Reasons to remain

[Windowsareforcheaters]

I know it's been done before but in response to leavers saying they don't want to give reasons to leave because:

• they have done it before
• Remainers never say why we should stay
• Remainers don't use facts

Could we have (yet another) thread of reasons to remain?

I'll start.

We should remain because the EU is, in part, responsible, for the longest period of peace in Western Europe.

A strong united Europe is a counter balance to China and the USA.

U.K. isolationism has been attempted historically and failed. We are stronger together.

Because if we leave then that is just the beginning of brexit - we have to hear about it as it drags on and on for years to come. If we remain it all goes away - forever.

Plus you know - access to single market, peace in NI, all our worker's and citizens rights, the ability to travel and live in 27 other countries hassle free, erasmus, european arrest warrant, european medicines agencies, eurotom, all the trade deals we have with non- EU countries through membership of the EU, EU investment in our run down areas, EU protecting the NHS from an US takeover through TTIPs, EU bringing in tax avoidance laws to hammer companies that don't pay enough tax, EU having data safety laws that even the US can be forced to abide by because they have enough clout, and the Galileo project which we have invested billions in, helped develop and now find ourselves shut out of.

Wow Icantreachthepretzels you managed more than 3 reason straight away!

A pragmatic reason is that Brexit - whether via no deal or May's deal - will dominate policy-making for decade, consuming government resources and time as well as taxpayers money and making it hard to get anything else done.

I think there is a rising sense of frustration and the petition captured that mood: people want this to stop so we can get on with other stuff - and they know that revoking is the only way to achieve that.

and the Galileo project which we have invested billions in, helped develop and now find ourselves shut out of.

Because, I believe, the UK was the country which insisted that third countries couldn't be a part of it. Talk of being hoist by your own petard.

Icanreachthepretzels pretty much has it covered.

Euratom
European arrest warrant
European medicines thingy that means we get Access to new meds quickly.

And aren't our water purification chemicals made in the EU?

Peace in NI.
To keep our Veto.
EHIC.
Retention of EU NHS staff.
Money for infrastructure and programmes that help the poorest regions of the UK.
Greater co-operation on security.
Greater opportunities in medical and scientific research.
Freedom of movement for medicine and wine other goods, making them cheaper.
Prevention of jobs in NI relocating across the border.
Leaving risks splintering the UK.

We will still have to deal with the EU. We are stronger and have more power within. Leaving will lessen our power and influence.

Reasons that are really personal to me:
The funding for my job will probably be restored, so I won't be unemployed anymore.
I would love for Belfast to be European Capital of Culture.
If the Troubles kick off again, I will have to leave the country. I was born in the early 70s, I grew up with that shit and have seen what it does to people. I can't put my DC (12yo and 1yo) through that.

Peace in NI
Having the best deal

Apart from anything else, because we need to stop looking like such incompetent buffoons on the international stage. Admit it's a mess and mistake and move on - swiftly.

Reasons to remain

Because, in the words of the children's father in The Wouldbegoods, "Don't pull ropes unless you're quite sure what will happen at the other end" .

Being part of something bigger. We have more clout as part of the EU (EEA/EFTA) then we would alone.

I voted to protect employment rights and to keep the erasmus scheme but since then lots of other things have happened to show how much we need to be in the EU - eg not losing access to Galileo.

Also - to protect us from Trump's US. Actually I think a large part of this argument is about whether we want to be aligned to the US or Europe. The IDS's of this world want us aligned with the US, preferably a very right wing Republican one.

Here are 101 reasons. Put very well.

As we have found out to our cost being relatively small and desperate does not make for a good negotiating position when it comes to trade deals. The ones we have through the EU give us the market access we need at a fair level. Promoting UK exports, protecting jobs and lowering prices.

The Brexit idea of unilaterally removing WTO tariffs removes both the protection for UK jobs and the incentive for other countries to give us access to their markets. Totally one sided against us. Mad.

Cookies

I want to know and control how is my data is stored and shared. I tend to do a "Reject All"

Because we can help contribute financially to weaker member states which helps keep those states under our ‘sphere of influence’ rather than Putin’s.

Because any sovereignty that we ‘give up’ is outweighed by the benefits of membership, much in the same way that the benefits of being members of the UN and WTO outweigh the disadvantages of having to abide by their rules.

Because stuff that we can’t grow/produce here is much cheaper if we get it from our geographically closest neighbours with lowest tariffs.

Because freedom of movement means we can work and live much more easily in 27 other countries, opening up a huge job market.

Because we have more bargaining power as part of a massive bloc with other massive blocs, like the US, China and Russia.

Sovereignty - when government and parliament have shown themselves to be as pragmatic and focused on the good of the people - I'd rather an EU technocrat.

I cannot think of the words that describe the incompetence and collective narcissism of UK politicians.

Small bump to the thread as it's lovely actually see people answer a question.

Usually leavers say they don't need to explain as the majority already voted out.

I want to leave the EU because I think the route it's taking is giving foundations for unrest and war. ( Rise of far right)

I don't want ever closer union too Europe.

Europe had no appetite for war after WWII. I do not put peace at their door.

I don't want political union, with the EU. We don't need it.

I don't feel we are on the right equal social or economic footing to be socially and economically joined to all the other countries. Everything is too disjointed and different and this is why there has Been much angst and disparity.

The lessons of WW2 are that we should turn to Europe not run away. The rise of the far right means we should work together and not become isolationist. This policy failed spectacularly in the interwar war years.

We are stronger together, fighting an insidious evil like the far right is something we should do standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies not by running away.

I am utterly baffled when posters reference WW2 as a reason to leave the EU when all the history points to the exact opposite.

I just wanted to reply to an odd pro-EU comment about the EU bringing in tax avoidance laws. The EU harbours tax havens such as Liechtenstein and Ireland. Junker’s position here is not in favour of tax transparency. See for example: www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/01/jean-claude-juncker-blocked-eu-curbs-on-tax-avoidance-cables-show

The European Arrest Warrant is also not a reason to stay in the EU. It is subject to serious abuse and requires urgent reform.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/10/eurosceptics-think-european-arrest-warrant-rotten

And it will be reformed through the EU and if we are not members we get no say in how it is reformed.