h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I sent the attached letter to the PM. I wondered how many others think the same way?

Dear Prime Minister

I have supported everything you have done since the creation of the Coalition Government. I recognise that the country is in a dangerous economic state and that severe measures are needed to correct the situation. I am a pensioner and expect to feel the adverse effects of the measures you have taken but am prepared to suffer them in order to make my contribution to our recovery.

However, I saw the BBC Television News yesterday and watched in astonishment as you announced your 'Victory' in limiting the rise in our financial contribution to Europe. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. We are to pay millions of pounds extra this year...this year when we the British people are being asked to make sacrifices in our standards of living of unprecedented levels. There should have been no rise in our contribution at all!!!!! If we in this country must tighten our belts, so should those in Europe. There should have been a reduction in our contribution not an increase. I really do feel that you have let us down very badly in this matter and urge you to re-think our attitude to the whole matter of sending such enormous sums of money to a foreign country. You should make it clear that whatever the decision of the European Parliament, The United Kingdom will not under any circumstances make an increase in our payments.To do otherwise simply cannot be right. Finally please do not tell me what other governments in Europe are willing to do or not do. I care only about Great Britian at this point in time and so should you.

I have no doubt that this letter will be dismissed or sidelined by someone before it ever reaches you, and then probably dismissed as the rantings of a Europhobe. But I hope it does eventually reach you and you will understand that my view is not unique to me. There are I know for sure many others who hold the same view. I hope they all write to let you know how they feel. I wouldn't like to see the Coalition Government lose public support over this matter but I an sure it holds more serious importance than is apparent from public statements so far made.

The problem is that you are assuming that the only people experiencing cuts are in the UK. It's happening everywhere and we're all paying into Europe.

What's the alternative? Pulling out?

Its always a good value deal for the UK, putting money into the EU, as we always tend to recieve more back than what we submit in. Also, with pretty-much every other country in Europe and within the EU, suffering as much, or more than the UK in terms of the financial crises, helping to create a more financially sound, and stable EU as a whole, will help all individual countries in returning to more prosperous times. Persoanlly I'm more concerned about the non-truths we've been fed as regards why we've got to pay back the 85% of the national debts as which pertain to the money we just handed over to the banks. It'd be nice to think that instead of the tax payers having to pay twice for this, there was some method for reclaiming this money from those who took benifit from it the first time round, namely the large banks who received these handouts.

You care only about Great Britain? What's wrong with Northern Ireland?

If you want the Prime Minister, or anyone, to take you seriously, lose the five exclamation marks.

at Toybox

I only care about Outer Mongolia..so this conversation doesn't really concern me..

I only care about the poor ickle badgers and retention of the free bus pass for the OAPs (I fear if they remove that my Father will turn free-lance SAS on the palace of westminster and go in guns, or pitch-forlks blazing...)

"I am a pensioner and expect to feel the adverse effects of the measures you have taken but am prepared to suffer them in order to make my contribution to our recovery." - Now that's realistic, and facing the facts, and 'taking the medicine'. So why would

"I am a multi-millionaire and expect to feel the adverse effects of the measures you have taken but am prepared to suffer them in order to make my contribution to our recovery." ...strike one as so outlandish? Certainly, I've never heard it.

Hos.
I am making no such assumption. If the other members of the European Federation are having the same problem, and of course some of them are, then it makes the case for freezing the amounts donated even stronger. As for pulling out, well that's not such a bad idea, we buy more from Europe than they buy from us and we could source much of what we need much cheaper elsewhere.

"Its always a good value deal for the UK, putting money into the EU, as we always tend to recieve more back than what we submit in"

Is this another one of those magic banks that just amazingly produces money? Of course we get less out than we put in.

Sorry Guybrush Threepwood, I should have said The United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is still a member isn't it? As to what's wrong with NI... well just read the news reports for the past few decades and decide for yourself.

I was just showing off because I learned fairly recently all the intricacies of Great Britain, UK, British Isles and whatnot:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Isles_Euler_diagram.svg

And Sarkozy did the same when he visited the Prime Minister in summer: "Vive la Grande-Bretagne", he said.

In any case, for us French, everybody up there is all "les Anglais"

Oh I thought it was 'Les rosbifs' A friend I have here in London, originally from Paris, explained it was to do with our meaty looking complexions, rather than what we ate

Of course, 'les Rosbifs' too I didn't know about the origin though

delbois, you only care about the UK? What's wrong with Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Mann?

Leffers - double gazing

As far as I know there is nothing wrong with them. I have always regarded them as part of the United Kingdom. I wonder if they are content to pay more to the European Federation.

<<'les Rosbifs'>>

thats a bit strong coming from a bunch ofeating surrender monkeys

What's wrong with cheese eating?

FOOD FIGHT!!!!

Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Mann, (and Sark and Herm and Lihou and Jethou) are outside the EU ~ thats why you don't pay VAT when you go there.