EU - in or out?

My son was on strike today. His partner, who works in a school but is not in a union - yet - was told to go to work even though there were no kids. When she arrived, everyone was standing outside, as nobody had a key and the caretaker was on strike. So they all went home again.

Sorry, nfk, I missed you out.

What has today's strike got to do with the UK being in or out of the EU?

rosequartz I still have the relevant papers and all letters, I can read, also we had a house without mortgage to sell and no debts.

Anyway again, what has Oz etc got to do with those living in Europe, I have lived in 3 EU countries, and really think is is time the Uk realises it is a little Island off the coast of the European Continent, perhaps when the UK leaders stop sucking up to the USA leaders, and started thinking for themselves, and not destroying lives to keep chummed up to them.They don't give a monkeys for us, we are just cannon fodder.
Or do you want to stick Walter Raleigh's head back on, bring out the privateers and re-build the Empire

Short memory, Ana. You wrote about the strikes earlier, and so did lots of other people.

rosequartz I'd rather the United States of Europe than USA. We ARE Europeans. And I don't know why we persist with driving on the left and keeping the £.

Oh to heck with it - let's also scrap all these different languages whilst we are having a clear out and make it a legal requirement that only Esperanto can be spoken from this day forth to make us all truly European and break down those dratted language barriers...

felice

really think is is time the Uk realises it is a little Island off the coast of the European Continent

I think you'll find it is only the political elite that labour under the delusion of Britain still being great; the majority of British people see Britain more or less as you have described it (although probably would use the word 'small' instead of 'little' - 'little' can have such a derisive effect don't you think?)

perhaps when the UK leaders stop sucking up to the USA leaders, and started thinking for themselves, and not destroying lives to keep chummed up to them.

Can't argue with that!

They don't give a monkeys for us, we are just cannon fodder.

Us? We? Do you still live in the UK?

Or do you want to stick Walter Raleigh's head back on, bring out the privateers and re-build the Empire

Oh dear, you're beginning to sound a bit hysterical now

I have family in the Uk and carry a British passport which still makes me British.
In a previous post someone wrote,, one day we shall be great again,,,,!!!!!!!

Your passport may still make you British felice but how do the decsions of whichever Party is in power in the UK, affect you?

I don't mind people wishing/hoping for the day that Britian can hold it's head high again; beats being ashamed of it.

Latest item from the book - I'm ploughing on!

Apparently the working time directive costs the NHS one billion pounds a year because agency staff have to be employed - it also has the effect of reducing medical skills as the hours worked do not allow trainee doctors to gain sufficient experience.

And a directive that agency staff should be employed with the same rights as permanent staff if they have worked in the organisation for 12 weeks means that employers just use them for twelve weeks then sack them and get a new agency staff member. It is quite amazing that those who set up this directive could not have foreseen this!

There are many examples of attempts to create "one-size-fits-all" legislation for the many disparate countries within the EU, and how this simply does not work - I am not surprised by that.

They affect my DS1 who has Autism and lives in a care environment, and DS2 who has 2 children who need a decent education, my 95 year old Mother who is in a care home, my cousins, my natural family. Ok HOLLYDAZE would you like anymore personal information, Oh wait, x lives in the uk with his partner and their 2 children too, we are friends.

Mishap

Apparently the working time directive costs the NHS one billion pounds a year because agency staff have to be employed

That's interesting to hear.

There was an item on BBC news yesterday saying that the amount of unpaid overtime that British workers are 'expected' to perform is a cost saving of £30bn per year! I was shocked at that. I'm sure there will be some medical staff who do still work (even if only a little) past their official time - it would have given a more rounded picture if staff had been asked about that and those figures included.

Well, felice, it seems that it doesn't directly affect you at all so I'm still puzzled by the 'we' and 'us' but I can see it must be frustrating for you regarding your family members. Maybe if people who haven't contributed for decades to the British tax system didn't claim pensions and other benefits to be spent in other countries (thereby boosting that economy instead of the British one), there would be more money to be spent on the things you have listed.

As a point of reference, I didn't ask you for personal information; I asked how you can use the term 'we' and 'us' when you don't live in Britain, all you needed to say was 'I have close family still living there'.

I do not recieve any 'benefits' of any kind from the Uk and did pay into the British tax and NI for many years before leaving, I have been told i could claim some invalidity benefit from the Uk as I receive that here, but to me that would be immoral.
Please do lump all Xpats with the pensioners in Spain, I find that offensive.

felice - you did state:

a lot of people born in the the UK can claim benefits and pensions in their countries of residence, I do, I also got Child Benefit here when my DD was still at school.

From your post, it would appear you claim/have claimed more than one benefit since leaving Britian. I always find it surprising that people choose not to llve in Britain (thereby not contributing to its coffers throughout their working lives) but feel okay about claiming benefits.

Have I lumped all expats with pensioners in Spain? If I have inadvertently posted that, please do let me know where and, once I have checked and then find the offending comment, I will apologise profusely; I'm sure I would never tar all pensioners in Spain with such a sweeping statement.

If you wish to feel offended about something I haven't said, there really isn't much I can do about that.

Wrong, I said my Child benefit was changed from the Uk one to the BELGIAN one as soon as we registered here, I have never claimed any benefits at all from the Uk. get your facts right.

Do not accuse me of something I have not done i do not like that, and it IS insulting.

Just re-read my first post I meant I got benefits here, not from the UK, as pointed out in another post. I have the right to claim but would never do so, first was a typo error, to many dos.

I've just had to deal with an expat residing in Spain, who is in receipt of ESA.

Galen, that just seems wrong, I suppose they would say they are not a drain on the health service by living abroad but surely the UK would still have to pay for any health care there, I do not know exactly how it works, we need to have health insurance here.

He was transferred over from the old IVB without examination.

I receive invalidity benefit here, it is below the poverty level and there are no other top up benefits. that was the reason a friend told me to apply to the UK. The medical examinations were thorough, took 2 years to go through and had to go to court eventually.
Now it is automatic and as I have conditions which will deteriorate does not need to be re-assessed.There is no housing benefit here and I still pay my health insurance and medications, although those classed as essential for life i get a discount for.
I would say the only real benefit, is knowing I will have an income every month, and a free landline phone and my cable TV is paid for.

Wrong, I said my Child benefit was changed from the Uk one to the BELGIAN one as soon as we registered here, I have never claimed any benefits at all from the Uk. get your facts right.

Yes, felice, you did say that later but in light of that, the earlier quote of yours that I gave makes no sense.

I was trying to get the facts right, I can't be held responsible if you don't make something you say clear. I still think it's unclear.

I care little if you feel unhappy about what is being said because I have said nothing insulting - I asked for clarfication of something you actually posted but if you want to have a strop, feel free ....

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theguardian.com/politics&sa=U&ei=bd2_U8-RDOeX1AWugoFQ&ved=0CAYQFjAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHTulXf-2v6vqiJigy3Za8UnPhmqA
Would this have happened if we were not in the EU?
I think not.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/11/nhs-safeguarded-european-commission-eu-us-trade-deal&sa=U&ei=aOC_U_bEGYKb0wXcz4GwDA&ved=0CAoQFjAC&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGyPgh7hlqzG3q1Kju-2K0B17aUPQ

Sorry, gave you the whole page before. You can read it if you want.

The medical examinations were thorough, took 2 years to go through and had to go to court eventually.

The Belguim authorities made you take them to court?