Are older people today out of touch politically with younger generations?

Sorry to disappoint, but I am happy with someof the money we contributed to Europe going to countries like Rumania, Greece, Latvia and Estonia in the same way I am happy to see the taxes I pay go to support the railways, education, industry support and a host of sectors that I do not benefit from.

A united Europe helping individual members to develop their economies and achieve the standard of living that we have in this country is for the benefit of us all, bringing countries together in mutual support as well is offering greater opportunities for trade and investment to our manufacturers.

What bothers me so much about both Brexit and other such movements in countries world wide is the selfish, 'I am all right Jack' attitude that is unconcerned that their selfishness condemns the less fortunate, especially if they are not British, to poverty and disadvantage.

Excellent and informative posts Day6.....but they won’t be appreciated by posters who are determined to carry on talking the UK economy down.

Excellent post M0nica.

"helping individual members to develop their economies and achieve the standard of living that we have in this country is for the benefit of us all"

I am all for aiding countries in distress MOnica, but I do not believe we should have to channel our foreign aid budget through Brussels and allow spending to be at the whim/desire of unknown bureaucrats.

I feel it is much healthier for us to determine such spending. We are not a bunch of shysters or buffoons or economically illiterates in the UK. We are also a compassionate nation. We can determine these things ourselves, to and for the benefit of UK taxpayers. I look forward to more accountability and transparency when our billions aren't transferred abroad in 'membership fees'.

We will pay our dues to the EU and then be free (I hope) of paying BILLIONS a year to Brussels - or £375,000,000 a WEEK.

No, you said hundreds of billions, I copied and pasted it from your post.
It is generally accepted that actual payment to the EU, when accounting for the rebate, regional aid which comes back and things like the Single Farm Payment, is about £9 billion. It would take 10 years to 'save' even £100 billion, so much longer for your 'hundreds of billions' to materialise.

And, of course, the figure doesn't take into account the £ billions which return to the UK by way of trade with EU countries; the value of which is set to diminish, particularly with the loss of income from our main export (44%) to the EU, financial services, which we will lose through loss of passporting rights and the movement of financial service HQs to EU countries.

^ but I do not believe we should have to channel our foreign aid budget through Brussels^

We don't actually channel our foreign aid through Brussels. We have our own foreign aid budget we which allocate quite independently of 'Brussels'. Anything that comes from the EU is a bonus for the countries concerned. And, to be honest, I really cannot see that the small proportion of EU International Aid which comes from our contribution is likely to be added to our Aid budget.

Yes, good post MOnica. And the benefits of that aid within the EU are being seen in economic growth in those countries...

The so called 'unknown bureaucrats' are known to our representatives in Europe, e.g. Mr Farage. MEPs are there to represent us. We voted for them.

Day6 just the other week the Express reported on a poll about overseas aid Give Overseas Aid to the NHS and social care

The poll asked: “Do you think you would be in support of Britain scrapping some of its overseas foreign aid commitments so that the money was instead diverted to the NHS, adult services and social care?”

The results showed 84% of respondents said 'Yes'.

As part of an ongoing campaign the Express also set up a petition last Autumn campaigning for Overseas Aid to be given to the NHS. It states 90,000 readers signed, plus 20,000 signed an online petition set up by Tory Party member and twice unsuccessful Tory parliamentary candidate Robert John Fairbank Barnes (it currently has over 26,000 signatures and closes 14th March).

Give Overseas Aid to the NHS

Yes, we are a compassionate country, but many would rather aid for those less fortunate overseas instead of campaigning for more funding for the NHS and social care from the government.

Given we're talking about 0.7% of UK national income, I find this very sad.

Day6, I said nothing about foreign aid. I was talking about the money invested by the EU in other EU countries.

You talk as if the EU was a group the UK gave money to but had no involvement in the decision making. The UK is an integral a part of the EU decision making, as much as any other country and we have British Commissioners, the equivalent of Cabinet ministers. We are part of the decision making process. You might as well complain that you pay tax to the UK government but do not have a personal involvement in how every penny is spent.

Thu 01-Feb-18 19:50:42 Well said Monica. You probably just summed up the views of half the country.

.....and Day6 probably just summed up the views of the other half of the country.

I wasn't very happy when I lived in Bulgaria and our local farming co- operative was given 20 million euros to up date all their farm machinery and the whole lot just 'disappeared'
There were dozens of these incidents but this one I know to be true as my friend farmed on this land and had such high hopes that things were going to change, but sadly they didn't.
The eu regularly sent officials to try and find where the money had gone but these people run rings round them. They learnt from their previous task masters, the Russians.

Wilma never heard of Dominic Raab! Wasn't me who mentioned him

Petra are you sure they learned from the Russians...lol.I know Irish farmers who got grants and built huge houses with them instead of spending it as intended.I think there are people who will do this everywhere.Its the grants to huge estates that bothers me Queenie and co get a huge windfall from the EU every year as do many of our esteemed MP's

Day I don't think you should minimize the effect of Brexit on the pound. Before the vote the £ was worth $, it went down to about 1.22$ and is now up to 1.42$. That is significant.

Thanks for correcting that MaizieD, it was a surprise to me that the EU decided who we gave aid to.

They are only 73 British MEPs and 678 unknown bureaucrats MEPs so Day 6 in correct. 678 unknown not voted in by us.

They are only 73 British MEPs and 678 unknown bureaucrats MEPs so Day 6 in correct. 678 unknown not voted in by us.

So how many civil servants do you think work in the background in our Parliament Ninny. I can't see the point you are making. MEPs are MEPs and those we usually call civil servants are civil servants.

Nonnie the last sentence in your post yesterday at 10.40 says

No, don't Tories, their new Housing Minister is MP for Esher and Waltong, what does he know about the average person?!

Dominic Raab is the MP for Esher and Walton.

Wilma so sorry you missed the humour in my post. I didn't think it needed spelling out in simple terms. Perhaps the suggestion about a referendum about a referendum was a clue?

Also, as I didn't name the MP concerned that might give a clue to the fact that I neither knew nor cared who he was? The emphasis, which you appear to have missed, was on Esher and Walton! As you clearly don't understand perhaps you could look at house prices on Rightmove which will make it very clear.

Always happy to explain to those unable to understand

The point I am making is that these 678 MEPs unlike our MPs who the British people have voted in do not represent us. We are one of the largest contributors to the EU but others countries like Romania have 30 plus, Poland 50 plus etc MEPs all looking out for their own interests not Britains. That's one of the reasons I voted Leave.

ninny
I don't suppose the fact that Poland has 50 MEPs has anything to do with them being the largest recipients of eu funds

Nonnie you're right, I missed the humour in your post and I still haven't got a clue what you're talking about. Never mind, I can't be bothered with trying to get you to explain anymore.

"The UK is an integral a part of the EU decision making"

Of course it is, but as someone who wants us out of the EU I believe it's a middleman we can cut out. Why does our decision making, our thoughts on spending have to be agreed and ratified by 27 European countries, each with their own agenda and each looking after their own interests?

It is a fact that we pay much more into the EU pot than we receive in rebates. We should be in control of our own spending and determine where UK taxpayers money goes.

OK Wilma in the simplest possible terms:

The suggestion of a referendum about a referendum was absurd therefore could not be taken seriously.

Esher and Walton is a very, very wealthy area therefore it seems unlikely that the MP from that area would not understand the housing needs of the whole country. This last was to show that I do not particularly attach to any political party and am quite happy to whinge about all of them.

Hopefully that was understandable, if not then I must give up. I had assumed that some sort of subtlety would be appreciated.