Imagine if 2 million of us came back – could it be “verse”

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Some founder members of the Conservative Friends of Turkey – Boris Johnson, Douglas Carswell, Daniel Hannan?

Listed among the founder members of the Conservative Friends of Turkey are Boris Johnson, Douglas Carswell, and Daniel Hannan.

OBJECTIVES

Promote strong Anglo-Turkish relations

Help to foster bilateral trade and business relationships

Build links between the Conservative Party and Turkish counterparties as well as the academic and business community

Increase awareness of the Conservative Party within the Turkish community in the UK

Support parliamentary candidates in marginal constituencies

Support Turkish local politicians and promote greater political involvement of the community

Lobby in favour of Turkish membership of the EU with a stress on Turkey’s role in the bloc, the region and its strong ties to Western institutions

Facilitate access to information on Turkey: its culture, political orientation, economy, and its progress towards EU membership

Founder members of the Conservative Friends of Turkey

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Plain Tales from the EU – Can you understand why some voters are in favour of Leaving the EU?

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We should lead the EU not leave the EU

Take Control

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Churchill – the case for a wider view of sovereignty.

The Movement for European Unity must be a positive force, deriving its strength from our sense of common spiritual values. It is a dynamic expression of democratic faith based upon moral conceptions and inspired by a sense of mission.

In the centre of our movement stands the idea of a Charter of Human Rights, guarded by freedom and sustained by law.

It is impossible to separate economics and defence from the general political structure. Mutual aid in the economic field and joint military defence must inevitably be accompanied step by step with a parallel policy of closer political unity.

It is said with truth that this involves some sacrifice or merger of national sovereignty. But it is also possible and not less agreeable to regard it as the gradual assumption by all the nations concerned of that larger sovereignty which can alone protect their diverse and distinctive customs and characteristics and their national traditions all of which under totalitarian systems, whether Nazi, Fascist, or Communist, would certainly be blotted out for ever.

Winston S, Churchill – 7th May 1948

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Some reasons why UK citizens will find it more expensive living in the EU post Brexit.

By Mike Meade a member of one of the SY2E – Remain in the EU groups.

It will depend on personal circumstances but for most it will become more expensive to live in the EU after Brexit.

People legally working in their host country will be earning local currency and paying into that country’s national health system, so their problems are fewer.

But that’s not everyone, and it’s certainly not the case for retirees or others with pensions, UK investments or other sterling incomes.

– no one denies that sterling will go down against the euro. Some (like UK-based exporters) think that might be a good thing. But it’s certainly not good for expats in Europe with sterling investments and incomes.

I remember when the €/£ exchange rate was almost 1.50/1. So if you had £200,000 to spend on a property in the euro-zone you could get a €300,000 house.

Most economists and financial experts predict a movement towards €/£ parity after Brexit. This would mean that your £200,000 would only buy you a €200,000 property.

Same for everything else from rent to your car to shopping or a meal at a restaurant. If your income or savings are in sterling, everything will become more expensive for you in the euro-zone.

Even if parity doesn’t happen, sterling is expected to slide against the euro, at least for a few years so there will be an effect.

– Even more important is the added cost of essentials such as health care. It’s hardly likely that reciprocal healthcare arrangements will endure after Brexit. Why would Britain be the only non-EU country to keep this advantage? It won’t happen overnight but within 2 or 3 years expect to lose any reciprocal healthcare benefits you may now have under EU arrangements, including EHIC rights.

This will mean than British expats who are not legally working in their host country and therefore not paying into the national healthcare system will require private insurance for the rest of their lives whereas at the moment retirees are covered for free under the national systems from retirement age. As you get older, private insurance becomes very expensive indeed. Many will not be able to afford it.

– then there are unknowns like ancillary expenses. Will your UK driving licence still be valid if you are a resident of Italy, Spain or France? Why would it? Will you be able to swap it for a local one or will you have to take the local test in the local language? Swiss and Norwegians do in France, so why not Britons after Brexit? That comes at a cost as will other formalities.

– then there is a whole string of unknowns such as the necessity and expense of getting a resident’s permit. The cost will probably be small in monetary value, but big in frustration.

Things for Brits in the EU can’t go any other way than the way they are now for all non-EU residents of EU countries. Why wouldn’t they?

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EU Freedom of Movement isn’t the universal unrestrained movement that some people think it is.

By Mike Meade a member of one of the SY2E – Remain in the EU groups.

There is a prevalent notion that an EU country (like Britain) must accept the residency of any other EU national (like Romanians).

This is not the case. Those with serious criminal records anywhere in the EU can be refused settlement rights.

An EU country can refuse the right to settle to any EU citizen (except their own nationals) who don’t work and are unable to support themselves.

All Union citizens have the right of residence on the territory of another Member State for a period of longer than three months if they:

(a) are workers or self-employed persons in the host Member State; or

(b) have sufficient resources for themselves and their family members not to become a burden on the social assistance system of the host Member State during their period of residence and have comprehensive sickness insurance cover in the host Member State; or

(c) are enrolled at a private or public establishment, accredited or financed by the host Member State on the basis of its legislation or administrative practice, for the principal purpose of following a course of study

(d) are family members accompanying or joining a Union citizen who satisfies the conditions referred to in points (a), (b) or (c).

So, there is no absolute right to reside in other EU countries but four different ways to gain this right.

Point (a) is for workers, point (c) is for students and point (d) is for family members accompanying another EU citizen who qualifies under (a), (b) or (c) (it’s a derived right).

If an EU citizen doesn’t qualify for either of those, they’re left with point (b) and it comes with a big caveat: they should not “become a burden on the social assistance system”.

In practice, it means they must have resources above the level to qualify for welfare benefits in the host country. That’s the legal basis for France’s treatment of Romas, for the requirements to get residence rights in Spain or Portugal, for Belgium expelling EU citizens, etc.

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Why the UK needs to remain in the EU

By Kate Fistric a member of one of the SY2E – Remain in the EU groups

There’s a perception among many Britons that the EU ‘doesn’t affect me’.  That, at best, the EU is some faceless machine run by pen-pushing petty bureaucrats and, at worst, is a monster sneaking into our homes at night to steal our 1600 watt vacuum cleaners.  But the reality is that the EU does affect us and has enabled us to live safe, comfortable lives for over six decades.

The EU has been responsible for the longest ever period of peace in Europe, but it has also implemented specific legislation that improves our daily lives.  Britons can expect to be treated equally in the workplace regardless of their gender or race and not be forced to work excessive hours without adequate rest, thanks to EU legislation.  Meanwhile, British children are protected from toxic substances in their toys and can enjoy cultural exchanges with partner schools in other EU countries or, later, study abroad.  Families can enjoy affordable European holidays, swim on clean beaches and receive free healthcare in the event of illness abroad.  And we can all breathe cleaner air and be confident that hazardous waste hasn’t been dumped into our rivers.

It’s unclear what will happen in the event of Brexit.  Much EU legislation is already enshrined in UK law and will remain in place, unless repealed.  But Britain needs to stay in the EU because to leave would be to risk our ongoing prosperity and security.  The world will not remain frozen in time on 23rd June and future social and environmental challenges are better faced as part of a broad union.  It would be a terrible realisation to wake up on the morning of 24th and only then to discover just how affected by the EU we really are.

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