Should we remain in Europe?

After the results of the European Elections on Sunday and the leap that UKIP gained, I thought it would be interesting to see who actually wants to be in Europe on here.

So, should we remain in Europe?

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UKIP - yes significant gains, but surely the result of protest votes against Labour because of Iraq? In reality we only know that UKIP wants out of EU, but we don't know what else they really stand for, and of course, they are untested in government. I get the impression from Dr.Kilroy that he intends to use UKIP as a loose cannon to upset the EU sufficiently for them to want us out!

What's your thoughts?

This may smack of ignorance, but I assure you I've read as much as possible on the subject (not from the tabloids! ), and I have this to say:
I do not want the power and control of this country to go to Brussels.

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Psalm 27 v.1-3: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Aucto Splendore Resurgo

millions of people died in our country's fight to retain independance during the frist and second world wars, and other wars throughout history. now, tony blair is rendering all this useless by signing our independance away to europe.

as u might gather, i think we should pull out of europe completely. in the best years this country had, when we were the most influential country in the world, we were independant. point proved.

Hmm, I'm kinda pulled in 2 directions. I think the Euro is a good idea and I thought the EU would help establishinternational relations but the Iraq war just shows how much the EU wants to dominate affairs of britain. I honestly don't know.

Ok fristly those men and women that died to keep our 'independence' did so also to give us a higher standard of living, for example in WW2 they did so that we would not be faced with life under the Nazis. Anyway, what the EU has given us is a higher standard of living.
Like it or loth by being a part of the EU we actually have cheaper water, gas, electricity and our telephone calls are significantly less money. We also have a whole trading block to which we can trade relativly freely with, and this has benefits because if (or when) the world faces a serious recession maybe even a depression we will still have the support of the EU, and working together gets things done quicker than not working together. I am sure the millions who died to give us our 'independence' would not like to say the UK just plummit in the midst of a depression, like what happened throughout the world in the 1930s.
If we were to pull out of the EU, which would be a nightmare anyway because we have signed treaties and to get those reversed, plus all the hassle of funding etc, then we would lose the whole trading block of Europe. We would lost too many of our markets to actually sustain resonable economic growth, basically we need the EU.
Also international it prevents the US from having full economic hegemony over the world, i.e. their economy has competition. They are increasingly finding it harder to control other economies.
It is not actually Tony Blair that is 'signing away our independence' it was, as you say, signed over in the referendum in the 1970s, and by Major with Maastricht. The EU needs this consititution because it has no specified route at the moment, its not sure where its going.

I think that it is imperative we stay in the EU, but as for more integration, thats a no no. We need the constitution to say how much we are involved in the EU, but to hand over our sovereignty on issues such as foreign policy or tax is going way too far, but hey, thats not what this consitution is about, whatever old Kilroy says.

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We don't need the EU at all. All we need from it is the market forces, and unfortunately that means sucking up to Brussels...
I have a feeling that the Referendum will come up with a resounding "NO" to Europe. The reason being that, this constitution will actually have an affect on our foreign and defence policies, etc. Even if the extent is slightly exaggerated by Kilroy and the Mail/Sun, it's still there.

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Psalm 27 v.1-3: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Aucto Splendore Resurgo

No we do need the EU. Here are reasons why:
The EU has given us access to trade with 500 million people, after expansion, where we traded £95 billion worth of goods in 1998.
The EU has created 3.5 million British jobs, and accounts for 1/7 of all British income and production.
We also have freedom to move anywhere in the EU, as the other EU member states can move to the UK freely, whom actually gave us £5 billion in spending when 15.2 million visitors came in 1998.
The price of air travel to the EU has halved in the last ten years and competition in the EU has led to a 50% drop in telephone call charges.
The EU has helped hugely in dealing with organised crime, drug trafficking, illegal immegration and even terroism.
The EU has given us £10 billion to spend on the environment between 2000-2006.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?...=1007029391728

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?...=1007029391710

Yes, I agree. As I said in my last post, I don't think we should integrate into Europe too much just yet. But this post is based on the fact that we do need to be in the EU, and it is imperative that UKIP, the BNP and some Conservatives do not drag us out.

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Yes absolutely.

But having said that, there are many problems than need to be reformed.

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But no doubt you're quite happy for us to be an aircraft carrier for the United States, and to be a lapdog for American imperialism.

I want us in Europe, not under the Yankee hegemony.