Referendum and Rugby League : Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:30 pm  

At the risk of opening a can of worms!

If we wake up on Friday morning and the nation has decided (incorrectly in my opinion), that we are better off out of Europe will this have any impact on the approach taken by the RFL.

For example we keep getting told by the 'leave' lot that leaving would make us stronger and mean we can set up trading arrangements with the important countries of the world (America and China). If this is the case and we leave the EU will this mean a strategic shift by the RFL to try to bring a US side or Chinese side into the Super league. In a few years time we might be playing against the Washington weasels or the Beijing beavers! Might be quite interesting that.

if the outcome is remain then at least all the dragons players won't spend half their training times filling out visas. I assume this might actually be the case as they would effectively be earning money undertaking their employment at least some of the time in the uk. Hate to think what a headache it is going to be for all the premiership football players from Europe who suddenly have to prove under a points based entry system that they are able to come here to work.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:04 am  

Leaving the EU will not see a US or Chinese team in super league. It will cause a recession and hurt clubs financially due to supporters reduced spending power. That's about the only impact it will have I believe.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:34 am  

Now we've got a political debate on here. This should be good!

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:23 am  

Like any business, the cost of Rugby League clubs overheads will increase. Whether it's through rising utility bills or buying merchandise from overseas with a weakened pound or the hundred other things a Brexit decision will impact. And if the clubs try to pass the costs on to the supporters with increased prices, they'll find that these supporters are in less secure employment with, after inflation, less spending power.

This will apply to the players as well, where in an inflationary environment a 1.8million cap will be worth a lot less next year than this. Top players will be harder to attract and retain, especially considering weakened currency set against Australia.

And forget about capital projects like the South Stand being delivered on budget, as the money set aside for it is worth less than is was while material costs simultaneously increase.

And this at a time when many clubs - not Leeds, but many clubs - are struggling financially. I can see several going out of business, just as in every other sector.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:57 am  

There will be a short term blip if we vote to come out until everything settles and a clearer position becomes evident.

The idea that we will not be able to trade with the EU without the EU adding tariffs is nonsense. The EU sells more into the UK than we sell in to the EU so it is in the interest to do a deal with us.

Who is to say in the longer term the currency will not strengthen. Without the UK's financial input the Eurozone looks a much poorer place and it very likely the Euro will weaken or even disappear - the Germans can only prop up the rest of Europe for so long.

One thing is certain if we vote to stay in - which I expect - the deal with the EU will worsen, the leaders in Europe know they have you by the short and curlys and we will be even more impotent than we already are.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 9:41 am  

Given the David Cameron thought 36% of the vote on a turnout of 66% (so 26% of the eligible electorate) was a "massive mandate from the British people" to do whatever the f*** he wanted, what do you think will be his reaction to winning a referendum on EU membership? If we vote to stay in the EU it will be the green light for the social engineers running "experiment Europe" to steam ahead with any and all bonkers ideas. Amongst them will be full tax integration, so prepare to have rates of personal income tax set by the Germans via Brussels.
I'm out, the EU was an idea that created a single trading market and gave us long term, sustainable peace in Western Europe, but we were ass raped by the French when they "allowed" us to join and it has long since been taken over by the social scientists who are playing some gigantic board game. It's run like FIFA, these guys appear out of nowhere to run a continent. I still remember when a still mildly socialist Labour Party had leave the common market in it's manifesto.

Yes, I hate the fact that the Brexit "team" are the biggest bunch of morons that politics has ever inflicted on us, and that a large proportion of UKIP supported are just racist scumbags, but they are opposed by the representatives of corporations and bankers who don't want to get off the EU gravy train.
Nothing in this campaign has even hinted of an exciting future for us in the EU. We are an inventive, smart and hard working island of people, there has to be something better. My personal philosophy is that if there is a decision like this to be made I'll go for change. It's not always worked 100% but over my lifetime I'm glad I tried things. I wouldn't have the family or the job I have.

I can see why people want to stay in, 6 months ago I would have been the same, but after the week long 3 ring circus of Cameron's re-negotiations (all pre agreed anyway) I'd just had enough of all this. What a huge waste of time, money and energy to accomplish nothing. But that's the EU, a giant, taxpayer funded puppet show for the Prols.

Will it affect RL? Don't be daft.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:41 am  

DHM expressed it all very well.....and I want to follow him despite my same huge reservations about the personal company I will be keeping and 'supporting' in a Brexit vote. However I will be voting "in" for no other reasons than I am genuinely fearful of our future otherwise despite the Brexit claims the UK can again be the country it once was. The Brexit claims are no more than bravado and an appeal to the patriotic if not jingoistic nature of many. I have lived around the world and I am not at all patriotic or jingoistic so I need more than that.

What sort of UK/EU relationship will it be after divorcing (key word) the EU? On BBC QT there was a loud cheer for the response it will be a "British model". Not good enough!!!. If it becomes an EEA rules model then a lot of Brexit voters are going to be hugely angry because of Free Movement still being a condition of this model. (Let's face it a lot of votes will be purely on the basis of 'immigration' and promised reductions. Many will consider nothing else when casting their vote). If not EEA then what? WTO rules? All the economic benefits of free trade access gone for what alternative benefit exactly? Anything else is going to take a hell of a lot of negotiations far beyond the suggested Brexit timetable.

