to still have no clue which way to vote on Thursday?

[DowntonIsMyHome]

I've looked at the BBC referendum check thing to try to get through the spin but it hasn't helped much

I'm a single parent at uni doing a post grad that will end next year, then I will qualify. I have a council house and barely made ends meet before quitting work to do the course

not sure if any of that means I should lean towards in or out but my whole family are 'out', citing life as 'better' before the EU and immigration as their reasons (I don't have the same view re immigration as they do, though)

argh.... the deadline is hurtling towards me and I ain't got a clue!

There is no clear analysis of the facts

No one knows what the facts even are. The whole thing is ridiculous.

That video is by someone who is declared for remain so not exactly unbiased.

Lots of wildlife areas near me are protected by EU legislation

Remove that and hey presto, huge new housing developments all over the countryside.

No thank.s

I think its the UKIP poster that has rattled a lot of the Vote Leave campaign. I don't believe that all Vote Leave people are all xenophobes by a long way but I do believe that xenophobes have aligned themselves with the Vote Leave campaign.

This is a terrible shame as we should have had a proper discussion about such an important referendum. There are genuine arguments to be had about sovereignity, European bureaucracy, migration and expansion of the EU. I happen to agree with Boris's Dad (Stanley Johnson) that we are better having those arguments within the EU than trying to influence from the outside. However, I would have liked to have seen a proper debate from both sides.

Remain for me, and I am no fan of the EU. However we tend to blame our red tape problems on the EU, when they are entirely of our own making -and I have first hand experience of this professionally. When the E U issues a Directive, a member state is then required to issue legal regulations to comply with the Directive. When that happens in the U K, our own bureaucrats go to town, gold-plating regulations. These then pass through Parliament unchallenged, because our own MPs ( of all parties) are too bone idle to actually read the regulations and consider their effect.
As far as the EU itself, setting aside the usual over-spending/incompetence, etc, surrounding all gov't bodies, we are better off working in alliances, than on our own. The U.K. Punches well above its weight internationally within the EU, but this would not be true if we Brexited.
My final concern is that Brexit would trash the economy. I run a small business, and I think if it passes, I will be filing for bankruptcy PDQ.

The future of the EU is bleak. The Eurozone is doomed, the one-size-fits-all social, political and economic model is a bad fit for most EU members. More and more poorer countries are lined up to join. This is a once in a lifetime chance to cut loose that dead weight.

I live in Cornwall, where there is quite a big leave movement. Not one of the people I have talked to about it gives a toss about immigration. Most of them are annoyed that the xenophobic agenda is so dominant, as it totally overshadows their concerns about the dead hand of un-democratic EU control.

"I live in Cornwall, where there is quite a big leave movement. Not one of the people I have talked to about it gives a toss about immigration. Most of them are annoyed that the xenophobic agenda is so dominant, as it totally overshadows their concerns about the dead hand of un-democratic EU control."

Again that's another Leave lie.

If we didn't have sovereignty we wouldn't be able to have this vote.
We elect MEPs - for a 28 member state we have about 10% of the MEPs.
Our MEPs appoint executives to act - they are accountable to the MEPs.

In what way is it undemocratic - its virtually the same as our own domestic democratic process!

Cornwall recieve a lot of EU funding. I would think there's a good chance it's more than its share of the money that goes out to the EU.

It's impossible, isn't it. All of my left wing friends are very vociferous about the need to stay in, and have been from the outset. The Brexiteers I've spoken to are less vociferous, but most have credible reasons for their views which have nothing to do with racism or a "little England" mentality.

I am struggling because I don't have a natural starting position. At each general election, I study the merits of each party carefully and vote accordingly. I've tried to do the same here, but there seems to be no source of credible, unbiased fact. Every article I have read - and I've read a lot in my attempts to reach a decision - have an agenda. It's easy to select the facts/suppositions/guesstimates that suit.

Neither do I particularly trust those lists of supporters of the 2 campaigns. Call me a cynic, but I suspect most have undisclosed interests at heart.

I would love to hear in particular from intelligent people who have no strong political affiliation and who have weighed up all of the "noise" we've heard over the past weeks to reach a reasoned, and most importantly, recent, conclusion on the best way to vote.

Anyone?

I've latched onto the one thing that would actually make my life much worse - and that's the countryside near me being built over.

So I'm voting remain.

