What has the EU ever done for us?

[Surferjet]

Can you name 5 fantastically wonderful things the EU has given us that we couldn't have achieved on our own?

[Alfieisnoisy]

They gave us an enormous amount of money after the Manchester bombing....millions as I recall. Our contribution to the rebuilding and regeneration was negligible in comparison.

[YourPerception]

High interest rates and a recession in the 90's.

[reup]

Working time directive

[reup]

Full rights for part time workers (mainly women)

[reup]

Paid leave

[reup]

Cheaper mobile calls abroad

[WellErrr]

We had workers rights anyway.

[reup]

Cleaner beaches/water/air

There 5 off the top of my head

[WellErrr]

Crippling red tape and restrictions for British farmers (that Belgium/France and others just don't fancy following so don't....and aren't sanctioned).

[WellErrr]

An extra few hundred thousand people to feed house and medicate each year.

[reup]

I said part time workers

Most migrants here are non eu.

What about UK citizens abroad - all those pensioners in Spain?

[YourPerception]

Made coffee shops, childcare , cleaners and extensions cheaper for the M&UC.

[YourPerception]

Pensioners in Spain spend in Spain.

[reup]

Not on health services though. Migrants spend here too!

[reup]

Coffee shops aren't cheaper - they pay minimum wages to everyone. No idea about the others as I've never used those services.

[WellErrr]

Pensioners in Spain don't generally bring their whole family with them to be housed fed and have medical treatment courtesy of the Spanish authorities.

Immigration is far from my main reason for voting Leave - I'm all for immigration. But it needs to be a fair system, which the current 'come one, come all and we'll be obliged to house you if you bring children' system is not. And no it's not racist to say that.

[YourPerception]

Having spoken to people who are WC that is what they told me they are annoyed the competition from the EU has brought their wages down and are sticking two fingers up to MC and UC.

[YourPerception]

Victoria Derbyshire has an article 350,000 Romanian children left behind. That's what the EU did for those families.

[Justchanged]

1. Huge contribution to peace. Europe has been beset by nationalism for centuries causing 2 world wars in 40 years. The EU has been huge successful in getting countries to work together so that war between major European powers seems unthinkable. Gove et al actively want to break this up, and the nationalism that is being incited in the UK at the moment is frankly worrying.
   

1. Tax revenues. The City would be smaller without the EU. A large part of the boom in the City is that it is the financial centre for the EU, as the EU financial services passport allow it to do all European trades. This will stop post-Brexit. Whilst bankers may not be liked, the tax revenues and jobs they create allow the NHS, etc to function.
   

1. Jobs. Nissan etc build manufacturing plants here to benefit from tariff-free export to the single market. Also aerospace manufacturing (Airbus) would not be here without EU membership.
   

1. International bargaining power. By being a member of the largest economic block in the world, the UK has more negotiating power than it does alone. This matters. We have more influence in international politics as America's bridge to Europe, than if we are an angry isolationist island harking back to former glories. We also have more influence in trade negotiations as part of a large group. The EU does not have a trade deal with China mainly because China's standards are not up to ours (no lead in paint etc). EU regulations are there to ensure that everyone competes on fair terms and that globalisation is not a race to the bottom in terms of worker's rights (so if you want to be part of the single market you have to make sure your workers have paid holiday, aren't in a sweatshop - so the working time directive etc). On its own the UK has just 2% of world GDP and lacks negotiating power.
   

1. The ability to work, retire, study in other EU countries on the same terms as a local. 2m UK citizens currently benefit from this. There are British communities in France, Spain, Italy etc, and no they are often normal working people. UK students can avoid hefty tuition fees by studying at Dutch universities (Maastricht looks particularly good).
   

1. The NI peace process. not due to the EU, but would be severely threatened by the closing of the border - essential if the UK leaves the single market, but the Republic of Ireland is in it. I have seen it suggested here that the border could move to NI/Great Britain, so alternatively, it could threaten the break-up of the UK.
   

1. Diversity and culture. Food in particular has been transformed in the UK since the 1990s, in no small part due to free movement of people.
   

But overall, my main concern is cultural. I want a UK like the one shown at London 2012 - outward looking, welcoming and tolerant. One that does not turn its back on its neighbours. Peace, prosperity and civilisation are precious - let's keep them.

[reup]

So most migrants are from outside the Euro - are you ok with them?

Do you imagine wages will rise post Brexit? And the conservatives will pour money into their beloved NHS .. Hmmm not very likely. In 2 jobs I have
had over the last 25 years neither wages have barely risen - one maybe even about £3, 000 pa since 1990 and the other not at all because the jobs were given over to agencies who take a huge cut. Neither area employ many - if any migrants.

[WellErrr]

Just your third point is laughable.

Have you ANY idea how many British companies have moved manufacturing into cheaper EU countries, putting thousands of British people out of work?

[WellErrr]

(With EU grants and funding I should have added)

[Limer]

What about the future for the EU? Collapse of the Euro, economic decline of the whole Eurozone, massive youth unemployment across Southern & Eastern Europe, ongoing transfer of wealth from richer to poorer countries, even poorer countries lined up to join thus increasing this transfer, etc, etc.

Meanwhile the chattering classes of Western Europe continue to build their personal wealth off the backs of the EU's poorest, condemning their own working classes to a lifetime of poverty with NMW jobs and zero-hours contracts, creating an ever-growing underclass rife with drugs, crime and worklessness.

Oh and Justchanged we did have cappuccino and camembert before 1990 you know.

[SanityClause]

The European Arrest Warrant enabled police to end the "Costa del Crime", and bring criminals to justice, who otherwise may never have been, due to lengthy and costly extradition processes.

[howtorebuild]

Meanwhile the chattering classes of Western Europe continue to build their personal wealth off the backs of the EU's poorest, condemning their own working classes to a lifetime of poverty with NMW jobs and zero-hours contracts, creating an ever-growing underclass rife with drugs, crime and worklessness.

While the non WC snear at the WC and concern themselves with the annoyance of a Britec causing them a few extra pounds and minutes sorting visas and extra mobile phone costs, knowing the WC can't afford a mobile contract, holidays or education abroad.