Not entirely sure how the two are linked Andy and tbh the whole issue has passed me by. My initial reaction is that, unfortunately although it might seem like yesterday to us, these events are history and need to be taught about accordingly. Hopefully we learn from history and, speaking as one who had to deliver a whole school assembly the day after 9/11, I believe whether it be WW1, the Holocaust, 9/11 or 7/7, teachers have to deliver the facts as we know them and encourage informed debate of all such issues.
£350 million is what we would pay to the EU budget, without the rebate.
But the UK actually pays just under £250 million a week so we dont send or pay £350 million per week.
Now, £88m a week is paid back to the UK in the form of payments to support things like agriculture and regional development, leaving a net contribution of £188m a week.
Out of that, £26m a week goes directly to private sector organisations in the UK such as universities to fund research, leaving £161m a week going to run EU institutions, pan-European projects and projects in other countries.
And of course being in the EU has economic benefits, though these are harder to put figures on, but given our economy is as I've said the 5th largest and we have an unemployment rate of less than 4.8% then we clearly haven't suffered economically from being in the EU.
That bus lane and road you mention, maybe part funded from EU development funds - used to promote growth but it wasn't built at the behest of the EU, there is a difference.
Yes farm payments are a major EU regulation, they are a mess (though thats why our food is relatively cheap) and favour big farms over small farms - France incidentally has more small inefficient farms than the UK whose big farmers do very well from EU subsidies - one may question why tax payers should fund a business that is not economic,.
Over 50% of regulations from the EU concern farming and climate issues, these are highly unlikely to be dumped by the UK government when we leave - other regulations will remain, the UK government is famous for gold plating regulations in a way other Eu countries dont.
As for remain being a bigger gamble than leave - all I can do is use an analogy - say your in the 4th storey of a house and there is something that is unpleasant or irritates you in the house, which would affect you if you left by the stairs - now if this something was fleas, rats, a flood even a nasty virus, you would still probabely use the stairs as being safer and more under your control, whereas if it was a fire or a deadly gas then the gamble of jumping from the 4th floor maybe a choice, but surely not one you would take unless there was no othe roption?
Remaining, we had a veto and influence, and despite all the issues benefitted from, leaving is a jump into the unknown, it might be an improvement, but the evidence suggests it wont be.
Not really ramanag, he was on his usual insulting mode, I just pointed out he isn't the genius he spouts
Pot and kettle come to mind.
Can I just comment on your post about the Breitbart report? I totally agree with you on facts being reported and not made up ****e. That site may want to whip up a frenzy, but why make the crap up?
So on that score, what's your opinion on the press suppressing genuine facts and not reporting them at all?
Take Sweden, now the rape capital of Europe, yet the press keep schtumn. The Cologne fiasco, where the German police tried to gag the reports and talk victims out of making statements? All are the results, of loony policy and Schengen.
Now I know my comments on this will start the howling, but they are facts and indirectly effect us. But why does the press play it down?
Sorry, but they do play it down. http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/01/i...d-is-shameful/
You'd never catch the Guardian reporting on it or the BBC? Well, let's say no more.
The main stream press suppress most of this, but the internet is a game changer.
That is why you have a Brexit. Before it was what the tv wanted to tell you, or newspapers with their own agenda. No more.
So you use an article in 'the press' to argue that 'the press' cover stuff up...brilliant!
The other flaw in your argument is that there are only about four of the mainstream press, Mirror, Guardian, Observer and Independent that aren't overtly right of centre...the majority of the UK press supports either the Conservatives or UKIP and with Murdoch monopolising TV News I fail to see your point.