Yes its a small parochial concern but at least its something I understand :-)

My personal reason for wanting to remain is that I've lived in other European countries, worked in other European countries, and quite fancy retiring to another European country in due course. I love the way that, at present, we can work, study and settle anywhere from the Baltic to the Aegean, with no barriers. If we leave, and manage to stop EU migrants coming in (not a given, by any means), it's all going to get a bit tit for tat, and UK citizens who want to work or settle in the EU will suffer. Why would we want to cut off our nose to spite our own face?

Lucky dip it!

I'm not even sure if I want to vote to be honest. Both campaigns are so bias and sensationalist that it makes it really difficult to make a proper informed decision on the matter.

Its also not much of a choice imo we either have one corrupt body controlling us or another!

That said though if I do decide to vote I personally lean more towards remain simply due to the fact that I don't think any government should have a complete dictatorship over a country. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that. It just feels a bit safer to know the EU are around to 'step in' if needed.

If Britain votes out, Scotland will leave the UK. Permanent Tory majority.

^^

This is utter rubbish , no one knows how Scotland will vote. Predictions are it will be a 50/50 spilt just like Indy ref so it will have no bearing on Scotland which way the EU vote goes as Scotland is equally divided.

I'm pretty sure that part of the Brexit deal is still to have freedom of travel within EU. Immigration is not the problem. We have a problem with people coming to the uk illegally... This has nothing to do with being park of the EU.

I've latched onto the one thing that would actually make my life much worse - and that's the countryside near me being built over.

Huge amounts of countryside are being built over already! Why on earth do you think that has anything to do with the EU? Cornwall

And as for the so-called environmental protection, forget it. I am part of an action groups who are trying to fight the developers who are riding rough-shod over all the Habitat Directives.

Again that's another Leave lie.

What is, that lots of Cornish want to leave? Come down here and take a look at all the posters, watch the local news and talk to the people.

I share your concerns mananana about the countryside being concreted over, environmental issues and the destruction of the countryside are a big concern of mine. However I'm not convinced the EU can stop it.
Near me, large areas of farm land have been bought up, including a very old bluebell wood, and are being developed. Protests have fallen on deaf ears and the houses are going ahead.
I cant see how being in or out of the EU makes any difference, maybe there is more protection of special interest sites from the EU, but bog standard farmland/countryside?

I'm pretty sure that part of the Brexit deal is still to have freedom of travel within EU

They say .

They also say that the EU will be gagging to trade with us, that somehow we're going to be able to keep EU migrants out without our freedom of movement being affected, and that Commonwealth countries are going to be gagging to trade with us, too.

These are only claims though, and, even though I'm firmly in the Remain camp, I have been eagerly looking out for some kind of factual basis for these claims. It would be nice to know that there was some kind of solid reason for people wanting out! I would expect, for example, some kind of sign from these Commonwealth countries that they are keen for us to leave the EU, and can't wait to make a favourable trade agreementt with us, but.......................................................................the silence is resounding. In fact, I believe Canada and Australia have spoken out in favour of our remaining in the EU. Likewise, the US.

I'm out. My reasons are: I do not agree with handing over further sovereignty to Europe. I don't agree with ever closer political and fiscal union that some countries (Germany) and the EU Commission want and will press ahead with. The Eurozone has to harmonise into one monetary policy else it wont survive. We will then either face pressure to join or be left on the sidelines. I believe there will be increasing pressure to sign up to Schengen. I do not believe a vote to remain is a vote for the status quo. I think it is an endorsement of the European project. The Greek sovereign debt crisis is set to worsen - Italy and possibly Spain set to follow. EU economy is in decline and worsening.
Gaining any meaningful policy decisions is impossible with 28 (and increasing) members - the system of qualified majority voting means we are often out -voted and have to accept decisions made which may not be beneficial to the country. I don't believe in freedom of movement of people as a principle. Economists predicted doom when we left the ERM, and also when we didn't join the EURO citing foreign and direct investment would dry up - it didn't. They also failed to foresee the last Recession, Our economy fluctuates into recession while we are in the EU. Our ability to trade with rest of world is significantly hampered in the EU. These are just some of my reasons.
I don't think brexit offers risk free utopia, but I think there are significant risks to remaining which people are not discussing.

I don't think it comes down to party politics. All the main parties support remain but there are significant numbers within all the parties who support leave.

