Should the United Kingdom leave the European Union?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Should the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland leave the European Union?

The European Union issue is becoming more and more important as the years have rolled on, because its now accepted that 84% of our laws are made in the European Union by the European Commission, which is an unelected body. In recent years the march towards a European superstate, a federal Europe has become faster and faster. Many would argue that the European Union is already a superstate as it has the following/will have the following with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty;

• A President of Europe.
• A Foreign Secretary of Europe.
• The loss of national veto is many areas (meaning can impose laws without the consent of national govt)
• A single monetary currency.
• A place on the world stage next to the United States and the Peoples Republic of China.
• The power so that it makes 84% of all laws in the United Kingdom every year.
• A flag.
• An anthem.
• A military.
• Its own legal identity.
• Its own embassies around the world.

In the European Parliamentary Elections 2009 (United Kingdom) the United Kingdom Independance Party (UKIP) came second and beat the ruling Labour Party in votes and seats won, a party which demands and campaigns actively for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. UKIP and other euro-sceptics argue that the European Union is the goal for a United States of Europe and that the United Kingdom should withdraw as it is unelected and unwanted.

The British public was given a referendum on the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1975 however no referendums have since been held on the European Union, which is a political, social and economic union, not a community. In 2005 the three main parties; Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all pledged to hold a referendum on the reform of the European Union if they gained office. As it goes, Labour won that election and have refused to hold a referendum and the Conservatives have recentley abandoned their pledge to hold a referendum.

Important quotes relating to the European Union;

"The creation of a single European state bound by one European constitution is 'the decisive task of our time'" - Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister, 1998.

"We have persistently called for a referendum. Once we know the final text of the new constitution we should have the debate and there are no grounds for delaying the referendum." - Michael Howard, former Conservative Party leader, 2005.

"If there are further steps to European integration, the people should have their say at a general election or in a referendum." - Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, 1997.

"There is no danger of a single currency." - Ted Heath, former British Prime Minister, 1975.

"Europe's nations should be guided towards the super-state without their people understanding what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps each disguised as having an economic purpose, but which will eventually and irreversibly lead to federation." - Jean Monnet, Founder of the European Movement, 1952.

"I have never understood why public opinion about European ideas should be taken into account." - Raymond Barre, former French Prime Minister.

Sissons: "...the single currency, the United States of Europe: was that on your mind when you took Britain in?"
Heath: "Of course, Yes." - Ted Heath, former British Prime Minister, 1991.

"The creeping unification of Europe ... since the time of Jacques Delors [has been] managed by the bureaucrats from Brussels behind the back of the continent's population, behind the back of the citizens of individual member states" - Valclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, 2003.

"We have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed" - Sir Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister during World War II.

Important sites relating to the European Union;

www.ukip.org
www.bnp.org.uk
www.conservatives.com
www.labour.org.uk
www.libdems.org.uk
www.europa.eu

Do the British people deserve a referendum on European Union membership and do you personally think the United Kingdom should leave the European Union?

[Special]

YES. They ae banning to many things that are not important. EG, sound limit on MP3 player.

[GommeInc]

The only thing the EU was good for was uniting Europe (strangely in the name), but Europe is far too diverse an area to even attempt merging them together under one name, and I don't see how that would accomplish anything when each individual country has been doing well on its own so far :/

All that needed to be touched were the markets and trade, but even then trading has been happening for hundreds of years. It makes very little sense to me :/

[Hitman]

Yes, we should get the hell out. I think the EU would be useful for one thing: if there was a huge dispute against two European countries and war was to break out (like WWII). However, all European countries get along (pretty much so), so I doubt the next big war will be between two European countries.

I don't want the UK to EVER use the Euro as its currency - I am certain this will happen eventually if we stay in the EU. And I imagine many other British things will go down the drain.

[Blue]

Yes, I must admit, this seems like a big sinkhole our money is going into.
While it does seem appealing on a global stage (a group voice, millitary) for England as a country, it's more or less useless. For the smaller countries of the world, it sets a good standard of living, but then, we had that anyway.

[Accipiter]

i would rather join the USA

But dropping out would make us a little country of nobodys. Even though the EU in a whole sounds like its leading to a disaster, dropping out would also lead to that.

But if all countries just turn around and say "no your not deciding these things without our say" then it should be taken, who works or decides these rules for the EU anyway, it sounds entirely hidden and secretive to me.

[Eoin]

the uk should split and let the countries make their own ******* decision about wether or not to leave

[alexxxxx]

no. and you're really boring. broken record.

pull out of the EU and we'll some unexpected circumstances. bad ones. and we rely on it.

that's it. that's all.

[dbgtz]

I think it should just be treated as a novelty thing and just have basic rules to join. Like a club, countries do things together.

[-:Undertaker:-]

i would rather join the USA

But dropping out would make us a little country of nobodys. Even though the EU in a whole sounds like its leading to a disaster, dropping out would also lead to that.

But if all countries just turn around and say "no your not deciding these things without our say" then it should be taken, who works or decides these rules for the EU anyway, it sounds entirely hidden and secretive to me.

We, the United Kingdom have the worlds sixth largest economy and are one of the centers of finance in the world, to say that without the European Union we'd face disaster is a downright lie by the eurocrats, 150+ other nations on this Earth who aren't part of the European Union do just fine and they are all the way down the list of the strongest world economies.

the uk should split and let the countries make their own ******* decision about wether or not to leave

England would still end up paying for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales even if the United Kingdom did break up, because you would all join the European Union and have even less national power than you did under the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland moaned and moaned about independance from the British Empire, and now they have joined the EU which makes 84% of its laws and ther United Kingdom still ends up paying for the Republic of Ireland in EU subsidies.. so whats the difference?

Northern Ireland wants to be a part of the United Kingdom as far as I know.

no. and you're really boring. broken record.

pull out of the EU and we'll some unexpected circumstances. bad ones. and we rely on it.

that's it. that's all.

What unexpected circumstances? - you mean the ability to make our own laws?. You yourself are a self-confessed federalist, you want to see a Federal Europe - we do not. Instead of making crazy statements about 'consquences' of leaving the European Union, why don't you tell us them?