Britain votes in favor for Brexit

[Guest Rachelle of London]

If Britain leaves I'm pretty sure Scotland will kick up again and want to leave Britain. They couldn't go independent without being in the EU. The EU would welcome them as an independent nation as well as they have industries. An independent Scotland as a EU state would probably be successful. However so many people disagree with me

[jonski43]

Are there any parrellels between the UK leaving the EU and the recent vote for Scotland to leave the UK? Are any of the arguments to leave or stay the same? Any if the UK do leave the EU does that mean Scotland will vote for independence again to decide if they would rather be part of the EU as opposed to the UK?

There were some economic arguments for the Scottish leaving the UK including profits from North Sea oil so yes, it's all about the right to govern one's own country and manage one's own taxes without interference from another country so yes, many parallels. But yes if the UK did leave the EU Scotland could well push for independence again. However, I think if the UK leaves, Scotland would have to reapply to join the EU as technically they will have left too. It's a right mess but I think we will remain.

Leave is starting to look a right mess.

[Michael.]

There were some economic arguments for the Scottish leaving the UK including profits from North Sea oil so yes, it's all about the right to govern one's own country and manage one's own taxes without interference from another country so yes, many parallels. But yes if the UK did leave the EU Scotland could well push for independence again. However, I think if the UK leaves, Scotland would have to reapply to join the EU as technically they will have left too. It's a right mess but I think we will remain.

Leave is starting to look a right mess.

It seems strange to me then that the people who supported Scottish independence don't support the UK leaving the EU?

[jonski43]

It seems strange to me then that the people who supported Scottish independence don't support the UK leaving the EU?

Lol. The Scots hate the English not the rest of Europe!

*awaits Kim*

[Guest Rachelle of London]

It seems strange to me then that the people who supported Scottish independence don't support the UK leaving the EU?

Yup. Confuses me too. They only want independence for themselves. Detach from Britain but have access to the Euro markets and bailouts if need be.

[promise to try]

It seems strange to me then that the people who supported Scottish independence don't support the UK leaving the EU?

because they want to be in europe?

[promise to try]

I don't think it will affect much if UK leaves the EU to be fair.

to europeans no,but to the UK? EU's government is going to be very hard with them just to make clear that it can't happen again.and what about the TTIP? ian't the uk one of the strongest supporters?

[promise to try]

I don't think it will affect much if UK leaves the EU to be fair.

to europeans no,but to the UK? EU's government is going to be very hard with them just to make clear that it can't happen again.and what about the TTIP? ian't the uk one of the strongest supporters?

[jonski43]

[Kim]

It's kinda simpllstic to just use the argument "want to govern their own affairs" when it comes to any sort of Independence debate. Every scenario is different and the Euro debate is far more complicated and far-reaching. Obviously Scotland with it's agricultural, fishery and economic ties wants to stay as part of Europe and obviously (imo) is quite capable (as the devolved Parliament has shown) of running the remaining fiscal and economic powers that are still at Westminster. Once the oldies die off, it'll happen anyway. Just a matter of time.

I did notice recently The Daily Fail with it's headline "Scots vote may FORCE UK to stay part of Europe" shite. More tosh to get Middle England up in arms.

I'm surprised Europe itself doesn't kick ENGLAND out as its shameful football hooligans wreak havoc across France right this very minute anyway

[XXL]

Something I personally do not understand. Because I don't see the UK having a real immigration problem. I think this issue is used because it plays with the fear of people, it's an emotional thing. That works better. But I still believe the true reason is the money.

Precisely

The UK has yet to actually know A REAL immigration problem

At least in the capacity some other EU members have experienced for geographical reasons mostly

Ask Italy, during the past 25 years, not the last 5 or 10

[XXL]

I'm not saying that the UK should remain per se by the way, I'm just saying this is part of a wider debate and crying about the unfairness of it all it's like saying things are any more fair for any other EU country. The EU project is obviously more about centralisation of power than developing an actual system which absorbs and redistributes energies in equal measure from all 28 member countries, that is clear, having focused just on the monetary issue was a big mistake

Another big side to this event is the fact that most people who would vote to leave are unaware of the fact that they will have to subscribe to any diktat Brussels has irrespective of the fact they might not be part of the Union anymore. Ask Norway

[Michael.]

