Johnny Bognor

An exact 50/50 split would be the perfect outcome. There is no mandate to leave, but plenty of leverage to negotiate new terms of membership. I have been a fence sitter and my position is that I don't want to leave the EU, but don't want to be part of it as it stands or where it may go. Cameron promised to negotiate, but failed miserably despite the spin. If we could somehow remain part of the EU but with more say / veto's / autonomy, etc, I would be happy. Unfortunately, that amounts to having one's cake and eating it, not that Dave would get us a better deal.

Most people talk of a straight 'in' or 'out' scenario. Black and White. **** or Bust. In my opinion, if the 'out' vote wins, we won't be leaving the EU any time soon... Cameron will go back to the EU and say, Angela my people want out, we need to renegotiate. A re-negotiation will take place. I am sure the EU would make some concessions to keep the UK in. Cameron will then come back with a new negotiated membership deal and we will have another refurendum, upon which we will vote to remain. The EU have form on this. Just look what happened with the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty. The Irish people rejected it, the EU changed it and got voted through on a second referendum. Look at the threats to Greece to repay their debts. They didn't follow through with them and just keep kicking the can down the road. An 'out' vote could result in a stronger membership negotiating position. This is my opinion and is as likely or as unlikely as any of the forecasts for staying or going...

With the 1500 Monnet professors who are paid by the EU to promote the EU within universities, you could argue that it is the "young brainwashed media studies graduates" vote to remain, whilst "people with real life experience" vote to leave. On another note (and I am sure a few lefties would enjoy my take on this), but George Osbourne for me needs to go. He presented his forecast for us being worse off by 2030 as a "fact". This is up there with Gordon Brown's "no more boom and bust" mantra. Osbourne can't even get his own forecasts from year to year correct, yet he can accurately forecast 14 years ahead and present it as a fact?? This is beyond stretching the truth and for this, he should be removed from office.

You could argue that's the logic for remaining. We send £xbn to the EU, only for them to provide £ybn back in grants and 'investment'.

if you are against tax evasion, i will stand with you. If you are against tax avoidance you have a sympathetic ally. But if you only criticise tory evaders and avoiders, conveniently ignoring labour evaders and avoiders (which are often worse), then i will stand against you. Simple as that really. You see, i am colour blind when it comes to this sort of stuff. A **** is a **** and i couldnt give a toss if they are red or blue.

The lefties are bang at it, but their blind followers are too gullible to see it. Anyway, back to the nasty party LOL

So Tony Benn moves £5m about to take advantage of inheritance tax rules (where Hillary Benn MP is set to benefit from £1m+ in inheritance, with little or no IHT), but no lefty even mentions it. Plenty have a problem with Cameron being gifted £200k. This is Tony "I am just a commoner" Benn, a stalwart of socialism. Some people round here really need to take the blinkers off....

I know you have an issue with it, because I remember when you were banging on about Tony Benn (RIP) and how he put his estate worth 5 million, into trust, to avoid inheritance tax. (If anyone else is interested in the Tony Benn tax dodge and how to go about it, here's some practical advice http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/tax/11189430/Tony-Benns-inheritance-tax-dodge-how-it-works-and-how-you-can-use-it-too.html) NEWSFLASH: stalwarts of the left secretly hate inheritance tax too!!

Take a look at my post about the budget. I laid out what the tories did well and highlighted what they got wrong. In my world, not everything the tories do is bad and not everything labour does is amazing. My politics are fairly central, maybe with a slight leaning to the right (based on economic policy as I belive in a free market) but I am not an out and out tory voter. I spoiled my ballot paper in the last election. I actually thought the coalition was a good thing, to reign the tories in. I actually like the fact that there is a small majority, over a large one, as a small number of MP's are able to hold the government to account, as they did over changes to disability benefit. I will criticise the tories when I see fit and I will criticise labour when I see fit. So I may not be completely neutral in the pure sense of the word, but unlike many blind followers of one party or another, I am closer to neutrality than most. I put your clearly biased posting down to the naivity of youth and hope that when you grow up, you too will achieve some balance in your life.

Big claims? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-36009544 Of course we can do this all day, which shows that both parties should be held in contempt. Luckily, i dont have a pair of blinkers... nice party though, you must be proud.

Even Nick Griffin wouldn't hold hitler in such high regard, as some labour members. Nice party you know, especially with Gerry Adam's best mate running it.

When you consider that the shadow chancellor holds Mao in such regard, a person who butchered more poeple than stalin and hitler put together, whilst you have labour councillors tweeting that hitler was the greatest man alive, you can see why Labour are the really really really nice party. Labour, the party of hypocrisy

No 10 states that "Potential PMs must publish their tax returns". That lets Corbyn off the hook, then

i am personally grateful to lefties with a conscience, particularly those who refuse to use airport duty free shops, as people avoiding tax on cheap fags and booze, take money away from hospitals and schools. For me, it means the queues are shorter and I am less likely to miss my flight.

No laws have been broken in the same way Ken Livingstone funnelled £238k through a company he jointly owns with his wife, for his speech making and radio presenting, thus taking advantage of his wifes tax allowances, for money that he alone has earned.

Just don't get me started on Gift Aid.. stealing money from the people and giving it to charity.

Indeed, a simple cash ISA is an incentive to save, which saves you the tax you pay on the interest received. Some people view this as a sensible way to save, whilst to others, it is nothing more than state sponsored tax avoidance LOL

Next story to come up is that Cameron dodged £15,000 in tax by putting his money in a cash ISA.

This thread reminds me of the furore last year, over the labour minister who had 1.5m shares in an offshore tax haven. Thats without considering that her family business, turning over £2bn, paid a pittance in corporation tax. I remember the cries of hypocrite, socialist scum etc. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3060029/Labour-s-Hodge-1-5m-shares-offshore-tax-haven-Senior-politician-accused-hypocrisy-following-earlier-fierce-criticism-tax-avoidance.html Or did i just dream that... maybe the lefties on here are only concerned with tories on the take, turning a blind eye to their own. It takes hypocrisy to a whole new level...

Maximum High.... good Bognor band

So how many lefties will vote to leave the EU just to **** off the tories?

When you look at the mistreatment of women across the middle east, it is naive to think that none of that would be imported into europe. It'no different to lager louts, with loutish behaviour being exported to the spanish resorts every summer. The locals must have a dreadful perception of the english, but not all english people are like that. But just because not all english people are like that, does not mean that there is not a problem.

Oh dear. Looks like cameron did have shares in the fund. That doesnt look good at all

As long as offshore funds are declared in the register of members interests ... wait a minute...

Have you clicked on the opt-out link on the emails? If so, they are obliged to remove you from their eshots