[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I think many remainers do not understand the reasons why leavers voted as they did, and they are trying to portray them as racists, ignorami, wishing to go back to the days of Empire, etc.

The reasons vary, but personally, I voted Brexit because:

1. EU rules are stifling business and the laws they make are unduly complex and difficult to understand. Employers are having to make much more use of lawyers to ensure they stay on the right side of the law, but even they will tell you that the ECJ could decide to go against you, even if you have complied with the provisions set out. Far better that we set our own laws which are actually understandable and relevant to how we wish to operate.

2. Belonging to the customs union means that we cannot make our own trade deals. Existing EU trade deals are useful, but we could construct our own which better match our own requirements. The scope for improvement to take into account our interests is considerable, and would bring more trade to GB. Clearly, our trade with the EU would continue much as it does now.

3. We should be attracting into this country people who have the skills and the abilities we need and not allow in just anybody who wants to take advantage of us or seek a better life to the detriment of our own citizens. We are but a small country and it is self evident that there must be a limit on the number of people coming in (unless, of course, this is balanced by those leaving the country).

4. The EU is structurally unsustainable. The Euro is a major problem because there are no central fiscal rules to which EU countries must abide. Greece is a good example of how its reckless policies undermined the EU economy. Sooner or later, the whole EU operation is likely to implode and we do not want to be a part of that when it happens.

5. The EU is undemocratic although there is a facade in place to make it look as though it is a democratic organisation. MEPs may gain knowledge of what their voters want but are powerless to deliver it unless the bureaucrats bring such legislation forward. Imagine the UK operating in that way. Would you really want Civil Servants setting the agenda rather than our elected MPs?

Those were my principal reasons. Others will have theirs. But to say it was just to get EU nationals out of the workforce is simplifying the rationale of leavers to a very extreme degree. It is true that in some of the poorer areas, EU nationals are seen to be coming in and being prepared to work for lower wages, thereby depriving UK nationals of employment opportunities. This is a valid concern, but it is far from the only reason that leavers have taken the position they have.

---------- Post added at 08:46 ---------- Previous post was at 08:31 ----------



It is reassuring there there are still Labour MPs who have common sense. There are many of them who are despairing of Jeremy Corbyn and what he is doing to the Labour Party.

The sooner he is gone, the better, but he needs to be replaced by someone who can actually relate to the majority of the electorate.

I think people will be a little surprised at how many voters he has lost for the Labour Party when the result of the election is known. Some of them will move to the Lib Dems, Brexit Party and the Conservatives, but many will stay at home. This diminished Labour support will let the Conservatives in with a commanding majority and at last we will be proud again of our House of Commons.

This isn't the Brexit thread, from which I'm currently banned, so I'm not going to address your points, which I suspect you've had three years to formulate after the fact.

The UK can hardly be democratic with majority Governments that 65% of people voted for someone else.