This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/mar/30/gypsy-gangsters-easter-egg-tax-brexit-scare-stories-eu-referendum

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Gypsy gangsters, the Easter egg tax and other Brexit scare stories Gypsy gangsters, the Easter egg tax and other Brexit scare stories
(5 months later)
They’re letting terrorists have guns!They’re letting terrorists have guns!
Not only are the bureaucrats in Brussels determined meddlers, it seems they can’t even meddle properly. In response to the two atrocities in Paris last year, the European Commission drew up a new directive to restrict the use of guns across the continent. Among other things, it proposed to regulate replicas and deactivated guns, noting that “the risk of convertibility of alarm weapons and other types of blank-firing weapons to real firearms is high”.Not only are the bureaucrats in Brussels determined meddlers, it seems they can’t even meddle properly. In response to the two atrocities in Paris last year, the European Commission drew up a new directive to restrict the use of guns across the continent. Among other things, it proposed to regulate replicas and deactivated guns, noting that “the risk of convertibility of alarm weapons and other types of blank-firing weapons to real firearms is high”.
Instantly the Eurosceptic Conservative MP David Nuttall spotted the real issue here – the risk of “near-destruction of thousands of historic guns” in the Royal Armouries Museum and the National Army Museum. Thankfully, his fear turned out to be groundless, but now it is reported in both the Times and the Express that “acoustic expansion weapons” – the kind that look real but fire blanks and are generally used by film-makers – were not explicitly mentioned in the proposal, even though guns of this kind may have been used in the Charlie Hebdo attacks. “The failure to include the weapons in the gun-control law will intensify the debate over membership of the European Union,” said the Times, soberly. (In fact, the home secretary had already raised the matter with her European counterparts in January, and these weapons may well be covered anyway, since they are often blank-firing or deactivated guns.)Instantly the Eurosceptic Conservative MP David Nuttall spotted the real issue here – the risk of “near-destruction of thousands of historic guns” in the Royal Armouries Museum and the National Army Museum. Thankfully, his fear turned out to be groundless, but now it is reported in both the Times and the Express that “acoustic expansion weapons” – the kind that look real but fire blanks and are generally used by film-makers – were not explicitly mentioned in the proposal, even though guns of this kind may have been used in the Charlie Hebdo attacks. “The failure to include the weapons in the gun-control law will intensify the debate over membership of the European Union,” said the Times, soberly. (In fact, the home secretary had already raised the matter with her European counterparts in January, and these weapons may well be covered anyway, since they are often blank-firing or deactivated guns.)
Related: Does the EU really allow dangerous criminals free entry to the UK?
We’ll be flooded with murderers and rapists!We’ll be flooded with murderers and rapists!
Vote Leave’s list of 50 serious criminals from the EU who entered the UK gets to the heart of many people’s fear of immigration. Vote Leave says that it provides proof that “the free movement of criminals across the EU puts British families in danger”. In fact, it feels so strongly about the matter that it seems prepared to ignore the wishes of one of those families by including the murder by the Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns of Alice Gross, whose parents explicitly stated that they believed in “freedom of movement” and asked for her death not to be “hijacked by groups with an anti-immigration agenda”.Vote Leave’s list of 50 serious criminals from the EU who entered the UK gets to the heart of many people’s fear of immigration. Vote Leave says that it provides proof that “the free movement of criminals across the EU puts British families in danger”. In fact, it feels so strongly about the matter that it seems prepared to ignore the wishes of one of those families by including the murder by the Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns of Alice Gross, whose parents explicitly stated that they believed in “freedom of movement” and asked for her death not to be “hijacked by groups with an anti-immigration agenda”.
In practice, Britain already can refuse entry to any EU citizen on the basis of “public policy, public security or public health” and, indeed, it has done so in 6,000 cases since 2010, according to the former immigration minister Damian Green. The trouble is that information about convictions still isn’t being shared consistently or quickly enough between EU countries. Had it been, Zalkalns might not have been let in. How leaving the EU will help us to get better at sharing information with our neighbours, Vote Leave hasn’t yet made clear.In practice, Britain already can refuse entry to any EU citizen on the basis of “public policy, public security or public health” and, indeed, it has done so in 6,000 cases since 2010, according to the former immigration minister Damian Green. The trouble is that information about convictions still isn’t being shared consistently or quickly enough between EU countries. Had it been, Zalkalns might not have been let in. How leaving the EU will help us to get better at sharing information with our neighbours, Vote Leave hasn’t yet made clear.
They’ll tax our Easter eggs!They’ll tax our Easter eggs!
This is a good one. According to Vote Leave, part of the cost that we all pay for chocolate goods imported from some countries outside the EU is a tax on importing them. And it is quite right. The EU operates a bewildering scale of different tax rates for different things, and “chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa” is among them. Going by Vote Leave’s calculations, if you bought a chocolate egg from Brazil for £10, besides being very generous, you will have spent £1.28 on import taxes.This is a good one. According to Vote Leave, part of the cost that we all pay for chocolate goods imported from some countries outside the EU is a tax on importing them. And it is quite right. The EU operates a bewildering scale of different tax rates for different things, and “chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa” is among them. Going by Vote Leave’s calculations, if you bought a chocolate egg from Brazil for £10, besides being very generous, you will have spent £1.28 on import taxes.
