who are you voting in the euro elections?

[Simon Pieman]

Take it you're being ironic DRS?

[Don Rogers Shop]

yeah a little bit but they are laws from the Eu still.

[thepeoplesgame]

banning of bull bars on cars

Not a stupid law in the slightest. They serve no purpose outside the Australian outback and have been shown in tests to be lethal to children at speeds as low as 10mph.

[Don Rogers Shop]

But still a law which was my main point.

[Phil_S]

I'd hope it's people being pissed off, but both parties make the easy play on blame. BNP go for the nationalist immigartion angle; UKIP also play on the nationalism vote, but back it up with silly claims.

You only have to go to UKIP's website, there's the picture of churchhill (nationalism) and the ridiculous claim that the EU costs £40mil a day (it's about a third of that at worst), and then you get the claim that 75% of our laws come from the EU. I'm yet to meet a UKIP voter who could name one.

Just because you disagree with something it doesn't make you (or me) right. The EU does indeed cost that amount (in fact it's a VERY conservative figure). That works out at £14 billion a year which is 25% of the overall cost (which includes the cost of implementing EU directives).
Whats wrong with being nationalist any way ? You should not confuse nationalism with Racism. The SNP is a nationalist party too are they OK because they are socialists ?
I would NEVER, EVER vote BNP, but am quite happy to "lend" my vote to UKIP in europe.

[Simon Pieman]

I think Ben was trying to say that people go to extremes when they are pissed off without knowing much about it.

Nobody knows the true cost of the EU because all of the estimates are just estimates. If a website or politcal party claimed it was a third of that (or indeed Ben's post) then that wouldn't be gospel either.

[Phil_S]

Agree some do (& have gone) to extremes, (far right or far left) but I wouldn't call UKIP an extreme party.
Based on Thursdays vote they are more mainstream than Labour (with a higher share of the vote).
Agreed that no one knows the true cost of the EU, because Uk goverments of all parties never have the guts to commision a cost / benefit analysis.
However if you look at most best guess estimates they are cxonsiderably higher than UkIP's figure. The tax payers alliance reckon its 4 x that & some say its 8 x that. UKIP's estimate is right at the lower end of the scale.

[Spy]

I think we have to accept that people who voted for the BNP will have at least some sympathy with their views. I think it would be a massive mistake that they voted for them just to piss off the major parties without taking into account what they stand for. They could have voted for the greens or UKIP but they chose the BNP.

[jonny72]

Interesting that UKIP are planning to stand in every seat in the next general election. Seems a bit stupid to me, the majority of the votes they get will come from people that would otherwise vote Tory - reducing the number of seats the main Euro sceptic party will get (Tories) and increasing the number of seats the main pro Euro party will get (Labour). It could result in Labour staying in power and hence no referendum even on Lisbon.

Though I guess Cameron could cut a deal to get them to drop out.

[Summerof69]

Agree some do (& have gone) to extremes, (far right or far left) but I wouldn't call UKIP an extreme party.
Based on Thursdays vote they are more mainstream than Labour (with a higher share of the vote).
Agreed that no one knows the true cost of the EU, because Uk goverments of all parties never have the guts to commision a cost / benefit analysis.
However if you look at most best guess estimates they are cxonsiderably higher than UkIP's figure. The tax payers alliance reckon its 4 x that & some say its 8 x that. UKIP's estimate is right at the lower end of the scale.

No-one officially knows due to the fact that the EU accounts haven't been signed off for over 12 years due to fraud, and dodgy accounting practices. All I know it costs a lot of money, some has put it at £7bn annually.

[Phil_S]

No-one officially knows due to the fact that the EU accounts haven't been signed off for over 12 years due to fraud, and dodgy accounting practices. All I know it costs a lot of money, some has put it at £7bn annually.

If you google "cost of EU membership" then most of the results quote figures between 55 & 65 billion

[Don Rogers Shop]

If google 9 handed midget you could get a image. Dont mean its real ;-)

[yeo]

im gonna check

[jayohaitchenn]

and if you Google cost of voter stupidity you get 3,620,000 hits. What's your point?

[yeo]

couldnt find any 9 handed midgets.