You give, you lose Loco express
IT HAS been claimed that Remain is wrong to state there would be tax rises and spending cuts if we Brexit — Leave say we would be ‘punished’ for voting out.
It would not be a punishment, but the inevitable consequence of leaving the EU. There is no doubt that a recession would follow, hence less tax going into the Treasury, so there would have to be tax rises or cuts to government spending.
The country is prospering and though there may be more immigration than some would like, it is not bringing the country to its knees in the way the effects of a Leave vote would. The wealthy Leave figureheads would not suffer the effects like the ordinary people of the country.
JULIET BLACKIE, Telford, Shropshire. MANY politicians, economists, business leaders, heads of financial services and trades union leaders are warning of an economic disaster should Britain vote to leave the EU.
Hang on! Aren’t these the same ‘experts’ that failed spectacularly to predict the worldwide banking meltdown and recession?
DICK BOOKER, St Albans, Herts. THOSE people who think money saved by leaving Europe will be spent on the NHS, farming, schools and sciences, as promised by Brexiteers, need only look to the North Sea oil windfall.
Where is the social housing, hospitals and schools built with this money or even a sovereign wealth fund for future pensions, as in Norway? Any extra money saved is less that 1 per cent of the total UK budget, which I am sure our bureaucrats can fritter away without difficulty. At least the EU sees the value of spending on farming, infrastructure and regional aid.
JOHN COULSDON, Bookham, Surrey. ‘ALL aboard,’ shouted the guard as the European Federal Express rolled in. ‘Chance of a lifetime! It will prevent a decade of uncertainty and be a great deal for all (especially me).’
‘Great,’ said a passenger. ‘Will we all be better off?’
‘Of course,’ replied the guard. ‘I’ve instructed a few friends to prepare figures that prove it.’
‘So where exactly are we going?’ asked the passenger. ‘How long before we arrive and start to benefit?’
‘That’s a bit tricky,’ replied the guard. ‘There could be delays. It depends what people in Brussels want. But don’t worry, trust me!’
‘Oh, but at least you can tell us all about the initial objectives, say those
in the first year,’ said the passenger. ‘There must be a masterplan so we can see what the objectives are for the next 20 to 30 years and their timetable for implementation.’
‘Well, I’ve not seen one,’ the guard replied. He’s too far down the management chain for the Fat Controller to keep him informed.
‘If you can’t answer simple questions like that I’m not sure that I want to board the train,’ said the passenger. ‘All you’re doing is selling seats and you can’t give any information about the journey or destination. Getting on board could be a disaster.’
There is no reply — the guard has moved on to sell tickets to a more gullible passenger. D. B. SMITH, Old Coulsdon, Surrey.