I’m not into politics, and I don’t pretend I know whats going on, politically, half the time, but, I know whats right and whats wrong, and I think I’m pretty good at judging people.
I always voted Labour, because that was the thing to do, living in the North East.
My dad was North East secretary for the Transport and General Workers Union, and the Shop Steward for the TGW at Tees Dock, where he worked. He was staunch Labour, and if they were good enough for him, they were good enough for me.
Years passed, my dad died, and I carried on voting Labour, UNTIL Tony Blair became the leader. Never trusted him. He was Smarmy, and definitely not representative of the working classes he was supposed to represent.
Then we got Gordon Brown, then Milliband. All cut from the same cloth. Now we have Corbyn, a joke of a man who refuses to sing the national anthem, but wants to serve in her majesty’s government.
Since Blair, I never voted Labour again. Actually, I never voted at all. Could never vote for the Tories or Lib-Dems. Could never trust a Tory and the other mob were just making up the numbers, but had no real policies because they themselves, never actually believed they’d get in, but were too busy trying to satisfy everybody.
I, like the rest of the country, just plodded on, whoever was running the country. I never benefited from them, even under Labour, who were supposed to look after me.
Now this referendum has come up. I remember when we went into the EU, sort of. We had to do a project at school about it. Back then, there were 7 (or 9) countries in it…. and thats as much notice as I took.
Now, we are being told we are better off staying in. If we leave, jobs will be lost. House prices will fall. Inflation will rise. The country will be at risk from attack etc etc etc.
This is where all the previous stuff I wrote is heading…..
Since joining the EU in 1973, the Dock Labour scheme has been scrapped (this would have guaranteed me a job when I was 21, on fantastic wages)
The docks were privatized, and the dockers are on just above minimum wage.
The whole of the British coal industry has gone.
Nearly all of the shipbuilding has gone. ICI has gone, sold off to Americans (who ran it into the ground and laid off thousands)
British Steel has gone. Sold off to far eastern companies. Again, thousands laid off year after year until there wasn’t the workforce to make it viable.
All our power companies, and possibly the water companies as well, are foreign owned (Even British Gas)
Coach-works, that build our trains in Derby and York, have had to close or lay thousands off, because our governments gave the work to foreign coach builders (they said they had to put it out to tender. EU rules.
We are now living in a country were no job is secure. Workers rights don’t exist (don’t believe the governments spiel about we are better off in the EU to protect our workers rights).
If you want to claim unfair dismissal nowadays, you need to have worked at that company for 2 years (unless you are claiming for discrimination).
There are more people working through agencies now than ever before, and, whereas in the past, agency workers were on good money, they aren’t anymore.
Agencies are killing the economy. You cant get a mortgage, a bank loan, a car or credit to buy goods, if you work through an agency.
Zero hours contracts ! Where did these appear from ? Where were the EU workers rights that day ? Why are they still being allowed to be used, and why are the government allowed to sanction people who refuse to take these jobs ?
Housing.
Young couples cant afford mortgages nowadays, unless they are both in well paid, secure jobs (as secure as jobs can be nowadays) God help those living down south. Prices are bad enough in the north. Those with money, like investors, businessmen etc, will buy these cheaper house and make a killing when the prices go back up (which they will)
Inflation will rise.
Thats why its called inflation.
I have recently found out the EU control what price we pay for petrol.
Our National Security is at risk outside of the EU.
Really !!!! European countries opened their borders to thousands, if not millions of migrants, allowing them to pass through wherever they wanted to go, unchecked.
We are more at risk being part of the EU than we’ll ever be if we leave. We will still have the back up of NATO, should we ever need it (they’ll need us more than we’ll need them) as we will still be part of Europe.
Lets also not forget, that the EU banned punishment in schools. Ive always said, since that happened, we, as a country, have gone downhill. Kids now have no respect for teachers, for the police, for their elders. They are practically ARE feral.
National service should be brought back, to at least give them a chance in life.
The European Court Of Human Rights. Oh yeah. This is the court that lets hate preachers, foreign criminals, rapists, murderers and paedophiles waste our money by us wanting to deport them, and they say, no, you cant. The accused has a cat that wont be looked after if hes deported. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
The NHS. The jewel in the UK’s crown. Being run into the ground by successive governments, in order for it to be no longer cost effective, so that it can be sold off to the private sector.
Currently bursting at the seams, because the whole world wants a piece of it. Why suffer when you can come over here and be treated for free, even though you have never contributed a penny towards it.
I know everyone has their own mind, and will vote however they want, but I just hope the majority of this country see sense on referendum day, and do the right thing for past, present and future generations.
We managed well enough before we joined, and we’ll manage well enough if we leave.
Foxnwolf comments… Well written Mac
