EU Vote

If the TTIP gets accepted by the EU, being part of Europe will not matter. The Tory libdem government has voted it through anyway. The EU was our only hope to derail it, but Ukip agrees with it. They do not want Europeans in, but do not mind the US taking over our NHS and other contracts.

That took a bit of thinking about, granjura. I mustn't be intellectual enough tonight.

Here's a point in question.

Every Political party leader and their soldiers admits the EU needs 'reform". Now to me that's political speak for it's crap, run badly, possibly corrupt but it's what we've got so we must keep going, for goodness sake don't tell the voter.

I think I'm right in saying it has a budget of around £123 billion . This spring it was revealed there was something like a £22 billion black hole, despite having received £10 billion to supposedly balance the books. It is commonly known the accounts have never held up to scrutiny yet it just insists on more and more money from economies that have had to introduce austerity to their own people to try and get their own economies straight.

The folly of having an HQ in Brussels, yet for 4 days every month the circus/gravy train shifts their butts to Strasbourg. 300 days a year Strasbourg is empty. For goodness sake another crazy idea that proves the European Elite have brains the size of pigeons. I think MEP's did vote to get rid of the Strasbourg parliament, which costs us the tax payer about £163 million for the butt shifting exercise a year. It still hasn't stopped the cherade the MEP's have so far been ignored, 'rode roughshod' over you could say.

Alongside so many rules and regulations that do business no good. The loss of ability for sovereign governance and law making, is it really any wonder that people have started to question whether the EU has gone too far and should not be concerned that the European Elite and the parliament have made their goal known to become 'The Federal State Of Europe'.

The thought of that probably worries me more than anything that has just happened in this election to be honest.

Ooops, apparently not ;)

Caskets come in a variety of sizes like standard, infant, and oversized caskets. On an average, the casket length is about 84 inches, width is 28 inches, and height is 23 inches.

Well, thanks, Ana, that must mean you do read some of my links.
I'll have to put more on!

I haven't put a link on. Not that clever even by half.

People who were old in 1971- would be well over 100 by now- so yes, hopefully they have adapted

Yes, according to our house brochure, my sitting room is 13' 6" by oh never mind! Start again.
It's not the metric why are we getting bogged down with that, it was inevitable, EU or not.

For me it's the unaccountability, like non-payment of tax. Spend, spend, spend, who cares, the taxpayer will cough up.

Can anyone tell me if there is such a body as the 'intellectual right'? I am puzzled that 'intellectual left' seems to have become a derogatory term. There is nothing wrong with being an intellectual; and, in my opinion and experience, being left-wing is not a sin. There does seem to be an innate suspicion of intellect in the English psyche. Wasn't it Harold Wilson who was described as 'too clever by half'?

That's OK, durhamjen - I very rarely read your links either!

Meant to add to my previous post that there's certainly no need to 'peep at profiles' to work out the percentage of current or retired members of the teaching profession on this site is pretty high!

I don't think apples and pears sold on a market stall were upsetting the import/export trade in any way. It was just an example of the EU using a sledge hammer to crack a nut and I am sure we are all used to it by now. Metric, I mean. Even old people buying their fruit and veg have adapted, I'm sure.

My husband was an architect. He had to design in metric then convert because brick manufacturers liked their 9" bricks.

Thanks for obliging, rose.
Will not bother reading the link though. If there's anyone I can't stand more than Thatcher it's Janet Daly.

I still measure room sizes in mm. Years of living with an architect.

You will be asked to define 'metropolitan elite' if you're not careful, TerriBull.

My father was staunch Labour and would find nothing in common with the likes of Miliband, Blair, Balls, Harman etc.

Both metric and imperial systems have advantages- it could be debated forever. But one thing is for sure- mixing the two in an import/export Europe is a disaster- so it made sense for the tiny minority to have to adjust. Do we want to export our wares, or not???

