Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

8.30 pm......

Morning all, sitting here with my cup of tea and just pondering about things. (god, this retirement lark is tiring!)
One of the many thoughts that went through my mind was my reason for voting to leave the EU.

I could, of course, start off with my usual rant about everything that is rotten to the core with the EU, but I'm far too tired to argue at this time of the morning, I would need another two or three cuppa's for that, so thought instead I could give a list of reasons why I voted as I did. I'd be very interested to know if there was any particular reason why you voted as you did (leave or remain). maybe there was one particular reason that really stuck in your craw, or for the remainers, why you think it would have been to our advantage to remain in the EU.

For me, I have been against the EU for the following reasons.

As we all know, we have always had a democracy whereby we vote a party into power. If that party cocks up with either the economy or the standard of living for us, we take our revenge by voting them out!. This system of government has worked well for us here in the UK for hundreds of years.

But all of a sudden, we had Brussels and it's exchange rate mechanism dictating to us, not listening to us, living in their own little rich Belgian bubble awarding themselves salaries to accompany their grand positions, whilst causing mass unemployment , house price crashes and a deep recession to ordinary British people.
I remember thinking back then, who the hell are these people? we didn't elect them. Why are our government and elected MP's being so compliant (and complicit) in obeying every command coming out of this building in Brussels which is destroying so much of our society and well-being here in Britain. AND we cannot even vote them out!!

I also recall the heartbreaking scenes of our once thriving Fishing industries and communities all but destroyed by the hated Commons Fishing Policy. Britain and Ireland had 60% of these waters, one of our most important industries - and our politicians just handed it over to the EU for other European countries to plunder and deplete stocks.
Note, however, because of, as usual, certain named EU "Leaders" got a good deal from the EU, countries such as Germany with its Auto industry and France with its Wine industry protected themselves fiercely from the rest of us gaining from being "part of". They were no fools, only our government was forever willing to give our own industries away.
I will never as long as I live, forget seeing fishermen who had for generations, fished in our waters, being hung out to dry by our own government and the b......ds in Brussels.
I will never forgive them.

I'm sure I could go on and on with a list of why I voted to Leave, but you would be in your jammies by the time I finished!!

Is there anything that made you particularly so angry that you knew you would vote out if given the chance or maybe give your reasons why you feel it would have been better to stay?

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

But all of a sudden, we had Brussels and it's exchange rate mechanism dictating to us, not listening to us, living in their own little rich Belgian bubble awarding themselves salaries to accompany their grand positions, whilst causing mass unemployment , house price crashes and a deep recession to ordinary British people.
I remember thinking back then, who the hell are these people? we didn't elect them. Why are our government and elected MP's being so compliant (and complicit) in obeying every command coming out of this building in Brussels which is destroying so much of our society and well-being here in Britain. AND we cannot even vote them out!!


The UK came out of the ERM very early on.
It has not been affecting the UK for a very long time.

The EU did not cause mass unemployment...only recently Cameron voted against the EU imposing quotas on Chinese steel and caused temporary shut down of Port Talbot. Because he wanted more Chinese investment in the UK nuclear industry. The UK stopped the EU quotas...all by itself.

How did the EU cause house price crashes? House prices have been going up steadily since the war!!

The recession wasn't caused by the EU...it a caused by American banks and more specifically, British banks in the UK...Lloyds, Northern Rock and RBS. Nothing to do with the EU.

and yes you can vote your representatives out every five years. Just like in the UK.

I do get a bit jaded when I see that everything that the UK has fond difficult (like everywhere else) is blamed on the EU.
When in fact the EU has allowed the UK to enjoy a very nice standard of living.

Staying offers the UK a chance to be more secure, to continue to be the world's first financial centre and profit from taxes and businesses it attracts.

That means money for investment without borrowing an lumbering the next generation with austerity.

After last year I see a frightening rise in regarding the other with animosity and aggression...nationalism. I know well where that road leads .

Lots of other reasons...too complicated here.

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

Flicker, I'm the first to admit I don't know very much about economics etc, it usually goes right over my head!! I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but this is what I remember when interest rates went through the roof back in 1992..

