The Continuing Saga of Brexit...

[Aviador]

You don't see those three in agreement very often!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Perhaps MOL took the opportunity to press the chancellor to reduce the APD burden. As it is at the moment, EU rules prevent the UK from adopting a more flexible approach to the application of the tax.

 

[Aviador]

Perhaps MOL took the opportunity to press the chancellor to reduce the APD burden. As it is at the moment, EU rules prevent the UK from adopting a more flexible approach to the application of the tax.

Perhaps so but still, at least the rules apply across the whole of the EU.

Just to reiterate, I don't hide the fact that I am pro European, but I still think many things can be done better.

 

[Brum X]

Sorry if this question has been asked before but if the UK decides to leave the EU, has any agreement been made with Ryanair or Norweigan who will have EU registered aircraft (EI Reg) operating from the UK ????

Im sure something would have been put into place short term ???

 

[Aviador]

I recall a director of easyjet saying they were covered by any eventuality as they had parts of their business registered in three separate countries. I assume for that reason Ryanair will be fine too. Things might be a little more complicated for other airlines though, that is unless they've been rushing to registered their business in another EU country as a safeguarding precautions.

 

[Aviador]

The BBC had an interesting report this evening where the reporter followed a group of pensioners and then a group of young people. The pensioners all said they wanted to leave the EU, all the young people said they wanted the UK to stay in the EU. The reporter asked the groups why. The older people said they wanted things back to how they used to be and they thought we'd gone too far into Europe to the point where Europe was making too many decisions. The young on the other hand said they liked the idea of freedom of movement and being allowed to work and study in another EU nation easily.

I do wonder about the older generation who refer to UK being in better times during a period when Europe was recovering from war and the UK was the head of an Empire. Prior to the UK joining the EU we were in recession, so there's no protection from recession in or out of Europe. For me, anything that destabilises Europe financially will potentially destabilise Europe politically. Thankfully the far right have not been elected in Austria so moderate thinking seems to be the way forward generally speaking.

 

[Brum X]

I recall a director of easyjet saying they were covered by any eventuality as they had parts of their business registered in three separate countries. I assume for that reason Ryanair will be fine too. Things might be a little more complicated for other airlines though, that is unless they've been rushing to registered their business in another EU country as a safeguarding precautions.

Thanks for the info mate

 

[Aviador]

Your welcome.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The BBC had an interesting report this evening where the reporter followed a group of pensioners and then a group of young people. The pensioners all said they wanted to leave the EU, all the young people said they wanted the UK to stay in the EU. The reporter asked the groups why. The older people said they wanted things back to how they used to be and they thought we'd gone too far into Europe to the point where Europe was making too many decisions. The young on the other hand said they liked the idea of freedom of movement and being allowed to work and study in another EU nation easily.

I do wonder about the older generation who refer to UK being in better times during a period when Europe was recovering from war and the UK was the head of an Empire. Prior to the UK joining the EU we were in recession, so there's no protection from recession in or out of Europe. For me, anything that destabilises Europe financially will potentially destabilise Europe politically. Thankfully the far right have not been elected in Austria so moderate thinking seems to be the way forward generally speaking.

I'm always suspicious of non-scientific surveys. I'm not sure that the 'evidence' of this BBC initiative is borne out in fact. I see plenty of the older generation campaigning to remain In and when rallies of the Out people are shown on tv there seems to be plenty of young people in their ranks.

if there is any validity to the BBC survey - and I remain highly sceptical - it could be argued that the old have seen both In and Out whilst the young have only seen In, meaning the old are in a better position to judge. I don't actually believe that either.

In my circle In and Out seems to be more or less equal across all age ranges - amongst those who have given it any thought that is. I'm the sort who will ask people.

What I find particularly disquieting about the campaign are the outrageous claims from both sides about what staying In or getting Out will lead to when no-one can have any clear idea what will result in either eventuality.

 

[Aviador]

I would agree with what you say about the various claims from both sides. I'm not easily swayed one way or the other by politicians.

 

[Aviador]

David Cameron claims family holidays could cost £230 more after Brexit

David Cameron says falling pound could hit holiday spending and accommodation in latest warning about Britain leaving EU.

