retired_breakbred101

I've done a search but can't find anything which I'm obviously very surprised about. There were some comments in threads but nothing comprehensive.

So what's the general OTF opinion on this? A good thing? Bad thing?

Do you support www.iwantareferendum.com? It has just over 24,000 "signatures", but despite my own opinion that there SHOULD be a referendum, I can't help but feel that there would be much more support evident for the campaign if people really wanted it.

I read some articles recently that suggested if Brown refused to have a referendum on this issue, national poll support would fall by 17 percentage points and support from MPs would drop by 25%. What do you think?

retired_princesspouty

I think it's too late on a Friday to be thinking about it.

EU! EU! EU!

Ventil

Bar the minor fact that it was an election manifesto that the Labour party has reneged upon.....

retired_princesspouty

Bastards. I yearn for the days of the tories who would never dream of doing such a thing.

retired_princesspouty

Oh I was being ironic in case anyone mistakes me for a self-serving, tory voting ****! I'm just a ****!

retired_jshendel

Heard this on the radio other day, didnt understand one word of what it is and whats changing

DebSchiff

The EU is very clever in that they make everything they do so tedious that no-one can be arsed to find out what they actually do.

Did a course on it last year and the sheer undemocratic nature of the organisation is astonishing. I support the idea of the EU and I think things like EU travel agreements, the Euro and so on have made life a lot easier for a lot of people. The actual organisation requires massive reform though, imo.

retired_the gizmo

I want whatever would make raprot the most angry.

retired_ks reddy

Doubt it. I think people want a referendum, but the don't particularly trust any of the parties to allow them one.

retired_gozadera2007

It's far far too easy for the media to hype this up into 'WE'RE LOSING OUR SOVEREIGNTY OMFG' because of the use of the word 'constitution' in the original treaty. Hell, even the French didn't like it then. But the Reform Treaty, which is what the amended version is called that they're debating now, goes a long way towards clearing up some fundamental inefficiency in the organisation while at the same time giving Britain pretty much all the opt-out clauses we've wanted.

It won't mean a common foreign policy, we won't be subject to supranational judicial laws, while at the same time it will involve national parliaments more, tweak the voting procedures to make it a fairer system and generally make the EU a much more democratic institution (which I agree s_i, it largely isn't atm).