And it should not take an intelligent nation 41 years to get its head round it surely. 1 imperial pound in 453 gr, a metric one 500- so 1 kg is just over 2 lbs- so ok, call it one apple or spud extra. I'm really sure there are more important things to fight over. No?

Carpet are now sold per square metre, and by 2, 3 or 4 metre - and by the linear metre or part of.

Nothing wrong with metric, I just think that some people, particularly older ones, struggled with it and more leeway should have been allowed. 'So there' Durhamjen!!
We need a new carpet, will be interesting to see what they offer.

Not all ukippers are as friendly as Nigel.
www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2014/05/16/the-week-in-review-ukip-fever-is-making-us-all-sick

Many people still think in imperial anyway. Some time ago DH asked for timber 2" by 1" and was told it was 25mm by 50mm. He asked how much it was and was told "50 pence a foot".

Thankyou for the link, Ana, I was trying to think how to explain the 'intellectual left' in very simple terms as people do not seem able to understand it.

rosequartz agree with much of what you say. We all saw how the concerns of Gillian Duffy were treated with contempt by Gordon Brown. I'm not sure the smooth graduates and metropolitan elite of the Labour party like or understand the traditional working class voter who feel increasingly marginalised. I'm afraid many politicians of all persuasions have treated the publics' worries with at best exasperation and at worst a condescending approach as if they are dealing with half wits, best exemplified by Nick Clegg's stance, hence the disasterous result of his own party and the swing to UKIP

I thought they still sold carpets like that, granjura, so I mustn't have bought one for a long time.
What's wrong with metrication? I am so grateful not to have to teach my grandson imperial measurements.
I am waiting with baited breath for roseq to say "So there!" in one of these posts.
Daren't write any more until I find out whether I am intellectual left or not.

Actually, granjura, 1 kg. is 2.2 lb. You've been away from us too long!

I am sure there are many GN's who have parents/grand parents/great grand parents who have immigrants to the UK in their family tree, I DO. So what!!! It doesn't make me think I am special, it doesn't make me think I different. It's a part of my history nothing more, nothing less.

I don't go around thinking about it that much to be honest. I am who I am, I live where I live and I most certainly do not feel at all threatened by UKIP or anybody who mentions the word immigrant or debates immigration. Having said that I do not feel threatened by UKIP but I do fear some far right parties as mentioned many times before.

Why would I. I do not have a circle of friends, family ex workmates etc. who if and when the subject of immigration crops up can't speak openly in my company for fear I would call them racist or told they are being offensive, because they are not, merely stating the bleeding obvious usually.

Take the names that have been mentioned so far, Miliband, Portillo, Howard, Umuna,Sajid David. Are they racist or offensive when they talk about immigration? They all have! Of course not, it is intelligent to discuss immigration as much as it is intelligent to discuss welfare, taxation, education etc. etc.

The debate to be had on immigration is whether or not we should control the numbers, what effect does it have on our services, schools and housing etc.etc. It is not about the make up of the immigrant population over decades past, it bears little relevance to today's issues. The debate has moved forward to what the immigrant make up should be to ensure the populous of the UK, whether they be from immigrant background or native, can cope with today, tomorrow and in the future surely.

Now there will be the usual comment made, 'If it wasn't for immigrants our hospitals would suffer'. I agree but I also understand that if there wasn't so high an influx of people we wouldn't need so many nurses. That's just being practical.

x posts, rosequartz!

I'm sure you know what rosequartz meant by 'the intellectual left' MiceElf. Here's an article which sums it up for me, although of course it's from 2009 and only refers to 'the intellectual class'.

WARNING! Contains references to...Margaret Thatcher

Profiles? I am not researching back through threads to find evidence but I am sure I am not the only one to remember people being beleaguered and feeling they were being bullied on GN.

I am sure there is a definition of the intellectual left somewhere, with some examples. And I am sure you know already, so it would be a waste of my valuable time researching and typing and your valuable time reading it.