I recall that we became members of the forerunner to the Euro - the Exchange Rate Mechanism. I remember too that being a member involved every EU member country having to operate a commitment to austerity.
I also remember we always used to shadow the Deutsmark even before we joined the ERM

When we did join in 1990, we had to commit to abide by EU rules that would prevent the exchange rate between the pound and other European currencies fluctuating above 6%.
I'm not sure but I believe it was around 2.95DM to the pound then and the bottom line allowed by the ERM was around 2.75DM or thereabouts , before our government would have to intervene.

We should never have joined the ERM! Inflation here was running at 3 times the rate of Germany so it was obvious we would not be able to follow the ERM rules for long.
Hence we had to crash out of the ERM in 1992 and we suffered when interest rates rose to 15% !!.
If ever there was a stupid decision to join the ERM by our inept government, it was back then. As usual, it ended with the people of Britain suffering most.
Speculators made a killing of course, as is the usual.

My belief is that having anything to do with the EU is euthanasia to this country

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

And the Chancellor responsible for this fiasco??? - One Norman Lamont - another 'nasty party' scumbag!!!

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

Oh dear UJ, have to agree it was Norman Lamont.
However, we did have wonderful Maggie Thatcher eventually put things right, ey?

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

It would be interesting, would it not, to now reread how we were thinking and what our thoughts were on the subject of leaving BEFORE THE REFERENDUM?

I know I was drawn into the political scene like I'd never been aware of it before.
Far more so than in any previous General Election.

I was hugely influenced not by the media so much as some of the intelligent and interesting post both for and against in this thread.

http://www.over50sforum.com/showthread.php?t=26737

I changed my mind several times before walking to vote!
It was the insistence that Turkey was about to join that finally made me very angry indeed.
Now we know it wasn't imminent at all.
Hindsight is wonderful!!

But even so it's very interesting to read our posts from a year ago.
If you've got the time!

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

I suppose quite simply it was just the sensible thing to do.. and after the French and German elections next year the EU may well turn into a bigger horrid mess so well timed I think

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

The UK joined the EU in 1972.
It came out of the ERM under Denis Healy in 1979.

The inflation was caused by the eft leaning trades unions who demanded higher and higher wages, so prices went up.
I believe it was Scargill who afterwards said he was a week away from breaking the UK. It had nothing to do with the EU.

The ECU was not based on the German currency but on an average of all the currencies involved in the ERM. It as called the ECU.
The ERM is all explained here:


The ERM is based on the concept of fixed currency exchange rate margins, but with exchange rates variable within those margins. This is also known as a semi-pegged system. Before the introduction of the euro, exchange rates were based on the European Currency Unit (ECU), the European unit of account, whose value was determined as a weighted average of the participating currencies.

A grid (known as the Parity Grid) of bilateral rates was calculated on the basis of these central rates expressed in ECUs, and currency fluctuations had to be contained within a margin of 2.25% on either side of the bilateral rates (with the exception of the Italian lira, the Spanish peseta, the Portuguese escudo and the pound sterling, which were allowed to fluctuate by ±6%).[1] Determined intervention and loan arrangements protected the participating currencies from greater exchange rate fluctuations.

United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer Denis Healey reportedly chose not to join the ERM in 1979 owing to concerns that it would benefit the German economy by preventing the Deutsche mark from appreciating, at the expense of the economies of other countries.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe...Rate_Mechanism

I am afraid it is easy to confuse what happened 35 years ago but in fact the UK has not tied its currency to the Euro since 1979.

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

While I find the press to be taken with a large pinch of salt, to actually think stuff in discussion groups which is filtered through rumour, bias, emotional outcries and misreadings plus the general lack of research, the foundation for making important decisions is frankly worrying.

Especially when the members of any group are all of one mind. You might as well hook yourself up to a machine and listen to it over and over. You never get a chance to see the other side.

Re: Why did the sensible majority of the UK vote for Brexit?

There are so many ridiculous rules being issued from Brussels that I cannot hope to name them all.

Vacuum cleaner motors, for example.
Smaller motors use less electrical power. OK, fine. But conversely, having to vacuum for a longer time uses more electrical power.

I'm not sure whether toilet limitations were imposed by the EU, but assuming they were we are now obliged to have toilet cisterns with smaller water capacities. This, of course, is to save water usage.
Less water per flush uses less water. OK, fine. But then when you are obliged to flush twice (or more) in order to remove the nasties it uses more water.

Just two ineffective and counterproductive rules I can think of off the top of my head.

And don't get me started on bananas and cucumbers.