[Stuart]

Originally Posted by jackjone

[Swindon was once our producer of rail locomotives and rolling stock. Not any more, it's Bombardier in Derby and due to their losses in the aviation market, that could see the end of the British railways manufacturing altogether even though Bombardier had EU grants to keep Derby going which they diverted to their loss-making aviation side in Canada.

I'm no expert, but I am fairly certain that company obtaining a loan for one purpose and then using it for another is actually illegal in most countries, and would certainly not be tolerated internationally. In fact, I think it would be considered massive fraud.

39% of British invention patents have been passed to foreign companies, many of them in the EU

Doubtful, I'd like to see proof.

The Mini cars that Cameron stood in front of as an example of British engineering, are built by BMW mostly in Holland and Austria. His campaign bus was made in Germany even though we have Plaxton, Optare, Bluebird, Dennis etc., in the UK. The bicycle for the Greens was made in the far east, not by Raleigh UK but then they are probably going to move to the Netherlands too as they have said recently.

I don't think that selling our companies overseas is a good thing for the country,but I think the governments that allowed it (including ours, which still is) need to face the blame. Other governments seem to have the ability to resist the pressure the EU apparently applies to sell off companies overseas, why have multiple UK governments not only failed to do this, but have failed to encourage our own companies to profit. Why have the French railways been allowed to take over our own? When British Rail was split into regional companies before privatisation, why weren't they encouraged to buy into other country's railway systems? The same with our Energy companies.

Anyone who thinks the EU is good for British industry or any other business simply hasn't paid attention to what has been systematically asset-stripped from the UK. Name me one major technology company still running in the UK, I used to contract out to many, then the work just dried up as they were sold off to companies from France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, etc., and now we don't even teach electronic technology for technicians any more, due to EU regulations.

Well, working for a large, London based University that most definitely teaches electronic technology both at degree level and for various technical qualifications, I have to question your last assertion If it were true, I would not have a job.

It's also worth noting that well over 60% of University research is funded by the EU. Research that is regarded well world wide.

I haven't detailed our non-existent fishing industry the EU paid to destroy, nor the farmers being paid NOT to produce food they could sell for more than they get paid to do nothing, don't even go there.

Why on earth would farmers settle for less money when they could make more by selling food? BTW, a major reason farmers have problems is the fact we use Supermarkets. That money you get off a steak, or a bottle of milk isn't coming from the pockets of the supermarkets. It's coming from the pockets of their suppliers. Remember that when you next do your weekly shop. You and I choose to use supermarkets. We are not forced to by some EU (or even government) ruling.