In the latest warning about the price of Brexit, the prime minister will argue that the cost of holiday spending and accommodation could go up because of the falling pound.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics...ost-more-after-brexit-pm-claims-falling-pound

Both sides of the argument saying what might happen IF the UK leaves the EU are hypothetical. Nobody really knows but most economic analysts agree that the UK economy will suffer in the short to medium term as we enter a period of uncertainty. The period of this uncertainty could last for a year, it could last for several years. For this reason it is likely the pound will suffer leading to higher prices both here when purchasing imported goods and when travelling abroad when booking flights and holidays.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

If we leave we might be throwing out the baby with the bathwater; if we remain we might become ever more subsumed into a political and economic European super state where the UK and other member states are reduced to the level of a county council. Nobody knows.

On the claim that holidays could cost £230 more, if the UK left the EU it would not be bound by the EU rules on taxation and competition issues and consequently the UK government could, if it wished, be more flexible with air passenger duty. It could, for instance, vary it according to criteria the EU currently does not allow which could itself reduce the cost of air holidays.

It will be noted that I keep using such words as might and could, which is what the proponents of both sides continually do in their pronouncements.

 

[Aviador]

As it would appear Brexit is the most likely outcome of the EU referendum with more people saying they want to leave the EU than stay in, how about this to ponder over....

Most people I ask who want Brexit say public services such as the NHS are put under strain because of the European immigration policy. I would not dispute that more people are wanting to come to the UK but looking at similar situations around the world it definitely isn't easy to prevent mass movement of people.

Take the USA for example where over 1.25m migrants crossing the gun patrolled border from Mexico into the USA .The USA has no affiliation with other groups of nations. Nearer to home in Eastern Europe we have seen migrants are willing to risk death crossing the Mediterranean in search of a better life.

So it is clear whatever we do, whether we are in or out of Europe migrants will continue to come to the UK in large numbers so long are we continue to be a successful nation

 

[Aviador]

"Leaving the NHS in the hands of the Brexit camp is as safe as leaving a pet hamster with a python."

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I think the arguments about immigrants mainly revolve around the fact that currently all EU citizens have a right of entry to all other EU states.

It's absolutely true that without workers from these countries many UK industries would be in a terminal state. The obvious examples are care homes where many staff are from such countries as Poland and Hungary; building sites where without skilled bricklayers and the like from abroad many companies would struggle to build homes and office blocks; bus companies in my area have many drivers from the former Eastern Bloc states and I have no doubt this is the situation in many parts of the country.

These are the hard working EU citizens from abroad who contribute positively to the UK's wellbeing. There are those though who have no intention of working and live off the UK's very generous benefits and sometimes indulge in criminality.

The Leave campaign will argue that Britain could still have access to the workers from the EU and from elsewhere in the world when they were necessary to fill jobs that would otherwise be vacant (some of these jobs could be done by indigenous unemployed people but the rates of pay are such that it's often the case that they are as well off staying at home living on benefits but that's another argument) but there would be no general right of entry. In other words the UK would be able to choose who it admitted to work. Australia is sometimes shown as a good example as to how this works.

Of course people would still enter the country illegally but they'd do that whether we were in or out of the EU and it's often extremely difficult to evict them because of human rights legislation. If the UK left the EU the country would not be bound by the European Court of Human Rights if it chose not to be. Human rights would still be protected but our own courts would have the final say.

As for the NHS, it managed quite successfully (some would say better than now) for nearly thirty years before the UK joined the then Common Market.

 

[Brummiegem]

I have tried to stay out of political debates and keep my thoughts to myself.
However The Local Yokel has made one point I agree with and that is no one actually knows what will happen if we leave the EU.
As it has never happened before it is all guess work as to what may or may not happen.
As TLY rightly says,all politicians are using the words could or might,because nothing is set in stone.
Tim Clark of Emirates said,'It is not so much what happens in the UK that I am concerned about,it is what will happen in the rest of the Europe.I think the Euro will plummet'.
An argument that is being avoided is what will happen to the rest of the EU.
I would like to hear more from this perspective than what may or may not happen in the UK.
A weaker Euro will actually make a lot of things cheaper for us,not more expensive as many are suggesting.
Also we are hearing from so called experts from here there and everywhere.
Tell me how you can be an expert on something that has never happened?

 

[Aviador]

With regards to general politics I have my own political views but I don't normally get involved in debating politics on forums but I see this as different. The EU referendum is a once in a generation chance to decide our future and our children's future. For me this is too big an issue to just let slip by without having my say.

