So now you agree that £161m per week goes to the eu to be spent elsewhere and that all we receive is debatably a better economy, which will only be proven one way or another after we leave. So, the average taxpayer subsidises the eu to the tune of £5 per week, which would be enough to build 2 new schools per week or a new super hospital, like the one in Birmingham every 3 weeks, or 1500 new homes every week. I know where I want my money spent.
Subject to negotiation, we may still have most of the benefits of membership, being access to the single market like many other countries in the world. Even if our companies were charged a 5% levy on their goods, with the lowering in value of the pound, their goods will still be cheaper than the beginning of June.
So you're saying that while we stick to the eu rules, no one else bothers and gets away with it. You want to be a member of a group like that?
Yes, there are many good regulations and laws to come out of the eu, but there are also many bad ones which are not suitable for a country like ours. It would be nice to pick and choose which ones we like, I mean they don't have a copyright on any laws do they?
Britain joined 8 other countries in the eec, a common market, in 1973. Would we have joined if we had known that it would turn into a 28 country superstate where many of our laws and regulations would be taken out of our hands? Tony Benn was ridiculed when he said that this would happen.
So we move on to the power and influence that we have now. Lets compare with Malta, we have 300 times their economy, do we have any more power, no because they use the euro, they probably have more than us. I don't think they contribute £161m per week to the coffers either. Also, how can the eu work when now not only do individual countries have the veto, even regions in a country can hold up trade negotiations, ie. Wallonia region in Belgium regarding the Canada trade deal.
The eu is too large and inefficient to be fit for purpose and I agree with you that in an ideal world, it would be best to change from within, but sadly this wont happen. They had the chance when Cameron tried to get a few small changes and was rejected.
Btw, I asked Anag, but had no reply, were you in favour of joining the euro? Many of the same arguments were put forward then.