Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Benefits of rejoining the EU

162 replies

jgw1 · 29/10/2023 19:18

It has been suggested on another thread that it would be a good idea to have a thread for us to share the benefits of rejoining the EU.

I thought I would be bold enough to do so, and suggest the first benefit.

The UK would then be rule maker not a rule taker..

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 20:09

Pointless now. We would not get the same benefits we had previously, so there would be little point in rejoining other than regaining access to the single market (which is not insignificant).

We were already able to contribute to the rule making within the EU, but still chose to leave.

Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 20:25

HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 20:09

Pointless now. We would not get the same benefits we had previously, so there would be little point in rejoining other than regaining access to the single market (which is not insignificant).

We were already able to contribute to the rule making within the EU, but still chose to leave.

Why is the Prime Minister campaigning on long term decisions such as rejoining the EU which would lead to a brighter future if it is pointless?

OP posts:
Pedallleur · 29/10/2023 20:28

You, our children/grandchildren will be able to travel throughout Europe without border checks, visas etc.
We would be part of the largest trading bloc in the world and our rights would be upheld in European Courts and e.g. working hours would be subject to EU ruling not the whim of some billionaire Tory donor

Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 20:34

Pedallleur · 29/10/2023 20:28

You, our children/grandchildren will be able to travel throughout Europe without border checks, visas etc.
We would be part of the largest trading bloc in the world and our rights would be upheld in European Courts and e.g. working hours would be subject to EU ruling not the whim of some billionaire Tory donor

What if I am a big donor to the Tory party? Why is my party trying to persuade people to rejoin the EU?

OP posts:
Pedallleur · 29/10/2023 20:41

Well there was a group or a number of groups who persuaded people that we held all the cards blah blah. People like Rees Mogg, the ERG, Jim Ratcliffe etc are all still there.

Libertass · 29/10/2023 20:45

The benefits of re-joining the EU are many, but entirely irrelevant.

The problem which completely overshadows all of them is that re-joining would inevitably mean accepting freedom of movement, which is politically impossible now and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Most English people want less uncontrolled mass immigration, not even more.

The Tories would never accept freedom of movement, obviously, and Labour know that any attempt to do so would be the wedge issue which would divide its white working class supporters from its educated liberal ones and tear the party apart. So it’s a non-starter.

Goodornot · 29/10/2023 20:47

Adopting the Euro and not being able to set our own interest rates would be disastrous.

It's pointless to discuss. We're not going back.

Sometimeswinning · 29/10/2023 20:48

Well it’s been a huge shift towards being EU free. A lot of money. Maybe give it longer than a few years before we have another vote? I’m personally not missing anything. I’m not sure I’d vote the same way as before but I’m also not sure I wouldn’t.

Hate the idea of another level of government basking in billions of pounds making decisions beyond people’s choices and doing their own thing. Making laws which are never enforceable to individual countries and yet god knows what is wasted on deciding them. Other countries going along with it because they need them. Making themselves untouchable because they are so important. Murder, fraud not an issue. It’s an absolute farce in some ways and completely needed in others. Trade and freedom of movement being the only things I can think of.

HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 20:49

jgw1 · 29/10/2023 20:25

Why is the Prime Minister campaigning on long term decisions such as rejoining the EU which would lead to a brighter future if it is pointless?

Show quote history

Because he's doing what Boris did before him and trying to get re-elected. Nothing to do with reality, just what keeps him in number 10.

Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:00

HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 20:49

Because he's doing what Boris did before him and trying to get re-elected. Nothing to do with reality, just what keeps him in number 10.

Show quote history

The polls suggest perhaps that he is not really very good at it then.

OP posts:
Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:03

Goodornot · 29/10/2023 20:47

Adopting the Euro and not being able to set our own interest rates would be disastrous.

It's pointless to discuss. We're not going back.

Its almost as though we had a really good deal when we were in the EU.

OP posts:
HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 21:23

jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:00

The polls suggest perhaps that he is not really very good at it then.

Show quote history

Quite. I think the electorate are finally seeing through the bullshit.

Also, I can't ever see a time where the UK would vote to switch to the Euro which is almost guaranteed to be a condition of rejoining. The economy is a mess as it is without changing currency.

Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:24

HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 21:23

Quite. I think the electorate are finally seeing through the bullshit.

Also, I can't ever see a time where the UK would vote to switch to the Euro which is almost guaranteed to be a condition of rejoining. The economy is a mess as it is without changing currency.

Show quote history

Some countries that were doing badly before they joined the EU, seem to have done well afterwards. I understand the average standard of living in some of them will soon overtake the UK.