To me it sounds like the biggest argument to stay is the economic one. That the UK benefits by having access to the European markets etc? But Australia for example isn't part of any union and they still access to the Asia Pacific markets (among many others) via trade deals etc. Unless the EU was to purposefully block any trade with the UK (which I don't think would benefit them much) then I can't see why that should be a deciding factor to remain in the EU.

[Kim]

To me it sounds like the biggest argument to stay is the economic one. That the UK benefits by having access to the European markets etc? But Australia for example isn't part of any union and they still access to the Asia Pacific markets (among many others) via trade deals etc. Unless the EU was to purposefully block any trade with the UK (which I don't think would benefit them much) then I can't see why that should be a deciding factor to remain in the EU.

Subsidies, common policies, climate change programme, directives such as 'workers rights' ensuring holiday/maternity pay etc (which the tories would love to decimate) security and defence policy etc etc Better in than out.

[XXL]

I did notice recently The Daily Fail with it's headline "Scots vote may FORCE UK to stay part of Europe" shite. More tosh to get Middle England up in arms. I'm surprised Europe itself doesn't kick ENGLAND out as its shameful football hooligans wreak havoc across France right this very minute anyway

I've read another funny headline speaking of Euro 16: "menacing Russian hooligans don't drink and work out"

[Guest Rachelle of London]

How on EARTH does the UK not have an immigration problem?

And what is the difference between a real or a fake immigration issue?

[Guest Mauro]

The Sun is backing Brexit.

[Kim]

THIS Sun?

Forget the devil, personally I'm outraged that FATTIES ARE COSTING US £30 BILLION!!!

[Guest Rachelle of London]

Whatever the Sun backs I'll do the opposite

[karbatal]

Good thing about brexit would be if those mongols hooligans are forbidden to ever put a foot on the continent.

I don't mind the drunkards who come to Spanish coast. At least we get their money and only other British people put up with them. Those hotels are only inhabited by British.

[karbatal]

Now seriously, i hope brexit doesn't happen.

[karbatal]

How on EARTH does the UK not have an immigration problem?

And what is the difference between a real or a fake immigration issue?

it has a immigration problem, but not bigger than any other European countries, and far less than the immigration preassure that Southern countires like Spain had several years ago. But the arrival of immigrants to the UK in the last couple of years shoulddn't have been a issue. In fact, population in most European countries is getting alarmingly old and immigrants help to solve the problem.

When 4 million immigrants came to Spain during the 90s, our old age situation changed for the better. Now, some of them are gone and there are no new ones and we are facing the same problem again.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

it has a immigration problem, but not bigger than any other European countries, and far less than the immigration preassure that Southern countires like Spain had several years ago. But the arrival of immigrants to the UK in the last couple of years shoulddn't have been a issue. In fact, population in most European countries is getting alarmingly old and immigrants help to solve the problem.

When 4 million immigrants came to Spain during the 90s, our old age situation changed for the better. Now, some of them are gone and there are no new ones and we are facing the same problem again.

You are aware that Spain is more than double the size of the U.K. and has 23 million less people than the U.k.

[karbatal]

When immigrants started to come to Spain, our unemployment rate was the highest ever: 24%. And yet, we knew we needed them. in fact, thanks to their work and effort, and other very big factors that the good situation in economy worlwide, our unemploiment rate was 10% 10 years later, with 4 million people more!

I doubt it's a question of space. Those people work, pay their taxes, more money goes to the administration, who can build more hospitals, schools, etc.

Normally a immigrant gives more money than costs. Moves economy in a healthy way.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

No one is saying that immigrants don't contribute to society. Well I'm definitely not. However, a country where there is not enough resource, housing, schools, hospitals which is no thanks to the former Conservative government who implemented terrible schemes that lost a lot of social housing, you cannot deny that immigration is a problem. It's okay those people who live far and wide commenting about issues that don't a affect them but for the every day person it's a huge issue. I work not too far from Paddington station and let me tell you the amount of homeless foreigners there are camped out on the streets in and around train stations. Let alone the refugee camps around Hyde Park. How on earth is that ethical? Where's the precious EU to help these people? What is the EU doing for these people? The population is growing too rapidly and there's not enough resource to sustain it. I'm not blaming the immigrants at all. It's the lack of support there is for people when they get here which needs to be addressed. Larger countries could also take in more people. People forget Britain is an island and not even a big one.

