Collaborative Writing?
By pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
Derry, Northern Ireland
February 27, 2016 3:46am CST
On June 23rd 2016, the United Kingdom population get a chance to decide whether they remain, a YES vote, or cease to be, a NO vote, a part of the European Union (the EU, or the EEA).
This is the first time a country, or member state, is choosing whether or not to leave the EU, although there are other countries in Europe that never joined the EU (Norway or Switzerland for example) since its inception in 1958.
So if the NO campaign wins and the UK leaves the EU, what will this mean for nationals of other EU countries who live and work in the UK (as they are freely able to do currently)?
The current British Prime Minister, David Cameron, favours a YES vote - for the UK to remain a part of the EU. But some in his party are advocating NO...
Food for thought here: If you have ever heard of The Gruffalo, an illustrated children's book known the world over, just think: were it not for the EU, this most wonderful of stories would not exist in the form it does today! This article explains why - is it a storm in a teacup?
The book has sold 13 million copies worldwide - and its illustrator says it would not exist if the UK had been outside the EU.
11 people like this
12 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
27 Feb 16
I have enough problems trying to figure out what's going on in my country LOL.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
27 Feb 16
@pgntwo LOL, politicians should be quarantined on an island...
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
27 Feb 16
@AbbyGreenhill Now you're talking! 
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458131)
• Switzerland
27 Feb 16
When the Swiss population was questioned if they wanted to join the reply was a big NO. I do not think that they will change their mind and the Swiss Government would never decide to joint he EU without asking to the population. For the moment I feel safe.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
27 Feb 16
That is what is happening in the UK, in reverse: it is a threat to many, people who have no say in the decision as they are either (a) British, but resident elsewhere in the EU, or (b) from another European Union country, living and working in the UK.
Both these classes of people are adversely affected if the decision is to take the UK out of the EU.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Feb 16
I don't see why people couldn't still live and work there even if Britain changes in this regard. People from America live there, or maybe I don't know that much about it, I do know that people from our area get sent by their jobs to live for five years at a time overseas, but I don't know every country they live and work in.
I've not studied this, so I don't know the reasoning they joined in the first place or why they are considering pulling away at this late date.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
28 Feb 16
@MarshaMusselman Makes you wonder how such a creature ever came into being!
A 3-min potted pros/cons video here, but my money says you lose the will to live by minute 2...
And it's still only February, just... 
Will The European Union Fall Apart? http://testu.be/1UYWZPm Subscribe! http://bitly.com/1iLOHml The United Kingdom is expected to put forth a referendum on i...
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
28 Feb 16
@pgntwo I have enough of them to listen to over here, not going to research them over there too.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
27 Feb 16
@Lucky15 The artwork in the book was drawn by someone who came to the UK years ago from Germany - without the EU, he might never have come, and the illustrations in the book we know and love may never have been. The world works in wonderful ways!
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
1 Mar 16
This is such a tough call and not living there- I can't be sure of the right road but I know there would also be pluses in leaving it as well. Being your own sovereign country does appeal and so do the benefits of staying outweigh the downsides and vice versa?
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
1 Mar 16
I think that many of the problems are exacerbated by national pride - perhaps as an idea, it is too much to handle... It is going to take true commitment rather than just lip service to hold it together, and chipping away at the edges is not going to help. Sometimes I think people should think about what they want, rather than what the politicians say they are losing.
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
2 Mar 16
@MarymargII I hope those who have the power to make a change can - voter apathy is an awful thing!
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
2 Mar 16
@pgntwo I will be watching for the turnout in JUNE!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Feb 16
I always have mixed emotions about referendums of this nature. It may seem superficially right for the public to be given the choice, but the average person has too little understanding of the overall scenario to make a decision of that nature.
The government did the same about entering the EU, which is usually a way of shelving their responsibility in running the country. Basically we are paying them huge salaries to run the country, but they pass the responsibility back to the public.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
28 Feb 16
@TheHorse The reasons on each side of that question are many. Here's a 3-minute summary, with links to other sources of info if you wish to learn more:
Will The European Union Fall Apart? http://testu.be/1UYWZPm Subscribe! http://bitly.com/1iLOHml The United Kingdom is expected to put forth a referendum on i...
