Don't you just love the CBI??

[Nidge41]

UK 'better off' in EU says CBI These are the same clowns that said sterling would fail because we didn't want to join the Euro.


http://www.itv.com/news/story/2013-1...al-conference/

[Mr K]

They are only saying what is blindingly obvious. The more countries we are able to easily trade with the better. In isolation we are economically insignificant.

All the main parties would go into an EU referendum wanting to remain in the EU, it's that straightforward. Cameron has only felt the need for a vote to placate a few right wing cranks and try and stop defections to UKIP. He'll go to Europe pretend he's won major reforms (which in reality will be minor cosmetic ones ), then go for the yes vote.

If for any reason he doesn't think he'll win the referendum, it will get sidelined. Govt's don't hold referendums unless they are sure of the result.

[Nidge41]

Originally Posted by Mr K

They are only saying what is blindingly obvious. The more countries we are able to easily trade with the better. In isolation we are economically insignificant.

All the main parties would go into an EU referendum wanting to remain in the EU, it's that straightforward. Cameron has only felt the need for a vote to placate a few right wing cranks and try and stop defections to UKIP. He'll go to Europe pretend he's won major reforms (which in reality will be minor cosmetic ones ), then go for the yes vote.

If for any reason he doesn't think he'll win the referendum, it will get sidelined. Govt's don't hold referendums unless they are sure of the result.

We buy more from the EU than we sell them.

[Mr K]

Well plenty of countries are desperate to want to join the EU. Reasons ? Here's a few:-

it's the world's largest single market (bigger than the USA and Japan combined)

the EU accounts for over half our exports

3.5 million UK jobs are dependent on EU membership

Many businesses would not relocate here, or relocate elsewhere if we weren't in the EU

All the main UK parties know that we'd be mad to even think about leaving, which is why it won't happen. Talk of a referendum is just window dressing to please a few xenophobic little Englanders (aka UKIP voters/Daily Fail readers).

[Nidge41]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Well plenty of countries are desperate to want to join the EU. Reasons ? Here's a few:-

it's the world's largest single market (bigger than the USA and Japan combined)

the EU accounts for over half our exports

3.5 million UK jobs are dependent on EU membership

Many businesses would not relocate here, or relocate elsewhere if we weren't in the EU

All the main UK parties know that we'd be mad to even think about leaving, which is why it won't happen. Talk of a referendum is just window dressing to please a few xenophobic little Englanders (aka UKIP voters/Daily Fail readers).

We'd save £59+billion a year if we came out of the EU.

All the other countries seem to be doing OK out of the EU why can't we? That's right we bow down to them.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Nidge41

UK 'better off' in EU says CBI These are the same clowns that said sterling would fail because we didn't want to join the Euro.


http://www.itv.com/news/story/2013-1...al-conference/

We are. We sell a lot of things to European countries and do you really think the likes of Sony, Nissan, HSBC etc would invest such a huge amount of money here if they didn't think we'd be a gateway to Europe for them?

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:10 ----------

Originally Posted by Nidge41

We'd save £59+billion a year if we came out of the EU.

All the other countries seem to be doing OK out of the EU why can't we? That's right we bow down to them.

Other countries have a larger economy than we do..

[Nidge41]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Other countries have a larger economy than we do..

And aren't in the EU.

---------- Post added at 14:17 ---------- Previous post was at 14:16 ----------

Originally Posted by Stuart

We are. We sell a lot of things to European countries

We buy more than we sell.

[TheDaddy]

Can we get one thing straight, we won't be getting any powers back, von rumpy pumpy said so a few Weeks back and tbh I agree with him, you can't pick and choose the bits of a treaty to suit yourself, in/out is the black and white choice, that is all Dave. When I say van rompy I'm not sure it was him, trouble is all these EU bureaucrats look and sound alike.

Originally Posted by Mr K

Well plenty of countries are desperate to want to join the EU. Reasons ? Here's a few:-

it's the world's largest single market (bigger than the USA and Japan combined)

the EU accounts for over half our exports

3.5 million UK jobs are dependent on EU membership

Many businesses would not relocate here, or relocate elsewhere if we weren't in the EU

All the main UK parties know that we'd be mad to even think about leaving, which is why it won't happen. Talk of a referendum is just window dressing to please a few xenophobic little Englanders (aka UKIP voters/Daily Fail readers).