People making out like Britain is anti immigration is also laughable considering nearly 15% of the British population were born in other countries.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

And also I know that immigration levels have grown because countries like Britain have completely destroyed and ruined other countries. Before someone points that out.

[karbatal]

I don't think that UK is anti immigration. I say that the pressure nowadays is not by far a problem. At all.

This is a very looooooooooooong essay I read the other day. I am not British so it may be wrong, but I think it's accurate.

"Immigration has been in the news a lot lately, especially with the EU referendum coming up.

So let's use the tools and data of political science to understand the topic better.

Last year, 270,000 EU citizens immigrated to the UK, and 85,000 returned to the EU. So EU net migration was around 185,000 (1). Additionally, a similar number came from outside the EU, so 330,000 in total.

That was the highest ever level of EU migration going all the way back to when we joined the EEC in 1975. Indeed during the 1980s the trend was the other way British workers moved overseas, particularly to Germany, as their economy was doing better than ours at that time. You might remember the TV show Auf Wiedersehen Pet. Currently our economy is doing better than many European ones so more people are coming than going. But there's no reason to think that will always be the case.

The Leave campaign claim that EU migration is putting unsustainable pressure on our public services, worsening the housing crisis, putting pressure on the NHS, on schools and on our roads. Their latest TV broadcast for instance shows a sick older lady receiving NHS treatment much faster in an imaginary hospital if we leave the EU. Are they right?

Imagine that we left the EU and banned EU immigration completely. Nobody else allowed no footballers, no entertainers, no chefs, no businessmen, no nurses, no cleaners, nobody. And we kept that door shut for ten years. And for comparison lets say that we stayed in the EU and immigration continues at this years record level (the highest ever) for the next ten years. How would that impact our population and our public services?

In terms of population, wed end up with 1.85m fewer people living in our country after the 10 years. That sounds like a lot of people, which it is. But were a big country 64.6m in total at the moment (2). So even under these very extreme assumptions the difference is only 2.8%. Less than 1 in 35.

Would you notice the difference if there were 34 instead of 35 people in your doctors waiting room? If there were 34 instead of 35 cars ahead of you in the traffic jam? Would your childs education suffer in a class of 35 instead of 34? I doubt it.

And dont forget that were making crazily unrealistic assumptions about how much we could reduce immigration if we left the EU. Because even the most ardent Leave campaigners dont say that we should stop immigration altogether. They usually talk of using a points system to reach the governments net target of 100,000 per year. So the difference in population after 10 years wouldnt be anything like as much as 1 in 35.

Lets say we could hit the net target of 100,000 half from the EU and half from non-EU countries for the sake of argument. In that case, the difference in population after 10 years would be 1.35m or 1 in 49.

And dont forget that were also making another very aggressive assumption that migration will continue at the same level as last year, our highest ever. It would be more realistic to take the average of the last five years migration (3). If we do that, then the difference in our population after ten years would be only 790,000 or 1 in 82.

1 in 82.

I cant tell the difference between a crowd of 81 and 82 people (even when they were my own wedding guests!). Can you?

So heres the thing: however you feel about EU immigration, even under extreme assumptions the impact on our overall population just isnt very large.

Now at this point some of you might be thinking This can't be right - step outside and look with your own eyes! Britain is full of foreigners! The place I grew up is like another country! How can you claim that EU immigration is not significant?.

