Friday 6 April 2018

What has the EU ever done for us?



I am a proud member of The 48%, a Facebook group that aims to assist in the coordination of efforts to reverse Brexit, or at the very least lobby to reapply to the EU after leaving. The advantage of reapplying after leaving is there will have to be a period of time for British Quitters to understand how cold it is out there outside of the family. The added advantage of leaving and re-entering is that the UK and its people will probably be more engaged in the EU than it is now or has been for the last 45 years. There will be some glitches to iron out, like Spanish reticence to let the UK back in without a deal on Gibraltar, and the new rule that all new member states have to promise to join the euro and Schengen. But I'm sure it'll be OK in the long run.

Anyhow, Mr Paul Cawthorne has come up with a splendid list of reasons to stay. This is from a post of his:

100 BENEFITS FOR THE UK OF EU MEMBERSHIP
Why are we leaving the EU?
Can any Brexiteers come up with 100 good reasons for Brexit? Here are 100 reasons against...

1. Membership of the world’s largest trading bloc with over 500 million consumers, representing 23% of global GDP
2. The UK has greater global influence as a member of the EU
3. The EU provides a counterweight to the global power of the US, Russia and China
4. With Trump in the White House the UK’s strongest natural allies are France, Germany and our other West European neighbours
5. Tariff-free trade within the EU
6. The abolition of non-tariff barriers (quotas, subsidies, administrative rules etc.) among members
7. Participation in free trade agreements with Japan and Canada as an EU member
8. The EU accounts for 44% of all UK exports of goods and services
9. The EU accounts for 53% of all UK imports of goods and services
10. Cheaper food and alcohol imports from continental Europe
11. As a member of the EU the UK maintains a say in the shaping of the rules governing its trade with its European partners
12. 3.1 million jobs in the UK are directly linked to exports to the EU
13. Free movement of labour has helped UK firms plug skills gaps (translators, doctors, plumbers)
14. Free movement of labour has helped address shortages of unskilled workers (fruit picking, catering)
15. The Single Market has brought the best continental footballers to the Premier League
16. The EU accounts for 47% of the UK’s stock of inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), worth over $1.2 trillion.
17. Access to the EU Single Market has helped attract investment into the UK from outside the EU
18. No paperwork or customs for UK exports throughout the single market
19. Price transparency and removal of commissions on currency transactions across the Eurozone
20. FDI into the UK has effectively doubled since the creation of the EU Single Market
21. The UK’s net contribution to the EU budget is around €7.3bn, or 0.4% of GDP (less than an eighth of the UK’s defence spending)
22. No time consuming border checks for travellers (apart from in the UK)
23. The City of London, as a global financial hub, has acted as a bridge between foreign business and the EU
24. British banks and insurance companies have been able to operate freely across the EU
25. Cornwall receives up to £750 million per year from the EU Social Fund (ESF)
26. Structural funding for areas of the UK hit by industrial decline (South Wales, Yorkshire)
27. Support for rural areas under the European Agricultural Fund for Regional Development (EAFRD)
28. EU funding for infrastructure projects in the UK including £122 million for the “Midlands engine” project
29. Financial support from the EU for over 3000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK
30. EU funding for the British film industry
31. EU funding for British theatre, music and dance
32. EU funding for British sport, including football apprenticeships, tennis and rugby league
33. Glasgow (1990) and Liverpool (2008) benefitted from being European capitals of culture, stimulating their local economies
34. EU competition laws protect consumers by combatting monopolistic business practices
35. Strict controls on the operations of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in the EU
36. Human Rights protected under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
37. The death penalty can never be reintroduced as it is incompatible with EU membership
38. Minority languages such as Welsh and Irish are recognized and protected under EU law
39. The right to reside in any EU member state
40. The freedom to work in 28 countries without visa and immigration restrictions
41. The mutual recognition of professional qualifications has facilitated the free movement of engineers, teachers and doctors across the EU