“As well as putting up the price of food in supermarkets,” says the Vote Leave spokesperson Robert Oxley, “the EU’s protectionist policies hurt businesses in developing countries, who are effectively shut out of our markets.” Quite so. Indeed, there are many mutual advantages to countries trading freely with each other … But hang on a minute. If you’re such a fan of free trade, why on earth would you want to leave the busiest free trade area in the world? We’ll have to await the Brexiteers’ next word on that one.“As well as putting up the price of food in supermarkets,” says the Vote Leave spokesperson Robert Oxley, “the EU’s protectionist policies hurt businesses in developing countries, who are effectively shut out of our markets.” Quite so. Indeed, there are many mutual advantages to countries trading freely with each other … But hang on a minute. If you’re such a fan of free trade, why on earth would you want to leave the busiest free trade area in the world? We’ll have to await the Brexiteers’ next word on that one.
We’ll be swindled by Gypsy gangsters!We’ll be swindled by Gypsy gangsters!
The EU debate gets dominated by talk of sovereignty and security and the shape of cucumbers, but everybody knows what it’s really about: swindling Gypsy gangsters. How can they be stopped? Fortunately the Sun’s intrepid reporters have travelled to Tanderei in Romania, where they claim that “many” “garish pastel-coloured palaces” with “tasteless mirrored windows, tacky turrets and gold-painted balconies” have been “funded with British benefit handouts”.The EU debate gets dominated by talk of sovereignty and security and the shape of cucumbers, but everybody knows what it’s really about: swindling Gypsy gangsters. How can they be stopped? Fortunately the Sun’s intrepid reporters have travelled to Tanderei in Romania, where they claim that “many” “garish pastel-coloured palaces” with “tasteless mirrored windows, tacky turrets and gold-painted balconies” have been “funded with British benefit handouts”.
Naturally, most of the mansions were empty when the Sun visited, because all the Gypsy gangsters were away swindling in Britain. In the event of a Leave vote, however, the paper says that “Romanian cops have already drafted plans to cope with the onslaught of work-shy crooks expected to head back to their native country”. As evidence, the reporters provide some worried quotes from an anonymous “police chief”, and corroborate this with some more from a labourer and a shepherd.Naturally, most of the mansions were empty when the Sun visited, because all the Gypsy gangsters were away swindling in Britain. In the event of a Leave vote, however, the paper says that “Romanian cops have already drafted plans to cope with the onslaught of work-shy crooks expected to head back to their native country”. As evidence, the reporters provide some worried quotes from an anonymous “police chief”, and corroborate this with some more from a labourer and a shepherd.
The Sun also cites three particular cases: Telus Dumitru, Adrian Radu and Lavinia Olmazu, although Radu was part of the Dumitru gang, so actually it’s two cases. Confusingly, however, all were convicted several years before 2014, when Romanians gained freedom to travel to Britain, so how leaving the EU would curtail their activities, as the Sun recommends, isn’t clear.The Sun also cites three particular cases: Telus Dumitru, Adrian Radu and Lavinia Olmazu, although Radu was part of the Dumitru gang, so actually it’s two cases. Confusingly, however, all were convicted several years before 2014, when Romanians gained freedom to travel to Britain, so how leaving the EU would curtail their activities, as the Sun recommends, isn’t clear.
Luckily, one swindling Gypsy gangster did answer the door when the Sun called and was prepared to talk. Indeed, surprisingly, he just confessed to all his crimes. “Britain is easy money for us,” the man said. “They give it away.” Again, the Sun forgot to get the gangster’s name, but doubtless it will have passed its interview and his address to the police.Luckily, one swindling Gypsy gangster did answer the door when the Sun called and was prepared to talk. Indeed, surprisingly, he just confessed to all his crimes. “Britain is easy money for us,” the man said. “They give it away.” Again, the Sun forgot to get the gangster’s name, but doubtless it will have passed its interview and his address to the police.
We’ll be deviously prevented from spying on ourselves!We’ll be deviously prevented from spying on ourselves!
In a sneaky move that is just typical of them, judges at the European Court of Justice are planning to decide on 12 April whether the British government’s plans to make bulk collections of mobile phone data is against British people’s human rights. “The timing of the judgment ahead of the referendum on June 23 will fuel allegations from leave campaigners that European judges are exerting too much influence over Britain,” fears the Telegraph, almost audibly wringing its hands.In a sneaky move that is just typical of them, judges at the European Court of Justice are planning to decide on 12 April whether the British government’s plans to make bulk collections of mobile phone data is against British people’s human rights. “The timing of the judgment ahead of the referendum on June 23 will fuel allegations from leave campaigners that European judges are exerting too much influence over Britain,” fears the Telegraph, almost audibly wringing its hands.
And indeed it will. The dangers of a state-within-a-state, where British people’s national freedom gets subtly controlled by another government, is exactly the sort of thing that many Brexiteers do worry about. And what could be a better example than this? Despite what David Davis and Tom Watson, the MPs who brought the case, might say, surely Britons should be free to set up their own shadowy state-within-a-state at home? We’ll await the judgment with interest.And indeed it will. The dangers of a state-within-a-state, where British people’s national freedom gets subtly controlled by another government, is exactly the sort of thing that many Brexiteers do worry about. And what could be a better example than this? Despite what David Davis and Tom Watson, the MPs who brought the case, might say, surely Britons should be free to set up their own shadowy state-within-a-state at home? We’ll await the judgment with interest.