To be 100% confused how to vote

[Yellowsun11]

Regarding Europe - Iv looked on line and for the first time tempted not to vote as I really don't know how to vote .

Vote to remain

Vote. Read all you can, talk bout it to anyone you can and then vote. Don't waste the chance. No-one is sure. No-one knows the answers 100%

Vote Out

I can't figure it out either. If I could be sure the economy wouldn't suffer I would probably vote out, but since I can't be sure of that then I just really don't know. How can you vote on something when the effects either way are so uncertain??

I'm voting out. I think. The more the government push for in, the more I think hold on a second. Have these people been wrong before? I think in is better for "them" but not for the general population.

Read what you have time / inclination for. Think about it a bit and then go with your instinct.

Whatever you do, do vote.

I think it's quite a philosophical decision. If you think you like the idea of a large group of likeminded countries getting together to work for the common good, you might vote to remain. If you think a country should retain control of its own future, laws, borders etc, you might vote leave.

For me it's a question of democracy and I'll be voting out to preserve this.

If Trump becomes president, how will that affect trade and negotiations with the EU? Could being seperate be an advantage? I think I read online he wants big foreign policy changes.

I'd like us to leave the EU.

We can collaborate with other countries without the EU. Currently their laws trump British law, and I'd like that to be reversed. I also believe the EU is undemocratic and that Britain has little influence. If we leave, we're free to make trade agreements around the world and welcome people from other countries with the skills we need, without having to prioritise EU migrants. The economy being a little bit worse at first doesn't bother me, as I think we'll do better in the long run if we keep the money we'd have sent to Brussels and spend it on our NHS, education etc. And I don't think you can put a price on sovereignty and democracy.

It is so so important to vote, this is a much bigger deal than a general election.

WordGetsAround sums it up well above, I agree it's quite a philosophical question and I'm not too worried about the short term economical impacts. I'm voting to remain but I have gone back and forth. I'm trying to take the long view and think of how it will affect my young children in the decades to come.

I'm in the same boat. To be honest I don't know if I am even interested ducks for cover

I don't have strong political views but I usually do some research and I always vote but for the EU referendum I just don't understand it. Yet surprisingly for the Scottish independence referendum I did have an opinion and did care. Granted, I didn't decide until the night before the referendum who I was voting for.

I think perhaps for the independence referendum there was more hype around it, EVERYONE had an opinion. That doesn't seem to be the case for the EU referendum, I bet there is a lot of people totally oblivious to it.

So I would appreciate any guidance too

I really hope people don't just vote to exit on the basis they don't like/ trust the Government. I've never voted Tory in my life but will vote to remain. We've been in the EU for a lot longer than one government's duration. This transcends party politics.

I'm with you OP. I literally have not got a clue how to vote. My gut instinct says out but I really haven't read enough to be certain that that's the correct choice for me to make though. Can anyone recommend any sites for reading up on the issue?

I particularly liked Michael Gove saying that we could be like Albania if we left. What, massively poor and very much hoping to get back in?

It may sound childish, and it's certainly not my only reason for voting Remain, but being on the same side as Gove, IDS, Boris and Chris Grayling is NOT something I'm prepared to contemplate, even if it puts me in the same boat as Cameron.

Read the 'Five Presidents' report and see if their plan for the EU and Europe is something you agree with.

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-releaseIP-15-52400_en.htm

I'm voting to stay - more a case of better the devil you know, ease of trade and strength in numbers. The idea of the Tories being in charge of things like working time directives makes me nervous too - I like the fact that there's a balance to the madness of whatever party is in power in terms of the European Court and so on.

Otoh, it would give me great pleasure if more Scots voted to come out than to stay in, just to piss off Nicola Sturgeon, but that's just the evil in me

I second BriteRainbow. Read the Five Presidents' Report. It's the closest you'll get to an unbiased account of the EU's plans for the future, seeing as it was written by five top EU officials. Then decide if that's an EU you want the UK to be part of. All the economic argument and counter-argument on both sides is basically speculation: the stuff that matters is about governance, and you'll get the future direction of travel on that from reading this report.

Vote IN to be a slave to the Germans. Vote OUT to be poor but free!

Vote IN to keep the rights that allow you to take parental leave, not be sacked for complaining about sexual harassment, and allow you return faulty goods. Vote OUT to let the Tories and their friends rob you blind, cheat you out of legal redress and treat you like the forelock-tugging scum you are.

"treat you like the forelock-tugging scum you are"

I loathe Cameron but am voting to stay in!! For parental leave, for stronger rights for women, for the chance that MAYBE our maternity/paternity/childcare might be as good as Germany and some other countries.
Plus I think a fair bit of the out campaign is just based on racism

FWIW im voting in. It's very important to vote either way but I would rather you didn't vote if you will vote out

Spoil your paper if you have no gut feeling.

The one thing that everyone seems to forget is that the EU was founded for one very specific reason: PEACE. After two World Wars, both of which originated in Europe, the aim was to make sure there was never again a serious enough conflict between Germany (and allies) and France, UK (and allies). That's at the core of it - economics came later (although they're also very important).

Given what's going on in the world, I for one would be very worried about the EU alliance breaking up. I don't want my DSs fighting a war in their late teens. And please don't believe that it will never happen! Everyone thought so after the First World War too...

This is NOT scaremongering btw. We're currently in the longest period of peace our continent has experienced in many centuries (and yes, that's excluding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the good reason that they didn't involve forced conscription, nor did they affect everyday life in the UK, terrible though they were). Without the EU, Europe is NOT a stable bunch of friendly countries. Please, please look at History before voting. The UK leaving would start to blow it all up, as other countries would follow suit - and soon we're not just looking at economic consequences.