What sort of trade deals will be have with the rest of the world after Brexit? Again the answers seem devoid of any real substance. Can anybody tell me which countries are queueing up or knocking down our door to offer the UK the much more favourable deals Brexit says we can get ...if only we were to leave the EU with free market access? Maybe just maybe the UK is presently the 5th largest economy at least partly because of the access to the Free Market?

A favourite Brexit claim is that the German will still want to sell their BMWs/Mercs etc so it is their interest to do a deal. It won't be up to just the Germans though, but the whole remaining EU, admittedly under German pressure. Politically (what most seems to forget) the EU cannot afford to give the UK what it wants ...unless it wants to willingly sign its own death warrant - with other member states demanding the same, led by The Netherlands.

Politics is a dirty business. The EU will need to punish a member state for leaving otherwise there is a real danger the whole edifice will come crashing down. It might do so either way of course....with all the ecomomic devastation that will result. In or out of the EU we will not escape that devastation. Why make it more likely by voting to leave?

As for democracy....pfft! Under FPTP we are doomed to these right wing Tories having outright power for decades with just 27% of the vote, unless Labour takes Scotland back from SNP (unlikely...and definitely never of course when Scotland leaves the union with a Brexit victory). House of Lords anyone? At least we have PR with the MEP vote. It's a red herring though. People use this argument as an excuse really. It does all boil down to immigration versus ecomomics. In many ways Osborne has done more for the 'leave' campaign with his latest desperate threats and Farage the opposite with his latest poster (at least you would hope so).

And finally I actually love the concept of Free Movement: it does work both ways lest we forget (and many do). I had plans to retire to Cyprus with its cheap property and wonderful climate without the sacrifice of having to learn a new language. B'stards.

Ultimately this has all been brought about by power hungry right wing Tories (UKIP are the same people with more right wing tendencies of course) all jostling for power. Power (sovereignity is just a euphemism) to better lord it over us. There are no winners in this apart from these pillocks. Whatever happens their lives will not be affected. As normal we ordinary folk will bear the costs.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:51 am  

You are all deluded if you think a vote leave majority means that we will exit the EU. This will not be allowed to happen. All it will do is strengthen our hand (slightly) in further negotiations.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:56 am  

It seems to me that neither side can prove the financial benefits or dangers one way or the other. Both votes are a leap in the dark really.
Ask yourself the question, would you really want to join the EU now?

Germany tried to rule Europe in 1939 and failed. This is a different route to the same end.

Can it be right that our supreme court can be over ruled by some un-elected faceless civil servants in Brussels, I think not.

It's time to grasp the nettle and stand on our own feet....TAKE BACK CONTROL.

Re: Referendum and Rugby League : Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:18 pm  

DHM wrote:

Given the David Cameron thought 36% of the vote on a turnout of 66% (so 26% of the eligible electorate) was a "massive mandate from the British people" to do whatever the f*** he wanted, what do you think will be his reaction to winning a referendum on EU membership? If we vote to stay in the EU it will be the green light for the social engineers running "experiment Europe" to steam ahead with any and all bonkers ideas. Amongst them will be full tax integration, so prepare to have rates of personal income tax set by the Germans via Brussels.
I'm out, the EU was an idea that created a single trading market and gave us long term, sustainable peace in Western Europe, but we were ass raped by the French when they "allowed" us to join and it has long since been taken over by the social scientists who are playing some gigantic board game. It's run like FIFA, these guys appear out of nowhere to run a continent. I still remember when a still mildly socialist Labour Party had leave the common market in it's manifesto.

Yes, I hate the fact that the Brexit "team" are the biggest bunch of morons that politics has ever inflicted on us, and that a large proportion of UKIP supported are just racist scumbags, but they are opposed by the representatives of corporations and bankers who don't want to get off the EU gravy train.
Nothing in this campaign has even hinted of an exciting future for us in the EU. We are an inventive, smart and hard working island of people, there has to be something better. My personal philosophy is that if there is a decision like this to be made I'll go for change. It's not always worked 100% but over my lifetime I'm glad I tried things. I wouldn't have the family or the job I have.

I can see why people want to stay in, 6 months ago I would have been the same, but after the week long 3 ring circus of Cameron's re-negotiations (all pre agreed anyway) I'd just had enough of all this. What a huge waste of time, money and energy to accomplish nothing. But that's the EU, a giant, taxpayer funded puppet show for the Prols.

Will it affect RL? Don't be daft.

I think you're normally one of the saner posters on here, but that first paragraph is so bananas I don't even know where to start. And if I did start it wouldn't make any difference because views have become so entrenched that no amount of facts, evidence and analysis are going to make the slightest bit of difference. Which is why, whatever the result, the country will be significantly worse for even having this stupid Farage-appeasing referendum in the first place.