Oddly enough, all the same arguments were made by the CBI with regards to the Euro. It didn't happen. In fact, being outside the Euro has saved us from a far greater calamity than we have suffered since 2008.

The CBI likes the EU because its heavily regulated single market favours large businesses of the kind that are CBI members.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by Chris

The CBI likes the EU because its heavily regulated single market favours large businesses of the kind that are CBI members.

The EU and Euro are more big-business friendly than most think. In respect of their profits that is.

[Nidge41]

Originally Posted by Chris

Oddly enough, all the same arguments were made by the CBI with regards to the Euro. It didn't happen. In fact, being outside the Euro has saved us from a far greater calamity than we have suffered since 2008.

The CBI likes the EU because its heavily regulated single market favours large businesses of the kind that are CBI members.

Originally Posted by Chris

Oddly enough, all the same arguments were made by the CBI with regards to the Euro. It didn't happen. In fact, being outside the Euro has saved us from a far greater calamity than we have suffered since 2008.

The CBI likes the EU because its heavily regulated single market favours large businesses of the kind that are CBI members.

It also helps many small businesses, especially IT ones, which utilise the free movement of workers.

Anyway the CBI has been on about this for ages, this report is no surprise, most international companies are in favour of staying in the EU. It's just easier for them in terms of staff and moving goods back and forth. The difference between this and the Euro is we know what we're getting this time. The companies know what benefits that get from the EU and that they'll be losing them.

If we left the EU it doesn't mean our trade with EU members would stop and to suggest that is scare mongering we would still trade as we did as members. Our position as a gateway to Europe is geographical as well as economic and many large organisations would like a base of operations very close to the EU without all of it's regulations so whilst some company's may leave or downgrade their position in the UK other's would replace them. It is also a bit more then a few right wing nuts that want out of the bankrupt monstrosity that the EU has become. Honestly if you listen to some being outside of the EU would be horrendous for the people of the UK and we'd be doomed to economic obscurity without all our friends in europe oh wait we don't have many friends in Europe do we.

[Nidge41]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

oh wait we don't have many friends in Europe do we.

No they're for hammering us with stupid laws like bananas that must be bent, telling our fishing fleet they can only work so many days a year, other EU boats can fish our waters but we can't fish theirs.

The sooner we get out of this bent association the better.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

If we left the EU it doesn't mean our trade with EU members would stop and to suggest that is scare mongering we would still trade as we did as members. Our position as a gateway to Europe is geographical as well as economic and many large organisations would like a base of operations very close to the EU without all of it's regulations so whilst some company's may leave or downgrade their position in the UK other's would replace them. It is also a bit more then a few right wing nuts that want out of the bankrupt monstrosity that the EU has become. Honestly if you listen to some being outside of the EU would be horrendous for the people of the UK and we'd be doomed to economic obscurity without all our friends in europe oh wait we don't have many friends in Europe do we.

and if you listen to others leaving the EU is a risk free route to prosperity. The CBI are providing an alternative view to the argument that businesses do not want to be part of the EU. There are clearly many businesses that do think the EU is a benefit to the UK and do not want to leave it.

It's not the case that the day after leaving the EU all trade will stop. However it is a case that it may harm the amount of trade we do and also the amount of companies that set up in the UK. You say that they would love to be next to the EU with the regulation but that won't happen, if you trade with the EU you're bound by those regulations anyway to an extent. What would happen is that we would still follow any EU product standards without being able to shape them. I don't see the advantage to setting up your base of EU operations outside the EU. You're also leaving the largest trading block. If the EU did a trade deal with America we would be cut out of it along with the rest.

The other example is car companies that operate across Europe. They've already warned about the disadvantages of leaving the EU. Their concern is that they operate seamlessly across the EU Member states. Parts made in Germany and France can be shipped here to build the cars to sell in Italy (or whatever).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...ic-speech.html

Britain exported a record number of cars last year, and a senior executive from Honda revealed to The Daily Telegraph last week that leaving the EU would damage the UK economy's emerging position as an export hub for the industry.