Wednesday 22 June 2016

Why I'll be voting Remain

WHEN I vote tomorrow, it will be to remain part of the European Union. Firstly I totally accept it's not perfect, it needs real reform and some of the more bonkers ideas need trashing straight away.

But equally, the United Kingdom is just a small island floating in the Atlantic Ocean. Forget this delusion of empire, without the EU we are just what we appear on any globe. A small island.

This campaign has been truly vile, in what our politicians have stooped to to get our votes and the colour it has brought out in some people who simply haven't listened to the 'other side' of the argument.

While the Prime Minister's stupid comments on World War Three were beyond reproach, I'm also not amused by the Leave trio of Boris Johnson - a man who was extolling the virtues of the European Union just months before changing his position, Michael Gove – a man who single-handedly annoyed every teacher when he was Education Secretary and Iain Duncan Smith – who presided over cuts and the attempted to distance himself from it.

believe if we stay we can build a better future for us all, keeping trade high and yes tackling immigration. Remember this works both ways, how many ex-pats are living in the EU now using a country's healthcare system with many not contributing to the GDP of that country?

Immigration is not a dirty word, it's happened for years, it's not a new problem. Should we leave the EU, how will we stop people coming to our country? We are an island with no borders unlike many of our friends in Europe, if you think its uncontrolled now then I have news for you, it's going to be even harder to police should we leave!

The Tories have been working hard to ensure our doors are open but for those who want to work, not sponge off the state. And that goes to the nub of the argument for me, it's so easy to look at Johnny Foreigner coming here to 'sponge off the state' but what about British kids who leave school with no qualifications and go straight to the benefits office?

Doesn't happen? Go and walk past a job centre in your town, all the voices you hear won't just be foreign.

Those pushing the immigration line simply want to ignore the problems we have in this country, where benefits have become a salaried way of life for some young Britons, some of whom won't even contemplate working for a living.

The possibility of Turkey joining the EU is a long way off and besides, EVERY country in the EU can veto any accession so it's far from a done deal. Britain will not have to join the Euro, by staying in we can constantly hold the fear of leaving over Merkel et al should they force us to scrap the pound.

A European Army? Seems daft and not sure the rest of the EU will go for it, particularly the French who traditionally stay out of any conflict but would be looked upon to provide some of the manpower. And besides, none of us ever worried when British soldiers were called upon by the UN did we?

"We can make this country great again!” – apart from the general annoyance that something from the Donald Trump playbook has been used, when haven't we been Great?

We have wonderful countryside, we have a rich history which pulls in millions of tourists every year, we do make things (albeit not as much as we used to), we are tolerant, we embrace white, black, brown, straight, gay, lesbian or transgender. We aren't afraid to speak our mind, to be there for each other, to come together in celebration or in suffering.

We live in a time where the nation has many problems – from the threats posed by global terrorism, a wonky economy and a disenfranchised electorate to planning problems and the need for more housing.

At this time we ought to be tethered to our friends rather than cast off into the unknown. Because for me that is what a Leave vote would represent.

All I ask is this, on Friday can we PLEASE go back to normal!!!!!!

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