The EU referendum: Should we stay or should we go?

EU referendum

Yesterday I put up a post on Facebook asking for people’s opinions on the upcoming EU referendum. The response I got was amazing. There are so many passionate people with really well founded views for both sides ( as well as some less well founded and quite frankly, racist views). 

To help those of you who are still undecided, I have put together some of those views, in what I hope will be a helpful guide to voting in the EU referendum.

Voting Out:

Those voting out give a variety of reasons for doing so:

  • To take back control 
  • Have more say over our borders, regulations and spending
  • To allow us to deport criminals and terrorists
  • To allow us to negotiate our own trade deals with both Europe and the wider world
  • To save the money we give to the EU and plough it back into our own economy – namely housing, education and the NHS
  • To prevent the influx of immigrants which some believe puts too much pressure on our country and leaves British people without safe housing and secure employment. Many have mentioned an Australian style system where you need to prove why you are entering the country and for how long.
  • To live self-sufficiently – some believe we can survive without the EU
  • To allow us to create our own law and regulations system, rather than being governed by someone we can’t vote for and who doesn’t live in our country, climate, culture and know our needs.
  • “If Syria and turkey join the EEC as they’re trying too we would be obliged to take any travellers / refugees without question and whilst I believe we should help those in need if we spread ourselves too thin our NHS, police and all our services will become overstretched and unable to cope”. Beth.
  • “We have enough NON EU countries willing to trade with us, and we’d be able to negotiate our OWN deals with them. We own 70% of the waters within the EU but yet are only permitted to fish 14%! The NHS would be secure, we are spending millions a year housing criminals within our prisons that aren’t legally entitled to be here but yet we can’t gain the permissions to get them out as the EU override our decisions. Remaining in would mean more houses would need to be built to ensure immigrants are accommodated, when WE HAVE BRITISH NATIONALS LIVING ON THE STREETS, a lot of whom put their lives on the line to defend this country. We’d save millions each week which we would be able to put back into our OWN economy! The list is endless.” Steve

Voting In:

Again, those who are choosing to vote in have many different reasons for doing so. These include:

  • To save the NHS – many voters, including NHS staff believe our healthcare system would be safer if we voted to remain in the EU. It has been mentioned that services are already overstretched and more immigration could stretch this further. A large proportion of our NHS staff are from other countries, and we need these talented people to keep working here
  • Because we get so many subsidies and grants from the EU
  • To safeguard the future – many believe we have no idea what will happen without the EU behind us
  • To reach out to our neighbours and work together. One lady I spoke to mentioned world peace and for that the whole world needs to work together. Us working with our neighbouring countries could be the first step and a divorce from the EU would be a massive step back
  • Parliament and law makers will be overwhelmed by all the legislation that will need to replace things previously covered by EU law. Anything that has been planned over the next few years that is important to our communities will be put on a backburner and services we rely on such as the NHS and pensions will suffer’. My Mummy’s Pennies
  • In certain EU designated areas of deprivation,  schools and playgroups are funded, as well as funding parents fort a period of work experience in a field of my choosing and paying for childcare to help people get back into work. We would be likely to lose this if we left the EU.
  • For business. “As a UK manufacturer most of our business support is funded by the EU. Also trade within Europe is easier while we are part of it. About 15% of our employees are from outside the UK – this has been a lifesaver at times to us, we struggle to get experienced machinists as the clothing manufacturing industry has all but died a death in the UK. Our production manager is French.” Fiona.
  • “I’m in for so many reasons including I think working together is better. I want to continue to enjoy a safe roof over my head, employment, education and healthcare for my children. I enjoy freedom, safety, peace etc. I’m grateful for the high standard of living we enjoy in this country. I hope my children and my children’s children can continue to enjoy the privileges this country has always offered to me. I feel that our country is enriched by multicultural immigration generally people are moving here because they want for themselves and their families the same privileges I have always enjoyed being born here. I’m very concerned that leaving will put everything we enjoy and possibly take for granted at risk. We are part of a global economy I think it’s better to work with the European Union than separate ourselves. At time when international trade is so part of the world we are apart of.” Sonia 