I believe that almost everyone, whatever their views, just wants to do whatever is best for the country and I absolutely believe in the right of every person to vote in the way they think best without having disreputable motives ascribed to them. I believe that there are good reasons for voting remain and good reasons for voting leave, I respect both choices and will accept the democratic decision, whatever it is.

I hope that everyone who is able to vote, does so and that everyone considers the arguments on both sides carefully before doing so. Although I have made up my mind how to vote I'm continuing to read newspaper articles arguing for both sides of the question with an open mind.

I have decided to vote remain for the following reasons:

• there seems to be a consensus that coming out of the EU will damage the economy very badly. The last few years of austerity have been very tough on the poorest and most vulnerable. I hate to think of that becoming even worse.

• I think that the damage to our economy will wipe out any savings we gain from not having to contribute to the EU.

• migrants make a net contribution to our economy so a reduction in migration will leave us worse off as a country.

• there will be less money around, not more, if we come out of the EU so there will be less money for schools, hospitals and houses than before.

• lack of investment in public services is down to what the government chooses to spend money on, not the cost of our EU contribution.

• the EU will continue to exist if we come out. There will still be a large, regulated single market on our doorstep. We just won't be part of it. We will need to trade with the EU but in order to do so effectively (like Norway) we will have to adopt EU regulations, pay a financial levy and possibly accept free movement as well. However we'd lose all influence and representation. To me that seems like the worst of all possible worlds.

• I like being able to work and travel freely throughout Europe and want these opportunities for my children.

• my Summer holiday is likely to be 50% more expensive if we leave.

I feel sorry gmfir the Greeks. The only good point to me if we stay in is to help the Greeks financially and helping them by taking the refugees they have.

The downside is the cuts to pay for that will be felt more by the poor and the refugees won't be housed in MC areas. This will upset the WC further and there will be more anger.

By the way, I, too, live in Cornwall, and really, really don't get why people here want to vote out. Unless it's because all our MPs are pro Brexit. . You could say that it's because farmers want out, but then why has the National Farmers' Union recommended remaining?

You could say that it's because the EU gives fishermen a raw deal, but is this really down to the EU? I've done a bit of digging, and it appears that, under this and the last Government, UK fishing rights have been sold to large concerns, which seem to have the right to remain anonymous. Then small boat fishermen, of whom there are many still hanging on in Cornwall, have to buy their own fishing rights back from these large concerns, for a lot of money. And the individual responsible for the sale of these fishing rights? The UK fisheries minister, who happens to be our MP. Who has stood for UKIP in the past, is now vehemently pro-Brexit, and is vociferously denouncing the EU for screwing over fishermen. Right on .

(By the way, the poster count in our Cornish village stands at 2 "Leave", and 5 "Remain" ).

Nothing gets better by turning our back on the world.

The EU isn't the world. There's a whole world out there which isn't part of the EU!

When we joined the Common Market, as it was then, a lot of people had the same concern - that we were turning our backs on the rest of the world.

I have been swinging from remain to leave and back constantly.

My thinking goes like this - in the short term to medium term (1-15 years) Brexit would be a disaster on the economy - just as DS is going to get ready for University and get a job. UK would be the black sheep of the world for about a year and Brexit would be blamed on everything going wrong in the world economy.

But staying in EU in medium term - Global financial crisis is heading our way again, and being in the EU means bail out after bail out which will mean UK getting the bum end of the deal and bailing out everyone. We will waste millions on bailing out struggling countries.

But Brexit in the long term - I believe UK would bounce back bigger and better and will do better than all the EU. I think it would be good for the UK in the long long term.

We would have more control over our destiny. But if we are going for a deal with the EU, I would bet we still have to comply with thousands of EU laws and we would still end up contributing millions to the EU - so Brexit will turn out to have been a pointless exercise.. Even Norway pays half a billion a year to have a deal with the EU, Switzerland pays a billion or so a year and their economies are tiny compared to ours. There will be minimal savings because we would still be paying a few billion into the EU. So Brexit would end up being a false economy - there would not be any extra money for the NHS.

So ultimately, I have decided to vote remain.

I think I've made my mind up to remain.

I don't think we can trust our government to rule alone. Not when you consider all the atrocities they've gotten away with under EU law. What will they do without it?

That's my main concern, to be honest.