42. The mutual recognition of educational diplomas
43. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has standardized assessment of language proficiency across the EU
44. The freedom to study in 28 countries (many EU universities teach courses in English and charge lower fees than in the UK)
45. The Erasmus programme of university exchanges (benefitting 16000 UK students a year)
46. The freedom to set up a business in 28 countries
47. The ability to retire in any member state
48. Pension transferability
49. The right to vote in local and European Parliamentary elections if resident in any member state
50. EU laws making it easier for British people to buy property on the continent
51. The right to receive emergency healthcare in any member state (EHIC card)
52. Consular protection from any EU embassy outside the EU
53. The EU has played a leading role in combating global warming (Paris 2015 climate change conference)
54. Common EU greenhouse gas emissions targets (19% reduction from 1990 to 2015)
55. Improvements in air quality (significant reductions in sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) as a result of EU legislation
56. Reductions in sewage emissions
57. Improvements in the quality of beaches and bathing water
58. EU standards on the quality of drinking water
59. Restrictions on landfill dumping
60. EU targets for recycling
61. Common EU regulations on the transportation and disposal of toxic waste
62. The implementation of EU policies to reduce noise pollution in urban areas
63. EU policies have stimulated offshore wind farms
64. Strict safety standards for cars, buses and trucks
65. Protection of endangered species and habitats (EU Natura 2000 network)
66. Strict ban on animal testing in the cosmetics industry
67. Membership of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) which monitors the quality and safety of medicines (until recently located in London)
68. 13% of EU budget earmarked for scientific research and innovation
69. The UK receives £730 million a year in EU funding for research
70. EU funding for UK universities
71. Cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a member of Euratom
72. Minimum paid annual leave and time off work (Working Time Directive)
73. Equal pay between men and women enshrined in European law since 1957
74. The right to work no more than 48 hours a week without paid overtime
75. Minimum guaranteed maternity leave of 14 weeks for pregnant women
76. Rights to a minimum 18 weeks of parental leave after child birth
77. EU anti-discrimination laws governing age, religion and sexual orientation
78. EU rules governing health and safety at work
79. The rights to collective bargaining and trade union membership are enshrined in EU employment law
80. The UK enjoys an opt out from the single currency and maintains full control of its borders as a non-member of the Schengen area
81. Since 1985 the UK has received a budget rebate equivalent to 66% of its net contribution to the EU budget
82. EU cross-country coordination offers greater protection from terrorists, pedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime
83. The European common arrest warrant
84. Europe-wide patent and copyright protection
85. EU consumer protection laws concerning transparency and product guarantees of quality and safety
86. Improved food labelling
87. A ban on growth hormones and other harmful food additives
88. Cheaper air travel due to EU competition laws
89. Common EU air passenger rights
90. Deregulation of the European energy market has increased consumer choice and lowered prices
91. Mutual recognition of the common European driving licence
92. The introduction of the European pet passport
93. The abolition of mobile telephone roaming charges
94. The EU acts as a guarantor of the Irish Good Friday Agreement
95. A frictionless Irish border
96. The EU acts as a guarantor of the special status of Gibraltar
97. The EU helped support and maintain democracy in Spain, Portugal and Greece from the 1970s and these countries have become major destinations for British tourists
98. EU membership has helped facilitate intercultural dialogue
99. UK membership of the EU has promoted the use of the English language which has replaced French as the EU’s lingua franca
100. The EU has helped maintain peace in Europe for over 60 years

To this end, Andy Bodle has begun compiling a list of reasons given by Leavers, gathered from Twitter, Facebook, comment threads, discussion forums and friends.
Here is his page: 
https://extranewsfeed.com/50-dumb-fuck-reasons-for-leaving-the-eu-66a40c72c1da
1. “To reduce the length of the political food chain and bring democracy back within clearly defined borders of control.” (James Jackson, Medium)

