Dare I start a thread on this subject!! With all the talk about a referendum, I thought it might be worth starting the WOL debate on the issue. Here's an article to start things off:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24859486

I think along the same lines as David Cameron, and the EU needs a lot of reform. Basically, I'm pro-European on the economic/business side of things, but am fairly anti-European on the political/integration side of things. Although one seems to be almost inevitable happening along the other, the political side's going a bit too far for my liking.

I'm anti European full-stop.

What irks me is that we've never had a true vote on membership. The referendum that we had in '75 was to see if we wished to remain as trading partners with the EEC. Things have changed a lot since then!

I'm firmly convinced that Heath knew full well what he was doing and sold us and our sovereignty down the river when he signed us up.

Yes, that seems to be the generally accepted view of things nowadays. We were basically lied to by those in power at the time.

Not a lot has changed then in my view.

I have to say that it seems to me that the only guarantee we will get a referendum is if a substiantial number of UKIP mp's get electecd.
No one has the slightest confidence that the present prime minister really wants to hold a referendum , or if he does he won't fix it in some way.
Quite the worst governmet we have had since Blair.
The EU in my opinion is way beyond reform and we now simply have to get out as soon as possible.

I believe that the EU is too far out of control for reform. I also believe, no matter what the people of the UK (or the rest of the Euro area) want, breaking it up and freeing ourselves from it will be nigh on impossible. - I actually see a civil war type of scenario should the break up occur.

I am sure the Channel five News just said there is going to be a referendum on EU membership. Either they did or its my wishful thinking. Rebbonk, I think now we may be far too deeply into it to make separation possible. If they do hold a referendum I can see some tripping point that will make complete separation impossible.

How many times did Ireland vote until they got it 'right'?

I think it was at least twice - we'll probably have to go through the same thing

Only twice? Now that many EU folk live here, it may take more and that is worrying. I think they get to vote too if they have an address, pay council tax and a NI number.

As much as anything, if we get a vote, (which I seriously doubt) it'll depend on the make-up of the turn out. Historically the 'greys' have turned out in quite substantial numbers and many of these are hardline against the EU. The younger generation seem to have a much more pro EU attitude, but are not so likely to turn out. Of course, if it were made a criminal offence (as in some countries) not to vote, it might get very interesting.

Oooh -er, Rebbonk, if you didn't vote and it became a criminal offense if you didn't; then I'd be up for the chop. Will you and the ' gang ' visit or bake a cake with the requisite file? I only haven't voted since the Blair Inc got in- that did me in and we suffer from them to now. I do also recognise that Mrs ' T ' did also sell us out. I believe (unless I have been wrongly advised) that it is because of her that we are now communing with our EU neighbors in agriculture.Now our farmers get more to send our lamb across the puddle to have it returned for our meal tables. (This is an example and I refer to welsh lamb in particular) Correct me if I am wrong. I don't wish nor do I intend to offend.

I think all of our PMs since WW2 have sold us out one way or another Gladys.

Considering we supposedly won the war and Germany and Japan lost, the victors don't seem to be doing too well do they?

One theory I've heard is that because Japan & Germany were demilitarized after the war, they could devote their resources soley to building strong economies.

I think they also received quite a lot by way of 'restorative investment' whilst we were left virtually bankrupt, so much so that we sold off our best innovations.

We led the world in aviation, what happened?

For anyone interested in listening in.


Tonight from 7pm on LBC (a London radio station) and Sky News,
LibDem leader Nick Clegg and Ukip leader Nigel Farage have their first of two debates about whether Britain should be in or out of the EU...
The two other party leaders (Cameron and Miliband) were too frightened to debate the issue in front of the voters!