I live in inner London so I can sense where you might be coming from. A few things to bear in mind:

1) The overwhelming majority of immigration to the UK over the last 40 years has been from outside the EU (3). However you feel about that, it has nothing to do with our EU membership;

2) Whether you like it or not, Britain has been a multicultural country for several generations at least. You cant tell whether somebody is an immigrant just by looking at them (sorry if this is an obvious point). You might hazard a guess at their ethnicity or race but thats a very different thing;

3) Historically, immigrants have clustered in particular areas of the country, so your neighbourhood may not be representative of the country at large;

4) British people from all backgrounds have become much more cosmopolitan in their tastes over the last 40 years. We drink in pubs much less, but enjoy wine at home or go to restaurants and cafes a lot more. Instead of just eating British food, we enjoy flavours from all over the world. So the retail and commercial landscape of our country has changed - to reflect our changing tastes, not just because of new arrivals.

But wait! What when Turkey, Montenegro and Albania join the EU? Well be swamped!

No we wont.

Mainly because Turkey and Albania are nowhere near being eligible to join the EU, and Montenegro is tiny. Also don't forget there are 27 other countries in the EU to choose from if residents of those countries did fancy a change of scene.

And even if in the distant future many other countries did join and we did find ourselves swamped, Britain could leave. Were free to leave the EU whenever we want. But if we leave and then want to rejoin, wed need the consent of all 27 other member states. Better to stay and keep our options open than leave in fear of something that is very unlikely to happen.

And so far weve also not factored in the contribution that immigrants make to our country, and specifically our public finances. EU migrants contribute more in taxes than they use in public services, as they are much more likely to be of working age than the general population (4). So if we used that extra tax revenue to hire more doctors, build more schools, invest in transport and so on, wed actually have better public services than we would without any EU immigration.

It takes time to hire and train teachers and doctors, build schools and roads, and so forth. So its true that a sudden influx of people into an area can put short-term pressure on services. But the fundamental reason for the issues we identified at the start NHS pressure, oversubscribed schools, congested roads, the housing crisis is not EU immigration.

We are now six years into a government austerity programme to attempt to balance the books. So its not surprising that our public services are feeling the pinch.

An ageing population and new advances in medicine put particular strain on the NHS.

For the last thirty years, we have failed by a wide margin to build enough houses in the UK. Interest rates have been at an emergency rate of 0.5% for the last seven years. That is why house prices are so high.

And this story of decades of underinvestment is repeated for our roads and railways too.

All of these issues are home-grown. And all of those policy areas are entirely within the control of our government in Westminster. They have nothing to do with the EU and are not the fault of EU migrants.

Finally, theres been plenty of academic research into this issue, including a summary paper just published by the London School of Economics (5).

The research shows, contrary to many tabloid headlines, that

1) Immigrants do not take a disproportionate share of jobs created by our economy;

2) There is no evidence of an overall negative impact of immigration on wages;

3) There is no evidence that EU migrants affect the labour market performance of native-born workers (i.e. make it harder for native-born workers to get promoted, get a pay rise, etc)

So it is clear from examining the evidence that fears of immigration have been blown out of all proportion by the Eurosceptic press and the Leave campaign.

But what about all that money we send the EU? Couldn't we use that to improve public services?

Yes, but it wouldn't go very far, and it would be outweighed by the economic damage from leaving.

Our net contribution to the EU was £8.5bn last year (6) which works out at 36 pence per person per day. That is a drop in the ocean compared to our annual NHS budget of £116.4bn (7).

And if youre trying to work out the impact of leaving the EU on our public services, you cant just look at our net contribution. You also need to consider the effect that leaving would have on the size of our economy, and hence the tax revenue the government can generate.

Seven highly respected independent economic organisations have tried to work this out (8). And all seven of them have reached the same conclusion: that the economic damage caused by Brexit would more than offset the saving from our EU contribution.

The best estimate suggests that the government would have between £20bn and £40bn less to spend on public services than if we remained in the EU (9). So our public services wouldn't be better if we left the EU - they would be much worse.

So if we left the EU to take control of immigration, and then reduced it as discussed above, wed still have all the same problems we have today the housing crisis, an overstretched NHS, oversubscribed schools, heavy traffic, etc.

But wed also have two even more serious problems to add to the list: a recession and the unknown consequences of destabilising the very institution which has secured peace in Europe for the last 70 years.

People are sceptical of economists forecasts. But you dont even need to estimate many of the economic problems that will arise from Brexit you can see them already in the currency markets.

