wrote:

I hear more Scots wanting to leave than stay, down here the media makes Wee Jimmy Krankie's wishes to stay, as being the collective voice of Scotland.

I just can't believe that wee man.
He wants to leave the UK and unshackle himself from that 'Westminster Elite', yet he is now siding with Cameron ( the Westminster Elite ) and wants to be governed/shackled by the EU.

As a side note; with the decline in the value of 'Scotland's Oil' (which was the bolster of his Scottish economy) he'll now be claiming that the 'Monopoly' pound is his !  FL2 now gone and have a couple of items left for sale:-

Brodit active iPhone holder + Brodit dash clip,
Bluetooth Music Streaming Module.

Plenty of scaremongering gong on with both camps.

I have (had) started listening to the arguments, resigned myself to the fact that both sides will argue to the death with very little actual fact coming out, it will all be cloaked in whatever spin they decide to put on it.

My head says stay, I import a lot of equipment from Europe, leaving would probably mean increased costs, along with having to factor in import duty and VAT to pay, this can have significant cash flow implications. The effect on the currency is also having repercussions with other imports from the US and the un certainty will onlt add to this problem.

My heart ... that says em, we can do this

There is an interesting parallel drawn with the Scottish independence vote last year where there was an assumption that things would stay constant and look what happened - something big changed (the oil price dropped).
The problem for us now now is to forget about the past and try to fast forward to two scenarios ie IN or OUT and decide what might happen in either case. eg if we leave will it destabilise Europe and allow Vladimir Putin to do the unthinkable and start taking over Baltic states and causing us trouble on our doorstep? Or will we become the equivalent of Taiwan just of the coast of China.

Incidentally, an unfair comparison but the last time anyone in the British Empire declared UDI was Rhodesia in the 60's - now called Zimbabwe. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

i also import very large numbers from Europe ( mainly Spain ) and have done for 25 years.

yes the exchange rate has caused problems and it has varied from near parity to over 1.5/£, but my customers want the product , and the factories want the sales , so it seems to have worked over a long period ( of course way before the Euro ).

Also times have changed and everything I purchased came from Europe, now some of my smaller sales , particularly electrical products come from India and China, and in my case both like payment in £ sterling

We must also be aware that us ' bad boy ' importers suffer but more importantly our exporters will see a huge benefit in a weaker pound.

IMO the pound has been over valued recently and needs to weaken ( even if it does mean I lose profit )

I say lets get out of this downward spiral of the EU and start manufacturing our own products instead of being subservient to other country's who dictate what we can and cannot do. Lets be great again it will be hard and a long journey back but if we produce what we used to imports will be a thing of the past. Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

Great Britain will never be 'great' again, politically Great Britain comprises of England, Scotland and Wales. Well the Welsh don't like the Brits and Scotland wants independence besides not liking the Brits, so no we'll never be 'great' again.