Question for Remainers

[7salmonswimming]

Can you please tell me why you want to Remain?

Discourse is charged right now, there’s a lot of fact and non-fact swirling around. So apart from the single market and trade benefits (which I think are massive but probably misunderstood by most, because there’s so much detail), why do you want to Remain? Thinking back to when you cast your vote: fear of change? Feel European? Ease of travel? Married to an EU citizen?

We hear a lot of questioning of Brexiters’ motives, not much about

Full disclosure: I don’t live in the UK. I think what’s happening in the EU augers well for what is happening elsewhere in the world.

[Talkinpeece]

We have the best trade negotiation team in the world getting us deals at the moment
on March 29th we sack them and appoint the Brexiteers
doomed

[HoneywithLemon]

I wanted to remain because:

(i) If it ain't broke why fix it? I couldn't see how leaving the EU would make a material difference to daily life for the UK
(ii) Freedom of movement - I wanted it for my children (and me should I wish to work/retire abroad, and I like that EU citizens can come and work here - it enriches life here

[Emilyontmoor]

The responsibility that the EU takes very seriously for the Good Friday Agreement is precisely why they have had the border as one of their red lines from the very start. It is a sense of responsibility shared by few in Westminster...

[Moussemoose]

And non of those countries were in the EU at the time of conflict.

Separatist issues within Spain.

The point is that counties in the EU were not fighting each other.

Look at the history of conflict between Germany (previously the Germanic states) and France. This is the longest period of peace.

Any other history you need clarifying?

[Moussemoose]

The existence of the EU helped facilitate the GFA - that's where the EU was.

70 + years of peace for Western Europe. Peace between countries who were/are in the EU.

The former Yugoslavia was NOT in the EU at the time - that's where the EU was.

Anything else you need help with?

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

Not to mention the separatist troubles in Spain, war in Croatia, the Russian/Georgian war, kurkish/Turkish war, and the 2014 Ukraine conflict.

Peace in Europe indeed!

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

70+ years of peace in Europe?

Really?

Are you not old enough to remember the Northern Ireland conflict and the Bosnian, Serbian and Kosovan wars? Where was the EU then?

[thecatsabsentcojones]

PS and don't we look like utter pricks now?!

[thecatsabsentcojones]

My overriding reason to vote Remain was that I don't trust our government with human rights or employment legislation. From what I see from the likes of Rees-Mogg it's all about a race to the bottom. The EU was a barrier to that happening.

Other reasons include the economy, a no deal will be catastrophic and as we can now see a deal will never be as favourable as being in the EU. Environmental legislation, freedom of movement, the NHS, needing to draw in EU workforce easily, and our global reputation as being outward looking.

I'm also gobsmacked that there's clear evidence of foul play but the referendum despite this is being held up as a shining beacon of democracy. It's not democracy if one side is based on instantly admitted lies. Who wouldn't want that sum of money for the NHS? There should be another referendum, mind you the first should never have been held.

[DevonCherry]

Why I voted remain (and still think we should remain):
-70+ years of peace in Europe - all the more important in these troubled times with populist and nationalistic governments on the rise - a sense of security in close ties with near neighbours (especially while his orange highness is in power in USA).
-Green reasons - more sustainable to trade with near neighbours with good green credentials than countries on other side of world.
-Freedom of movement - I can only speak for London which I think would grind to a halt without EU migration! The communities of young and vibrant EU citizens - including many of my friends and colleagues - give so much to this world city. Also freedom of movement for others who have built lives in other EU nations or want to do in future.
-Visa-free travel / medical cover (EHIC) / phone roaming when travelling abroad - selfish reasons - but all a lot of expense and hassle when you don't have it!
-Environmental and employee protections - legislations which are not likely to please big business but need to be made to protect nature and workers.
-Academic collaboration and funding (DP and many friend work in a university).
And that's before you start looking at trade - so many businesses with established EU markets being risked by this foolhardy jump into the unknown. We're so tangled up in the EU, I don't think there is anything to gain from trying to extricate ourselves, full stop. The world has become a very different place since 1973.

[MyNameIsArthur]

I asked my MP to support a people's vote but he refused

[Yaralie]

If only there were more like you. Please keep telling others how you've changed your mind. It is just possible that we may get another chance to have our say.

[MyNameIsArthur]

I voted to leave for a mixture of reasons but after the last two years have been so disillusioned by it all. I read a book recently and it has changed my outlook on Europe and made me realise that for the last forty or so years the government and media has painted such a negative picture of the EU and it has been about them and us and about what we can get out of the EU rather than what can we all do for the greater good of Europe, not just us. If I had the chance again I would vote to remain.

[Levie]

My business is in import & distribution mostly of EU products so I know the difference between complex bureaucratic 3rd country imports and EU imports. My products have Protected Geographical Indication of Origin so they can’t simply be replaced.

I think freedom of movement has generally been a positive force. I’ve benefited from this and so have friends, colleagues, my industry sector. I have family in Europe and have always had an international outlook.