The pound suffered its biggest one day fall in seven years when Boris and other MPs joined the leave campaign (10). You can watch the impact of movements in the referendum opinion polls in the EUR/GBP exchange rate. A major bank recently warned that Brexit could wipe 20% off the value of the pound through devaluation (11).

Devaluation sounds like a dry and abstract concept. So let me explain what that means:

20% of your life savings wiped out overnight.

The numbers in your bank account will be the same, but what you can buy with it will be 20% less, since most things we buy these days come from overseas.

Only the other day the Financial Times reported that hedge funds are planning to run their own private exit polls on referendum day to speculate on the currency markets ahead of the official result (12).

Just as during the ERM crisis of 1992, the vultures are circling, waiting to feast on our self-inflicted wounds.

And heres another very clear threat: to our jobs. Only last Friday, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, warned his staff in Bournemouth that one, two or even four thousand of them would be made redundant if we leave the EU (13). Imagine how his staff are feeling today. And as a manager, let me tell you: thats not the kind of thing you tell your employees unless youre deadly serious.

Even leading Leave campaigner Michael Gove admitted just a few days ago that jobs are at risk if we leave the EU (14). Multimillionaire UKIP donor Arron Banks described this economic damage as a price worth paying (15).

Arron Banks, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage might be rich enough to gamble their jobs on Brexit - but are you?

It is quite possible that some of your friends and family will lose their jobs as a direct result of Britain leaving the EU. Do you want to be responsible for that?

We took an evidence-based look at the immigration and EU issue above. But the Leave campaign and Eurosceptic press (Express, Sun and Mail in particular) choose to paint a very different picture. A picture which blows these statistics out of all proportion. 'Strangers in Our Own Country' 'Our borders are out of control!'. You know the stuff I mean. Pictures which invite us to eye our friends and neighbours with suspicion and even hostility. Editorial which pins the blame for every problem from housing to wages to traffic to NHS waiting times on immigrants.

And it's not even because they don't know any better. The leaders of the Leave campaign and the political editors of those newspapers are clever, well-educated people. They know the facts I set out above just as well as I do.

Yet instead of presenting a balanced view, they choose to deliberately whip up fear and suspicion of immigrants for their own political purposes.

Shame on them.

Why? Because appealing to people's basest prejudices sells newspapers and gathers votes. Just ask Donald Trump.

And what greater contrast could there be between the divisive rhetoric of the leave campaign and the noble vision of the EU's founding fathers.

Men who, amid the ashes of World War Two, set their national differences aside and dared - not just to dream but to build - a better Europe for us all.

A Europe in which war was not only unthinkable but materially impossible (16).

Heres Winston Churchill addressing the Congress of Europe in 1948:

A high and a solemn responsibility rests upon us here ... If we allow ourselves to be rent and disordered by pettiness and small disputes, if we fail in clarity of view or courage in action, a priceless occasion may be cast away for ever. But if we all pull together and pool the luck and the comradeship - and we shall need all the comradeship and not a little luck then all the little children who are now growing up in this tormented world may find themselves not the victors nor the vanquished in the fleeting triumphs of one country over another in the bloody turmoil of war, but the heirs of all the treasures of the past and the masters of all the science, the abundance and the glories of the future.

And - against all the odds - we did it.

We pooled the luck and the comradeship and achieved Churchills vision.

Those little children are now retired the first generation in a thousand years to grow up without the horror of war in Europe.

Instead of building weapons, our scientists work together to solve the greatest problems of our age.

We enjoy a standard of living unimaginable to people in 1948.

All the cities, art, history, people, food and culture of this wonderful continent are open to us whenever we want to visit, to live or to work.

Hundreds of millions of European people who until only a few decades ago were ruled by dictators or communists now enjoy democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the abundance of the free market.

I think thats worth 36 pence a day.

And yet here we stand, about to turn our backs on this great project, thanks to cynical newspaper owners and barefaced lies from the Leave campaign.

Forget what the Sun says.

Forget whats good for Boris and Farages careers.