OP posts:
TotalOverhaul · 29/10/2023 21:30

The ability to freely move through Europe, live, study and work there. And get back some half-decent builders from Poland and care home workers from eastern Europe - we are desperately short staffed in some areas since EU workers were sent packing.!

Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:32

TotalOverhaul · 29/10/2023 21:30

The ability to freely move through Europe, live, study and work there. And get back some half-decent builders from Poland and care home workers from eastern Europe - we are desperately short staffed in some areas since EU workers were sent packing.!

Surely there is a fair chance by the time we rejoin the EU that we or our children will be pleased to move to Eastern Europe to do those jobs?

OP posts:
HappiestSleeping · 29/10/2023 21:36

jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:24

Some countries that were doing badly before they joined the EU, seem to have done well afterwards. I understand the average standard of living in some of them will soon overtake the UK.

Show quote history

Absolutely. Being a member of the EU is a fantastic thing, and we should never have thrown it away. Sadly, a good deal of the financial services that used to be based here have moved to Frankfurt, Madrid, and Dublin amongst other places. Then the turmoil for farming, small businesses, car manufacturing.

It will take years to unpick the damage to the economy and even if we did rejoin, it wouldn't be a quick fix. It is a complete mess.

ManAboutTown · 29/10/2023 21:59

Rejoining the EU would require joining the Euro - an economic nightmare as even left wing economists like Paul Krugman have acknowledged.

There were good arguments on both sides for leaving - the ones for rejoining are non-existent

As for the point about being a rule maker again that is just nonsense

Lisbeth50 · 29/10/2023 22:13

Why is the Prime Minister campaigning on long term decisions such as rejoining the EU which would lead to a brighter future if it is pointless?

Where have you seen that????

Original poster
jgw1 · 29/10/2023 22:19

Lisbeth50 · 29/10/2023 22:13

Why is the Prime Minister campaigning on long term decisions such as rejoining the EU which would lead to a brighter future if it is pointless?

Where have you seen that????

It was his slogan at the party conference, quite possibly he has flipflopped on it like many of his other policies by now.

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 30/10/2023 06:04

Why is the Prime Minister campaigning on long term decisions such as rejoining the EU which would lead to a brighter future if it is pointless?

Governments put ideas out there to test the water, to see what the electorate find favour in. It's a way of setting policy according to the prevailing views of the people. They release ideas and see how people respond.

Some countries that were doing badly before they joined the EU, seem to have done well afterwards. I understand the average standard of living in some of them will soon overtake the UK.

in comparison to their economies before joining the EU, many of the late joiners in East Europe will have improved their standard of living. I think more's to the point their Quality of Life will have improved because their priorities and values are very different to those of the UK, they are less materialistic and more about society and family, so their benefits of improved public services, facilities and infrastructure have given their citizens improved ways of life, while UK society, attitudes and culture has deteriorated massively especially in the past decade, yet consumerism doesn't appear to have waned.

ETA - my perception is that some EU countries received big EU grants to build up their country's infrastructure. On my travels I've observed big hoardings advertising developments funded directly by EU grants. Yet I've never seen any such projects in England. Wales did well out of the EU yet they still voted to leave, go figure!

MidnightOnceMore · 30/10/2023 06:13

jgw1 · 29/10/2023 21:03

Its almost as though we had a really good deal when we were in the EU.

Show quote history

Oh don't. I'm so angry about what was thrown away.

Brexit was such a massive error. Those who led it for their own political gain are a disgrace.

ZenNudist · 30/10/2023 06:21

I'm a remainer for what it's worth. So much foreseeable damage was done. Sadly going back in is not a viable option now but maybe a Switzerland style model or even Norway. Pay for access the single market will be on the cards eventually.

MeAndStuart1981 · 30/10/2023 07:48

There's not much appetite amongst Brits living in the UK to rejoin the EU. What would be the point? To join the Euro, Schengen?

There's quite a few countries desperate to join such as Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro etc etc. They would be EU beneficiaries. The UK would be a contributor. We paid in the most after Germany. The EU Commission has recently asked for bigger contributions which has caused in-fighting.

Do we really want to rejoin? Apart from a few diehards, the answer will be no.

PinkyDinkyDoodle · 30/10/2023 07:53

Leaving was a disaster. Rejoining is the only way to salvage our economy. I want my children to have to same opportunities to study, live and work in the EU that I had. I’d rejoin tomorrow.

Spirro · 30/10/2023 07:54

If we rejoin we’ll have to accept the Euro, which will never happen. Even the most die-hard Europhiles don’t want the Euro. We should have stayed put when we were in the EU with “special conditions”. They won’t let us rejoin and have those conditions again.