So where do I stand? Personally I am voting to remain in the EU. Why? Because I truly believe that is the best decision for us just now. The ‘Vote Leave’ campaign hasn’t given me enough evidence to show that we would be better off outside the EU. I am not a gambler – our economy is currently fairly stable (yes, I know there is room for improvement, isn’t there always?), and as a country we live fairly harmoniously, with trade and travel; happening peacefully and smoothly. Why fix what isn’t broken? In regards to immigration – I honestly don’t see it as a problem. If my family were living in a war torn country I would like to think that I could move them to a safer place, and receive the help we needed. Migrant workers make up a huge portion of our work force, and will often take on the jobs that our own will not do. Where would we be without them? Would all the current unemployed Brits step up? I don’t think so.

vote2

If we leave the EU, would all the Brits currently living abroad have to come back to the UK? Surely that would put a much bigger strain on our system than immigration currently does? I have spent my working life benefitting from workers rights – maternity leave and maternity pay, working time directives, sickness benefits – would these still be available if we leave the EU?

I have listened to both sides of the argument, and I still vote to remain. I fear for my children’s future if we choose to leave the EU at this time, and I believe it is definitely a case of ‘better the devil you know’. 

EU referendum

What are your views on the EU referendum? How will you be voting on June 23rd? No matter what your view, where your opinions lie – PLEASE VOTE. Don’t sit on the fence. You have a voice – USE IT.

If you have written a blog post about the EU Referendum, I would love you to link it up below!



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14 Comments

  1. June 13, 2016 / 8:38 pm

    Great piece as was it interesting and a little saddening to read the thread on FB. I suppose I have decided to sit on the fence and I’ve added my post on a little bit of my thinking behind this. However I will go and destroy my paper because it’s not an apathetic decision.
    Emily recently posted…Why I want to #ShakeitallAbout…My Profile

  2. June 13, 2016 / 10:07 pm

    The Facebook thread was really interesting! That chart on British perceptions of immigration vs reality said it all for me – I used to work for a youth charity with refugee communities and it always amazed me the crazy stuff people believed, especially about asylum seekers. I guess it shifts newspapers though! x
    Jessica Powell (Babi a Fi) recently posted…Four Reasons to Vote REMAIN on June 23rdMy Profile

  3. June 14, 2016 / 11:54 am

    I am voting in, mainly because I don’t want to risk the economic instability, I don’t think anyone can really predict what would happen either way but I think a lot of reasons people give for voting out – like immigration – are unsubstantiated and would not measurably improve. My parents are voting to get out as they want things to ‘go back to the way there were’ which I think unfortuantely is the view of many people and is just not a reality.

  4. June 14, 2016 / 1:27 pm

    Hi, as an immigrant to the UK myself, I’m in two minds which is best for the country. Over the next week I’ll decide which way to vote.

  5. June 14, 2016 / 2:16 pm

    I must admit i’m still currently sat on the fence with regards to the EU Referendum, but if i had to decide right now then i would 100% vote to leave. I think as a nation we’re strong enough to survive without the EU and the money we spend to be a part of it could be better spent on other issues. x
    Vikki Holness recently posted…Kazoops Is Coming To cBeebiesMy Profile

  6. June 14, 2016 / 3:19 pm

    It’s lovely to see a post highlighting the reason for and against. I’m for as I think it’s the best decision when you way up everything. It is also much easier to travel and helps businesses to be in.
    Mellissa Williams recently posted…Village Hotel Swansea Review With BuyagiftMy Profile

  7. June 14, 2016 / 5:22 pm

    I am still undecided. It really is a a tough choice for me. I don’t think that ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ because I think the EU is a little ‘broken’, if that makes sense. I know countries can survive outside of the EU as many do. There just hasn’t been any examples for countries leaving…

  8. June 15, 2016 / 9:52 am

    Brilliant post, thanks so much. I’m still so undecided but this has given me lots more information, it is especially interesting to see how misinformed we are on some key facts and figures

  9. June 15, 2016 / 10:16 am

    Brilliant piece, as someone who is completely out of the loop (I’m Irish) I wouldn’t have had a clue about any of this. I’d probably side with you too, seems more stable and financially rewarding to the UK in the long-term.

  10. June 16, 2016 / 9:01 am

    I am finding it very interesting to observe the referendum from the outside as I live in Ireland. Such a hugely momentous vote for the UK and the end result will have huge effects on all of Europe
    Zoe Forde recently posted…My Week in Photos #2My Profile

  11. I’m definitely IN… but it’s all bo***cks (I’ve linked up my spoof news article above). I’m angry that this referendum is even happening and that everyone seems so ill-informed about what it actually means. Cheers for doing this important linky. Maddie

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