Listen to every current and former British Prime Minister (17). Every other major UK political party leader (18). To Barack Obama, to Hillary Clinton, to Angela Merkel and a host of other world leaders (19). To Stephen Hawking and 83% of scientists (20). To 40 religious leaders (21). To 300 leading historians (22). To the Trades Union Congress and our six largest trades unions (23). To 88% of economists (24). To the National Farmers Union (25). To the Chief Executive of NHS England (26), to the Royal College of Midwives (27) To British businesses of all sizes (28).

For there is an overwhelming consensus among experts of all kinds that Britain is stronger in Europe.

And what does the Leave campaign say to this?

I think people in this country have had enough of experts (Michael Gove, Friday 3rd June)

What an extraordinary response.

If you were sick, youd want to see a doctor. If you had a plane to fly, youd want a pilot. So when we have the most important political, economic and foreign policy decision of our lifetime to make I think we should listen to the people who are in the best position to evaluate what to do. And theyre all telling us the same thing were much better off in Europe.

It might not be what Michael Gove wants to hear. But it sounds like the right answer to me.

So when youre in the polling station on Thursday 23rd - with that stubby little pencil in your hand Vote Remain.

Not in fear, but with pride about what we, the people of Europe, have achieved together.

Not in ignorance, but with science firmly on our side.

And not alone, but with the greatest statesmen of the past three generations urging us on.

And then in years to come, when your children ask you how you voted in the referendum of 2016, you can look them in the eye and tell them you were on the right side of history.

Thank you for reading

(1) https://fullfact.org/immigration/eu-migration-and-uk/

(2) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates

(3) http://www.migrationwatchuk.org/statistics-net-migration-statistics/#create-graph

(4) http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21631076-rather-lot-according-new-piece-research-what-have-immigrants-ever-done-us

(5) http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/ea019.pdf

(6) https://fullfact.org/europe/our-eu-membership-fee-55-million/

(7) http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/overview.aspx

(8) http://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/publications/comms/r116.pdf

(9) http://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/publications/comms/r116.pdf

(10) https://next.ft.com/content/7fa04d70-d911-11e5-a72f-1e7744c66818

(11) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/24/brexit-could-wipe-20-percent-off-the-pound-warns-hsbc

(12) https://next.ft.com/content/7e26d896-241c-11e6-9d4d-c11776a5124d

(13) BBC Radio 4, 3rd June 2016; see also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36450460

(14) http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-can-t-guarantee-everyone-will-keep-their-jobs-admits-gove-7c5zttk79

(15) https://www.politicshome.com/news/europe/eu-institutions/news/73963/arron-banks-%C2%A34300-loss-price-worth-paying-brexit

(16) http://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/declaration-of-9-may-1950

(17) David Cameron http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/24/david-cameron-launches-tory-campaign-to-stay-in-the-eu ; Gordon Brown http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/10/inspiring-view-britishness-defeat-brexit-isolationists; Tony Blair http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36408239; John Major http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12199111/John-Major-Voting-to-leave-will-poison-Europe-and-divide-West.html

(18) Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) http://labourlist.org/2016/04/europe-needs-to-change-but-i-am-voting-to-stay-corbyns-full-speech-on-the-eu/ Tim Farron (Lib Dem) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3243112/Britain-impoverished-backwater-leave-EU-claims-Lib-Dem-leader-Tim-Farron.html Caroline Lucas (Green) http://europe.newsweek.com/caroline-lucas-brexit-european-referendum-425066 Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6944807/Nicola-Sturgeon-vows-to-back-argument-to-keep-Scotland-in-European-Union.html

(19) Barack Obama http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/21/as-your-friend-let-me-tell-you-that-the-eu-makes-britain-even-gr ; Hillary Clinton http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/23/hillary-clinton-britain-should-stay-in-eu Angela Merkel http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36436726; Shinzo Abe http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/05/japanese-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-warns-brexit-could-hit-foreig/

(20) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/31/stephen-hawking-donald-trump-popularity-inexplicable-and-brexit-spells-disaster ; http://www.nature.com/news/scientists-say-no-to-uk-exit-from-europe-in-nature-poll-1.19636

(21) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/28/religious-leaders-oppose-brexit

(22) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/25/vote-to-leave-eu-will-condemn-britain-to-irrelevance-say-historians