[Laniakea]

• economic stability
  
• Ireland/Northern Ireland
  
• maintaining status quo unless there’s a good reason not to
  
• environmental concerns & regulations
  
• freedom to travel/work/study
  
• to avoid the US becoming any more influential in UK life/trade
  
• worrying about Trump/Putin & Trump’s attitude to NATO - not a good time to be distancing ourselves from allies

[Peregrina]

When Johnson, Rees Mogg et al talk about a "bonfire of regulations" this is what they really mean.

This is what really angers me - the rights we enjoy now were hard fought for. Whereas Johnson and Rees-Mogg have been handed things on a plate due to family connections, and are making sure that they or their money is well protected.

[Rainbunny]

And since someone has mentioned the TTIP agreement, what do you think a US-UK trade deal will resemble? Take a wild guess...

www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-ttip-conservative-us-deal-tory-party-cato-legatum-institute-trade-a8252216.html

[Rainbunny]

I couldn't vote because I've been overseas for more than 15 years and no longer was allowed to vote. I would have voted Remain though. The EU is far from perfect and does have issues that need to be fixed which we could only do if we are a part of it. My main fear about Brexit and I really fear this will happen, is that the disaffected Tories who've been pushing for it for years aren't doing it because they want the UK and all it's people to be better, they're doing it based on their extreme right-wing Capitalist free-mark ideology, Thatcherism on steroids! They look at the USA (where I live) and they want the UK to resemble that. Believe me when I tell you you don't want that to happen, income inequality is the highest in the developed world, the welfare net is the smallest in the developed world and regulations for everything from the environment, food, animal welfare, etc are far more lax than in Europe. Want to buy clothes for your children that haven't been treated with formaldehyde to protect them as they're shipped from China? Then don't buy them in the USA which has no restrictions on it, unlike the EU.

When Johnson, Rees Mogg et al talk about a "bonfire of regulations" this is what they really mean. Don't get me started on the situation here regarding healthcare, maternity leave (lack of such), lack of employment protections, high cost of education and massive student debt. This is the future I fear that these extremist politicians want, read these articles and be scared!

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/18/rightwing-thinktanks-unveil-radical-plan-for-us-uk-brexit-trade-deal-nhs

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/28/us-groups-raise-millions-to-support-rightwing-uk-thinktanks

[Emilyontmoor]

Cardinal But Cameron who I agree championed the deal, had to concede to Tory rebels an amendment in parliament to protect the NHS, even though he denied it was a threat to the NHS. He was not going to get it through parliament. Ironically it was an alliance of those who genuinely cared about the NHS, eg Sarah Woollaston, and Brexiteers who were just seeking to undermine an EU deal (and that hypocrisy is fully exposed now) but they were exploiting a groundswell of negative pubic opinion in the UK, and the rest of Europe, that ultimately wrong footed the EU, and led to the demise of the deal.

[CardinalSin]

Emily The UK was certainly not instrumental in "holing" TTIP. The leading Tories had clearly stated that they would have signed it in it's original form with no qualms at all. It was the French, in particular, who stopped it from going ahead.

[1tisILeClerc]

It is a bit unfortunate to include the de industrialisation as being too related to the EU as the industries were in decline anyway and coal etc easier and cheaper to extract in Poland for example.Pouring money into declining pits is not practical, but then globalisation was only really starting to make it's mark. For the government to have recognised this issue and decided to find a plan B, retrain, new industry would have been smart. Pouring money down a hole in the ground is not.

[user1471453601]

A couple of reasons. We haven't had a European war since the EU began. It's difficult to say that this is because of the EU, but one cannot argue that no war has occurred. Secondly, during the late 70s\80s and early 90s, the government turned its back on the north. Coal pits closed, the steel industry was on its knees etc. The only money that was coming into the north was from the EU. This makes it all the more sad that these areas voted overwhelming to leave.

Now it's clear that leave will endanger the good Friday agreement, and the future of Gibraltar is indoubt. We, in the north, are totally and utterly fucked.

[prettybird]

To be fair, there are a number of federal countries that she could "ethnically" be from: Russia, Argentina, Malaysia, India, Pakistan. I'll discount Australia or any of the EU countries as she wouldn't have been so ignorant of the "shared history" or distancing herself ethnically from the EU ethnic (shared) heritage.

At least she is attempting to educate herself - and even more importantly, has provided a lovely platform for all these positive reasons to be shared

[twofingerstoEverything]

Because of the lack of a credible plan.
Because I saw leave was heavily supported by groups like BNP, EDL, NF etc.
Because of Farage.
Because I really value my EU citizenship.
Because I work with a lot of Europeans and think that's a really positive thing.
Because I remember the UK when we were the 'dirty man' of Europe and stretches of the Thames were declared biologically dead.
Because of Ireland/NI - My family comes from that neck of the woods.
Because I listed to Priti Patel lying her face off on Radio 4 and felt outraged at her dishonesty. Ditto BJ and the rest of them.
But the main reason was the first one: ie. voting for a big fat unknown quantity is just madness.

[Carragheen]

From the OP's near-total lack of understanding of Europe or the EU, I concluded that the 'federation' s/he was from was an extraterrestrial one, and had only briefly visited earth.