Does a little bit of you...... (It's about that)

It has to be out for me. Earlier this week I saw that the EU have decided to build themselves a £240,000,000 new HQ. Tonight our local news has said how many people are living rough on the streets of Cambridge. The sheer waste by these unelected representatives is shameful. It is not all about immigrants wanting housing it is local people who have fallen on hard times, etc.

My father and FIL fought to give us freedom, (and the French for that matter), and it is being slowly taken away.

I don't think there's a right answer either and I think the whole process has been damaging to the UK.

I'm starting to feel really depressed about the whole thing.

I envy the people who have known which way they are going to vote right from the start.

My little vote won't matter one jot but I would like to feel I was voting from my head/heart?

Haven't a clue.

I don't think there is a right answer *Babyboomer^

Whichever way we vote there will be recriminations for years afterwards - whatever ills face the country, it will be blamed on either staying in or coming out of the EU.

And we will never know much of what would have happened had we voted the other way

I'm feeling quite depressed about the whole thing. I know that whichever way I vote, or even if I don't vote at all, I'll feel guilty about it afterwards. Does anyone else feel like this? There doesn't seem to be a "right answer". I suppose coping with that dilemma is just part of being an adult.

Actually less as a % of income than other countries would be correct.

Welshwife

The UK pays much less than many countries - hardly a cash cow.
that is not the correct conclusion to your argument - 'The UK pays much less per capita than many other countries' would be the correct conclusion.

hardly a cash cow - that is not proven by your argument either - we are the second largest net contributor to the EU
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8036097.stm#start

Apologies if the previous graph was misleading, however it does emphasise that we can be mislead by statistics.
This graph is from Statista.com, which shows contribution country by country.
www.statista.com/statistics/316691/european-union-eu-budget-share-of-contributions/

out for the short term so we can re negotiate better terms and in, maybe, for the long term.

I would like to be able to think we can trade without barriers to the whole world..... We are not just a European world we are a global world and I wish to be able to connect freely with humanity in all the world thankyou.

Took half a minute to find that - the confusion could have spread and lasted for half a year!

Ah! Here it is! It is as grannyactivist says, how Eumemetnet, a grouping of 31 meteorological service, is funded. Entitled "Funding of Eumetmet" and "Financial contributions and subscriptions from member states"

Just shows how statistics can be misquoted and made to lie! and how all graphs and figures need to be be read in context.

"EIG EUMETNET derives the vast majority of its funding from the contributions and the subscription fees of its Members. Each Member pays a share of the collective cost where their share is calculated based upon the Gross National Income (GNI) for their country. Additionally the number of Programmes a Member participates in will affect the size of their contribution. The following diagram shows the 2015 funding from Members:" www.eumetnet.eu/funding

So nothing to do with funding the EU? Where did you find it, joelsnan ? Was there a caption to it?

From what I can gather the graph shown by joelsnan is from the EUMETNET: a grouping of 31 European National Meteorological Services and describes how they (eumetnet) are funded.

Channel 4 at 10 Power monkeys. My son told me to watch it. Very funny satire on inners, outers, Trump and Putin.

Indeed that is the case. Switzerland is such a tiny country, but pays massive sums to the EU, proportionally. It also has had to accept free movement of people and all the same rules and regs for exports to Europe - and yet have NO representation or say whatsoever in Brussels.

As said earlier on another thread- is that what the UK wants?

Oops

Norway pays and has no say or rebate ? Several other non members pay too.

The chart shows Norway and several others are paying in and don't have any say??

Where is that one from* joelsnan* the other one is official statistics - no source on the second chart.

It's interesting how statistics can be manipulated to support a view here are the cash cows as per eumetnet.

Exactly * jevive*

Surely the opposite is true to Synonyms post which says if we remain we nevet get the chance to leave again. If we vote remain, we have a right to ask parliament for another referendum later. If we vote out, we only rejoin if the other countries allow us. Im for remain

Talking of the amount each country pays to the EU are we saying just the total net figure or the amount per capita for each country - makes a huge difference and the per capita amount is the fairest. Look at the pi chart in the centre to see the proportion of the national budget the EU costs UK. The UK pays much less than many countries - hardly a cash cow.

Unfortunately, even if we voted out, since Australia and Israel compete I can see us staying in the Eurovision Song Contest - especially since we fork out so much money to support it. Now there's something I would have voted out for....

I don't think the Eurovision Song Contest has that much to do with actually being in Europe. It's something to do with being in the European Broadcasting Area, and other complexities!