re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

Anyone with any sense will see that it has nothing to do with the EU. The world economies are slowing down and we are not the only one where growth is slowing or going down. Whether we are in or out of the EU it is going to happen. The B of E are only talking about the short term - a kind of mini recession if you like. We knew this was likely should we vote to leave but it isn't permanent and will only last about 6 months.

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

It's not a symbolic phrase. It's their number one aim! They will not rest until we are completely subsumed by them.

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

Number One Aim Indeed. Whilst researching the history of the EU, it has always been their aim. I'm sure I read somewhere that plans were afoot in 1952 for a closer Political and Fiscal Union. It was all kept from us in 1975 but there is no need for it to be kept from us now given the power of the internet.

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

Bad choice to say this, Ms Lagarde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrNK9Hq-OYE

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

It's about this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36284200

IMF saying Brexit would have bad economic consequences.

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

What I find odd is that this morning, the Government sneaked out the results of that FOI request about the number of NI numbers handed out to immigrants - 2.2 million between 2010 and 2015, as it turns out, despite official immigration figures over the same period being under one million - yet the BBC is totally ignoring it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...uth-is-as-wid/

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

That came out yesterday morning: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politic...endum-36271390

According to the ONS the difference is because these are people that stay less than a year. https://fullfact.org/immigration/eu-...e-number-data/

This is largely what people were saying previous to this report as the reason for the discrepancy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politic...endum-35959949

This one is a bit more of an editoral but still worth a read on why these figures aren't the disaster some papers are claiming: https://next.ft.com/content/0110d2a4...7-a4af20d5575e

So they were not groundbreaking figures released yesterday, even if The Telegraph is trying to make it seem like there was been double the amount of EU migration, and the story was overshadowed by the BBC charter renewal, the Vote Leave debate argument and the Tory expenses.

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

Will it help leave though?

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

Where does it say that in any EU documentation?
If joe bloggs decided to do a bit of research so he could make his mind up about which way to vote would his research on the EUs purpose and future plans contain an addendum stating that "the bit about ever closer fiscal and political union is just a symbolic phrase and doesn't really mean anything" or will he take the written word as fact ?

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

In reality they haven't got a clue who's coming here or how long they actually stay. The figures are based on questions asked of a small sample of people entering the country. The authorities have no idea whether the people answering their questions are being totally honest or not, they have even less idea how many people who may have come here only intending to stay for a short while yet never returned for whatever reason.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/surveys/infor...engersurveyips

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19646459

Anyone would think HMG doesn't really want accurate immigration figures...

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

I don't know, up to Joe Bloggs I guess.

---------- Post added at 16:40 ---------- Previous post was at 16:23 ----------

Well they know who are assigned NI numbers and the discrepancy between those numbers and the 'official' figures was what the story was referencing.

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

Your the one who said it was just a "symbolic phrase" i would be interested where you get that idea from,i assume there is some official EU statement to that effect to set our minds at rest and the last 40 yrs of continuing political and fiscal union and our continuing subjugation to the European parliament has just been "symbolic"

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

This article from the Economist may help...

http://www.economist.com/blogs/econo...st-explains-20

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

so definitely not a "symbolic phrase" then ,more of a " it's going to happen because that's the whole point" sort of thing

re: [Update] The UK votes to leave the EU
 

... and 'that story' amounts to one tiny piece of the whole in/out argument. None of that alters the fact that we don't have a clue how many people are here, legally or otherwise, and as long as we remain in the EU will be unable to stop migration from within the EU, whether it be from existing member states (including those who may be forced to claim asylum elsewhere then decide to come here) or the new entrants the EU seems intent on courting in spite of the problems we're currently witnessing. Cameron's so called 'negotiation' about free movement lasted about 10 nanoseconds from what I can see, which leads me to believe he had no real desire to tackle the problem but had to go through the motions having failed so miserably to achieve the immigration target he set himself.

---------- Post added at 17:27 ---------- Previous post was at 17:21 ----------

... and the UK clearly isn't going to be able to prevent it from happening.

The only thing which has a chance of stopping this ugly EU behemoth is the UK leaving and a number of other countries then following suit but it's a big ask of net beneficiaries to bite the hand which feeds them.