(23) http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-unions-idUKKCN0V517D

(24) http://www.itv.com/news/2016-05-29/almost-nine-in-10-economists-believe-leaving-the-eu-would-damage-the-uk-economy/

(25) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/18/british-farmers-uk-eu-nfu-brexit-farming

(26) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36353145

(27) https://www.rcm.org.uk/news-views-and-analysis/news/royal-college-of-midwives-supports-staying-in-eu-0

(28) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/brexit-eu-referendum-what-will-happen-to-british-business-if-uk-votes-to-leave-a7046941.html

[Roland Barthes]

If England leaves the E.U it will be a terrible blow for the country. Countries within the E.U receive massive donations in agriculture and for hospitals etc....i fear a huge clivage between the rich and the poor in England, something you can already witness. And a massive concentration of wealth in the London area, even more than it is now compared to the rest of the country especially northern cities.

I understand why one would want to leave the E.U since it is run by lobbies and mega companies but i don't expect this to change if England goes on its own since it's already run by the huge corporations in the city.

If England leaves it's gonna open the doors to polls in other countries to do the same.

I don't know.

I hope everything goes well for the common brits because they are the ones who are gonna pay the price.

[Kim]

No one is saying that immigrants don't contribute to society. Well I'm definitely not. However, a country where there is not enough resource, housing, schools, hospitals which is no thanks to the former Conservative government who implemented terrible schemes that lost a lot of social housing, you cannot deny that immigration is a problem. It's okay those people who live far and wide commenting about issues that don't a affect them but for the every day person it's a huge issue. I work not too far from Paddington station and let me tell you the amount of homeless foreigners there are camped out on the streets in and around train stations. Let alone the refugee camps around Hyde Park. How on earth is that ethical? Where's the precious EU to help these people? What is the EU doing for these people? The population is growing too rapidly and there's not enough resource to sustain it. I'm not blaming the immigrants at all. It's the lack of support there is for people when they get here which needs to be addressed. Larger countries could also take in more people. People forget Britain is an island and not even a big one.

People making out like Britain is anti immigration is also laughable considering nearly 15% of the British population were born in other countries.

EU Immigration is not the problem. The problem is that the country voted for a Conservative govt and its EXTREME austerity manifesto that dictates what little money goes where, including on new social housing, healthcare and education. It's a simple fact that EU immigrants pay more into the country than they take out. That that money is not being spent where you think it should be is nothing to do with the EU, and the fallacy that suddenly they'll pump the hundreds of millions "saved" by leaving the EU into the NHS etc is just nonsense on par with the scaremongering stories going on via both sides. So you're right that it needs to be addressed, but closing the door on Europe isn't the solution. 76% of the net immigration to the UK since 1990 has been from NON-EU countries including India, China, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

EU Immigration is not the problem. The problem is that the country voted for a Conservative govt and its EXTREME austerity manifesto that dictates what little money goes where, including on new social housing, healthcare and education. It's a simple fact that EU immigrants pay more into the country than they take out. That that money is not being spent where you think it should be is nothing to do with the EU, and the fallacy that suddenly they'll pump the hundreds of millions "saved" by leaving the EU into the NHS etc is just nonsense on par with the scaremongering stories going on via both sides. So you're right that it needs to be addressed, but closing the door on Europe isn't the solution. 76% of the net immigration to the UK since 1990 has been from NON-EU countries including India, China, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.

We're singing from the same hymn sheet Kim. My point was in response to UK having an immigration issue and the point that we "don't take in enough migrants" the fact that there are EU migrants in this country sleeping rough due to low housing, camps in central London of people from Romania, Estonia, Bulgaria etc all EU states, what are we doing for those EU members? How could we bring in more if we can't even sustain the ones we have already? That alone shows we have an issue. The country needs a whole overhaul. More social housing, more money for public services, SAVING THE NHS, more schools. The complete opposite of our current government. The country is not fit for natural population growth let alone chavs popping out 15 kids and 20,000 Syrians. Leaving the Eu Is not the issue which is why I'm voting to stay in. However this whole referendum is getting a lot of people thinking which is a step in the right direction.