A few days have passed since the referendum to decide whether to stay or leave the European Union and with results which surprised everyone, including some of those who voted to leave. So whether it was tears or elation we now have to get on with our lives, probably with no significant changes in the meantime.

Everyone of course, became an ‘expert’, they were even being brought out the woodwork to support the sides but I doubt if that really worked after all, we would probably have more respect for David Beckham’s opinion on football than on the E.U. I doubt we could have been given the much needed facts of what would happen with either result, because nobody knew what the facts were, most of all the politicians. Even if we should remain, the promised reforms seem to fade into that vortex of Brussels. Also by now everyone is sick of hearing about the referendum, the whinging from parties not happy with the results. Luckily not everyone wants to sit back and lick their wounds, some who didn’t agree, have accepted the decision and will, no doubt, make every effort to make sure it does work.

Having been on, and taken part of discussions on forums, all very civilised strangely enough until the result, suddenly those who were happy with the friendly banter before the voting, appear to have become mortal enemies and the usual frustrated venom getting spouted. Regardless of how I voted, I have been interested to see the reaction of some of the voters which ranges from the partying animals to the woe, woe and thrice woe brigade. One person of the woe side, (so far I have yet to see a more woe begone dramatist) stated she is now going to put her house on the market, no idea what difference that will make at all. Perhaps just a dramatic statement.

I don’t think anyone expected everyone to take it all quietly, with such a tight voting results, about half the country wouldn’t have been happy anyway. The few areas in receipt of EU funding are worried in case that wee dripping roast dries up but I also think everyone expects the government to solve all the problems at the one time although I would hardly put their tasks on the same scale as organising a Boy Scout’s Jamboree, come to think of it, it might actually be easier than that if you have ever tried to organise one.

Thankfully there does appear to be some intellegent people in the EU (I did have my doubts) but once the dust settles and everyone has had their calming glasses of brandy, snaps, beer etc they might even be able to sit down and have a threat free, sensible discussion. It might even be that the EU realise what needs to change otherwise all they are going to be left with are the dependant member countries and no-one to support them.

Much has been made of the advertising tactics, is the leave bus with the £350m on it’s side any worse than the remain’s threat of WW3? £350m is the actual figures the contribution is based on so it is tentatively correct and is no better than any other advert to get your attention. Those new miracle face creams that says it can remove wrinkles in days yet show you a young 25 year old whom they say has been using it for years!! Can you believe a 25 year old has that many wrinkles or as a new product that she’s been using it for years. WW3 has also tentative possible but highly unlikely truths to it, not that we would be warring against our member countries but there are other more dangerous fractions which would it come to anything, then I would expect we would do what we would always do, and support the side of peace and work with the member states regardless of whether in or out of the EU.

The hot topic at the moment is the EU Referendum for the UK. Everyone has their own views on whether we are better in than we are out. Of course I wouldn’t expect either side to campaign without a touch of sensationalism to add impact to what they are trying to get across. Each blaming the other for exaggerating and lying. Debates getting rigged, Media having their strings pulled – that is the nature of the beast.

I think the one thing they don’t seem to realise is that most of the general public are not fools and it doesn’t take a university degree for anyone to think for themselves, in fact a university degree is no guarantee that common sense comes with it, that is something else entirely and not everyone who is academic has common sense. It therefore amazes me that in choosing whether to vote in or out, some of the smartest people I know can do no better than repeat parrot fashion what someone else says as being the absolute truth instead of finding out for themselves what the result of either outcome would be.

If we are better in than out, why is it so many member states are falling by the wayside, where is this promise of land flowing with milk and honey should we join the EU, and do they think this is the only way we can survive. Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus and Spain already had needed bail outs, now we hear France and Germany are on a sticky wicket, why is it not working then?

UK farmers get paid not to plant certain crops, whilst other EU members get paid to grow them. UK fishermen can only catch certain fish and have to throw excess to their quota back, dead or alive, and we have to import the fish we want. Isn’t that just a tad ludicrous, so many in world are hungry and we throw perfect good food away – usually because of EU rules.

UK businesses are getting funding to move to other countries. So in our desire for a better life, did the EU actually say UK would be included in that better life or are we just the contributors? They give us funds, but it’s our money in the first place and they tell us how to spend it.

The controversal £350 million per week is our contribution to the EU but then it’s not really what we pay because we get a rebate. Less than that again when we get money back to support farmers and research. What is left, still a few million, goes to support everyone else, but the President of the European Commision gets about 306,655 euros per anum, it’s the top salary but he has around 5-7 vice presidents (277,776 Euros P.A. each)*, then there are all the other office bearers and staff to consider. Not including what it costs to run the EU buildings, and move the whole contents of the European Parliament from Brussels to Strasbourg** for a week every month – and back at a cost of £130 million per year to the European Tax payer – all because one Frenchman blocked the vote to being in one place all the time. It’s being run by people we don’t know, their past president, previously prime minister of Luxemburg was thought to be past it, perhaps due to his drinking which was why our PM didn’t vote for him, but he was still put in as president of the EU commission. Another official, embezzelled his party funds but because of France’s amnesty rules, that can’t be mentioned. Years worth of books not audited and when they were even their own auditors refused to write off more than £100 billion of it’s own spending and errors. How do they try to rectify that – by asking UK for a further £1.7 million… erm ‘No’ I believe was the answer.

So far I don’t see a lot of sense on how the EU is being run.

The ‘Brexiters’ say we will be better off, we can make our own rules without the constraints of Brussels. We won’t be held back by stupid legislation. Where businesses have moved out, surely there are still those around with imagination, enthusiasm and skills to build up new businesses. We are still members of the G7, G20, NATO, Commonwealth league of nations of which our own Queen is head. We already trade with the rest of the world. Most of the EU countries are in NATO so why would war break out if we leave? G7, the top economic countries in the world, G20 includes even more countries – we’re already part of all that. EFTA (European Free Trade Association) have already written to parliament stating their willingness to have us rejoin, we left EFTA when we joined the EEC.

I see the only future being with leaving and perhaps other countries will follow, giving Europe a chance to sort themselves out and the member countries recover and maybe we can get back to the original EEC which was what we joined in the first place.

* EU Salaries
** Strasbourg Shuffle (around 35min into the video)