2. “Because of all the EU laws that we have no say in.”
3. “As a protest vote.”
4. “Because I want it to be a close result.”
5. “It [Sunderland] already is [a giant jobcentre]. That’s why I voted Leave, to put everyone else in the shit like us.” (Twitter)
6. “To stick it to the toffs.”
7. “To give Cameron a bloody nose.” (Express website)
8. “To give Cameron a better negotiating position.”
9. “Because the EU closed the coalmines.”
10. “Because I thought we had been in long enough.”
11. “Because I had the hump.”
12. “Because now our lads will get out of prison, ‘cos there will be jobs for them.”
13. “The main reason I voted out was because the EU parliament aren’t elected representatives. The second is, they pass laws that affect us, but we aren’t given a say. Third, we need to sort our own house out” (Joanne, Facebook, giving exactly the same — factually wrong — reason in three different ways)
14. “Because I felt uncomfortable when a group of brown people got on the bus the other day.” (Family member)
15. “Because the EU made them change Marathons to Snickers.” [That decision was taken by Mars, not the EU.]
16. “Because they banned our bendy bananas.” (Express website) [The EU introduced a law stipulating that bananas should be given different classifications depending on their curvature. No fruit was ever banned, just classified differently.]
17. “Because fishermen now won’t have to throw fish back in the water and Muslim women will no longer be told by their husbands not to wear make-up.” (Caller to LBC) [The exact effect of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will have on fishing waters and quotas must wait until nenotiations are complete, but we will still need agreements with out neighbours, and limits to prevent overfishing, which our neighbours will probably wish to remain broadly the same.]
18. “Because I’ve lived here all my life and when I was growing up, that street over there was filled with shops.” (TV documentary)
19. “To stop the Muslims immigrating here.” [Migration is unrestricted within the EU. But individual nations are responsible for setting their own limits on immigration from non-EU countries, such as those where the majority of citizens are Muslims. Leaving the EU will have no direct effect on the number of Muslims coming to the UK.]
20. “Because I want our old lightbulbs back!” [The EU has placed restrictions on the sale of old-style incandescent light bulbs in a bid to reduce energy wastage and slow global warming.]
21. “Because vaccines should not be mandatory.” [The EU has never passed any law making vaccination mandatory, even though vaccination is widely regarded as being a pretty good idea. Some European countries have done so of their own volition.]
22. “Because the Queen said.” (Pro-Brexit Facebook group)
23. “Because we should not be signing up to TTIP.” [TTIP is a trade deal between EU and America, which the EU has just put on hold. After the UK leaves the EU, most commentators believe it will sign up to a similar deal with the US, probably with fewer checks and balances.]
24. “Because we are like Germany, and Germany isn’t in the EU.” [Germany was a founding member of the EU.]
25. “Because the country is full.”
26. “To annoy my wife.”
27. “It will be an adventure!”
28. “Because the value of the euro is going to go down.” [Even if it were true, this would not have a marked effect on the UK’s economy. Since the vote, sterling is down 18% against the dollar and 15% against the euro.]
29. “So that I can get cheap photovoltaic panels from China.”
30. “Because otherwise, 7 million Turks will come over here.” (Caller to LBC radio station) [Turkey would never have been able to join the EU so long as Britain used its veto.]
31. “Because I am fed up with being ruled by unelected bureaucrats.” [The EU parliament is directly elected in regular European elections. The European commission —essentially the union’s civil service — recruits its own members.]
32. “Because I didn’t want my sons to have to join a European army.” [The EU would never have formed an army so long as Britain exercised its veto. Even if it did, conscription would be a political and practical impossibility.]
33. “Because there’s too many Pakistan [sic] people in Glasgow.” [I repeat: EU membership has no bearing on immigration from outside the EU.]
34. “Because it takes more than 5 litres of water to flush my shit away.”
35. “Because EU taxes are making our petrol more expensive than everywhere else in Europe.” [No, those would be taxes imposed by the UK’s government. The EU plays no part in setting national tax rates.]
