PETERBOROUGH, England — Seen from London, Edinburgh, Oxford or other havens of the cosmopolitan British elite, this country’s vote next month on whether to quit the European Union may appear to be a relatively easy choice.
Not a day goes by when a foreign leader, renowned economist or military chief doesn’t warn of the dire consequences of a vote to leave — for Britain and for the world.
But venture just 45 minutes north of London by train to the ancient market city of Peterborough and it soon becomes clear why, with just over a month to go before the referendum, the polls are running nearly even.
Here, the initials E.U. are spat rather than spoken, Brussels is a dirty word, and all the prophecies of doom seem a small risk compared with the opportunity to unshackle Britain from Europe.
“This used to be the posh part of Peterborough. Look at it now,” David Jackson, a 41-year-old teacher, said as he ruefully surveyed the scene on Lincoln Road, the commercial heart of the city’s multiethnic immigrant communities. “Romanians pissing in the park. Lithuanians out on the street drinking, doing drugs. Even the rats here are on heroin.” “Immigration is by far the best issue for the ‘Leave’ campaign,” Freddie Sayers, editor in chief of the polling firm YouGov, wrote in a recent analysis. “If the coming referendum were only a decision on immigration, the Leave campaign would win by a landslide.”
What happens in the next few weeks is something to be watched very closely. Unfortunately, when I bring this topic up in casual conversation, no one that I know has any awareness of it whatsoever. Typically American.
Let them leave. It’s their country and if the people want to leave then it’s their choice.
Great Britain isn’t going to the exit the EU.
The vote is June 23rd.
The “stay” vote will win by at least 5-7%, because people always get scared by potential negative consequences and propaganda when making those decisions.
“Remain” is leading by 7% in the polls and it has always been leading.
Sure, it’s their choice, but leaving the EU would have a huge impact on the other EU countries. On the other hand this seems like the best solution for Britain. Hopefully Europe will quickly recover from this political blow.
They are scaring people with what would happen, and David Cameron is pretending like he negotiated a new deal for them with the EU.
Boris Johnson needs to sell the Norway option. Out but still kind of in economically.
If Scots threaten to leave UK and stay in the EU with Brexit, that is more reason for Brexit. They can’t kick England out of a tariff free zone, if Scotland is in it.
“What happens in the next few weeks is something to be watched very closely. Unfortunately, when I bring this topic up in casual conversation, no one that I know has any awareness of it whatsoever. Typically American. …PRESS!
Don’t blame American’s for being uninformed when the “American” PRESS doesn’t do it’s job. According to the money grubbing press (who only get paid for sensational “stories”) we all need to know just exactly how Donald Trump wants to resurrect Adolf Hitler and institute a new “world order”. Never mind what has already HAPPENED!
… Or what is proposed for our future by those already in power! (That shit don’t sell.)
God, this Brexit movie is so typical of what you get in British TV, with nothing but talking heads telling you about how you should be feeling. Very carefully constructed to present the image that the producer of the film wants you to feel. It is excessively manipulative. There’s no real dialog being portrayed within the movie. It is all carefully constructed to give you the worst possible examples of what EU regulation and membership does.
That being said, the way the EU is governed is not the best example of transparency, but more like steamrolling over the best interests of the people of the EU.
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The British have always been lukewarm to the whole European Union concept. They refused to accept the common currency, they don’t participate in the Schengen area visa program, they don’t like accepting migrants from war zones – and it’s their right not to want those things. But if you’re not on board with the policies of the EU, you’d be better off on your own – even if that comes at an economic cost.
That will be the route to true prosperity in your lifetime, along with your family.
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