I tend to agree in that little is being said about what will or might happen in the Euro zone after a Brexit. In anycase every scenario is hypothetical as nobody really knows. I have studied the Euro debate since long before the referendum was announced. I think most people would agree that they knew a referendum was coming sooner or later and now it's here so it's really important people understand how important this is. Unlike a UK General Election, we can't vote to change our minds in another four or five years, what we decided now we're stuck with for potentially generations.

Although it's no secret that I am pro European I do believe the UK along with the likes of France and Germany have been propping up the rest of the EU zone since the worldwide economic crisis. It is my belief that without the UK in the the EU, the European Union could crash. What could this mean? Any financial turmoil is likely to destabilise the entire economic area and with this there is every chance we could see political unrest. The idea might sound far fetched but it's the stark reality.

It's not too long ago that we saw rioting on the streets of several UK cities and for a time things got scary. There is every possibility similar events could take place on mainland Europe and if anybody thinks that would be good for the UK is sorely mistaken.

So even IF the UK is financially sound on it's own, it won't be particularly good for us whichever way you view Brexit especially if it takes out the rest of the EU which will still be our biggest trading partner.

 

[Aviador]

As people should vote based on their own opinion and personal circumstance, here's one people might not have thought of:

Duty Free or Tax Free....

You can bring some goods from abroad without having to pay UK tax or ‘duty’ (customs charges), as long as they’re for your own use.

If you’re coming:

• from a European Union (EU) country you can bring in an unlimited amount of most goods
• from outside the EU you can only bring in a certain amount without paying duty or tax - up to your duty-free allowance.

3. Arrivals from outside the EU

Your duty-free allowance means you can bring in a certain amount of goods for your own use from outside the European Union (EU) without paying duty or tax.

When you’re bringing in goods you must:

• transport them yourself
• use them yourself or give them away as a gift

You can’t combine allowances with other people to bring in more than your individual allowance.

Declare any goods over your allowance. Your goods could be seized if you don’t declare them.

Alcohol allowance
How much you can bring depends on the type of drink. You can bring in:

• beer - 16 litres
• wine (not sparkling) - 4 litres

You can also bring in either:

• spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 1 litre
• fortified wine (eg port, sherry), sparkling wine and alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol - 2 litres

You can split this last allowance, eg you could bring 1 litre of fortified wine and half a litre of spirits (both half of your allowance).

You may have to pay Excise Duty on alcohol you declare.

Tobacco allowance
You can bring in one from the following:

• 200 cigarettes
• 100 cigarillos
• 50 cigars
• 250g tobacco

You can split this allowance - so you could bring in 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (both half of your allowance).

You may have to pay Excise Duty on tobacco you declare.

Alcohol and tobacco allowances if you’re under 17
There are no duty-free allowances for tobacco or alcohol if you’re under 17. You can bring alcohol and tobacco to the UK for your own use but you’ll have to pay duty or tax on them when you get to customs.

Allowance for other goods
You can bring in other goods worth up to £390 (or up to £270 if you arrive by private plane or boat).

If a single item’s worth more than your allowance you pay any duty or tax on its full value, not just the value above the allowance.

If you go over your allowance
You pay Customs Duty on anything you bring in above your allowance. The rate:

• is 2.5% for goods worth up to £630
• depends on the type of goods if they’re worth more than £630 - check by calling the VAT, Customs and Excise Helpline

You don’t pay Customs Duty if you owe less than £9.

You may also have to pay import VAT.

Import VAT
You may have to pay import VAT on the total value of the goods plus duty. The VAT rates are the standard UK rates.

 

[Aviador]

As migration is a major concern to many people and many people are saying they will vote Brexit on the basis of controlling migration. If you view migration as a major issue, unfortunately we are unlikely to ever be able to control the flow of people coming to our shores. In the US for example, nearly 46 million people were born in other countries.
This is definately worth a read, it's not political rhetoric it's from pewresearch.org
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/02/7-facts-about-world-migration/
7 facts about world migration

DNA readings say that migration has played a part in world history and tests prove that most people have descendants from locations all over the world.

 

[Brum X]

Immigration will not go down affter Brexit, it will just change from less EU immigrants to more Commonwealth immigrants.

Not really going to solve the probnlem is it ???