36. “To send them women in the headscarves back home. One of them stole my mother’s purse.”
37. “Because I don’t like what the EU is doing to Africa.”
38. “Because I’m scared of black people. They’re so physical.” (Mother-in-law of member of Facebook group) [The mechanism by which leaving the EU will rid the UK of black people is unclear.]
39. “I don’t want to send money to Greece. I don’t care about Greece.”
40. “Because the EU does nothing for us.” [Estimates of the value of EU membership to the UK vary from £31bn to £92bn per year.]
41. “Because the EU has devoted 26,911 words to the regulation of cabbages.” [Seems quite a minor thing to sacrifice 10% of your pay packet for, but in any case, it’s bollocks. There are at present zero words in EU legislation specifically governing the production or sale of cabbages.]
42. “Because our prisons are full of Polish rapists.” [As of March 2016, there were 965 Polish nationals in British prisons. That’s out of a total Polish population of just over 800,000 — so 0.12% of all Poles here are convicted criminals. The total number of prisoners is around 95,000; about 0.14% of the population as a whole. I can’t find any figures broken down into both ethnicity and crime.]
43. “Because the roads in Oxfordshire are full of potholes.” [Technically, such matters fall within the local council’s purview.]
44. “Because the EU is anti-semitic.”
45. “So that we can go back to the way Britain was in the 50s.”
46. “Because they sold off the water, gas and electricity.” [Once again, that would be the work of the UK government, not the EU.]
47. “Because I couldn’t decide, and my boyfriend voted Remain.”
48. “Because schools are no longer allowed to hold nativity plays in case they offend Muslims.” [Utter crap.]
49. “Because the EU spent £13m on art last year.”
50. “Because they never vote for us in Eurovision.”
51. “Because if we stop all the immigrants using the NHS, it will work properly again.”
52. “So we don’t have to queue at the doctor’s.” [There is no clear consensus on the impact of immigration on the health service. Undoubtedly, more people in a country means more people to treat. But it is widely agreed that migrants to the UK are on average younger and healthier than the local population, that inward migration is good for the economy, which gives us more money to spend on the NHS, and that without migrant workers — 24% of doctors and 12% of nurses were not born in the UK — the health service would collapse. Besides, the ageing resident population is by far the biggest strain on health services.]
53. “Because I want a more powerful hoover.” (via Facebook group)
54. “Because the EU is going to ban toasters, and I love toast.” (BBC interviewee) [The EU has never threatened to ban toasters. It is, however, considering a limit on the amount of energy that household appliances can use, in a bid to reduce the effect on the environment.]
55. “So we can have our electrical sockets low down by the skirting rather than have to put them little higher up the wall.”
56. “Because they are building houses for Filipinos and it’s blocking the view from my kitchen window.”
57. “Because I don’t understand politics. This is what my friends suggested.”
58. “Because there’s too much traffic in Sittingbourne.”
59.”Because they tell me I need scaffolding to clean my guttering.” [Really not sure where this information came from.]
60. “Because I fancied a change.” (Caller to Radio 4 programme)
61. “My uncle voted Leave because his sister told him to.”
62. “Because the European Parliament building is the same shape as the Tower of Babel, which is anti-Christ.” (Facebook group’s family member)
63. “So all the fucking Chinks will leave.”
64. “Because the ensuing recession is going to bring house prices down, and I can’t afford to buy a house.”
65. “Because I want to buy sweets in ounces, not grammes.” [The UK adopted the metric system before entering the then European Economic Community. In any case, there’s nothing stopping shops selling things in imperial measures as well as metric.]
66. “Because they don’t pay for NHS prescriptions in Wales and Scotland, and that’s not fair.” (Manchester resident, in TV interview) [Again, nothing to do with the EU.]
67. “So that I don’t have to pay the bedroom tax.” [The bedroom tax was imposed not by the EU, but by … oh, can’t you guess by now?]
68. “Because I’m fed up of the French burning our lamb.” (Frank, Twitter)
69. “Because I want to use my teabag twice and the EU won’t let me.” (Aunt of friend of commenter) [This was another falsehood peddled by Boris Johnson.]