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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/21/who-will-be-applauding-if-britain-walks-out-on-europe
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| Who will be applauding if Britain walks out on Europe? Who will be applauding if Britain walks out on Europe? | |
| (6 months later) | |
| I wanted to ask you to please go and vote, and to vote for Britain to remain in the EU. Not because of 1% or 2% of GDP growth. Not because of the value of the pound. Not because Britain, like Switzerland or Norway, would have to accept European legislation without being part of the drafting process. Although you should look into these issues carefully, of course. | I wanted to ask you to please go and vote, and to vote for Britain to remain in the EU. Not because of 1% or 2% of GDP growth. Not because of the value of the pound. Not because Britain, like Switzerland or Norway, would have to accept European legislation without being part of the drafting process. Although you should look into these issues carefully, of course. |
| No, I ask you to vote “in” because I love Europe and the EU, and want Britain to be part of it. Europe is about openness, about meeting people easily, and living and working with them. I am German, and spent a term at a British boarding school as an exchange student. My wife is French, and our children were born in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Moving through Europe was easy, we always felt at home. Compare that to the old days of visas, work permits and resentments. We have come a long way. | No, I ask you to vote “in” because I love Europe and the EU, and want Britain to be part of it. Europe is about openness, about meeting people easily, and living and working with them. I am German, and spent a term at a British boarding school as an exchange student. My wife is French, and our children were born in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Moving through Europe was easy, we always felt at home. Compare that to the old days of visas, work permits and resentments. We have come a long way. |
| Putting Britain’s interests first sounds like a reasonable enough idea. But what if the French go for “France d’abord”, Germans claim “Deutschland zuerst”? And what if these “us first” claims contradict one another, and we do not have an EU to help us work out our differences? We’ve been there before. And we do not want to be there again. Never. | Putting Britain’s interests first sounds like a reasonable enough idea. But what if the French go for “France d’abord”, Germans claim “Deutschland zuerst”? And what if these “us first” claims contradict one another, and we do not have an EU to help us work out our differences? We’ve been there before. And we do not want to be there again. Never. |
| Who would be applauding if Britain were to leave the EU? Putin would be laughing. Beijing would be gleeful. And all the other my-country-comes-first guys: Marine Le Pen, Strache of Austria, the ugly German AfD party, Farage. Imagining what Europe would look like gives me the creeps. So please, vote for Britain to stay in, help to make Europe better. With love,Dirk BrauneAffoltern am Albis, Switzerland | Who would be applauding if Britain were to leave the EU? Putin would be laughing. Beijing would be gleeful. And all the other my-country-comes-first guys: Marine Le Pen, Strache of Austria, the ugly German AfD party, Farage. Imagining what Europe would look like gives me the creeps. So please, vote for Britain to stay in, help to make Europe better. With love,Dirk BrauneAffoltern am Albis, Switzerland |
| • Franklin Medhurst DFC (Letters, 16 June) reminded us forcefully of the core international value of the EU: to enable nations to work together in peace and security, with democracy and liberty for all citizens. Benefits well appreciated by the newer member states now free from dictatorship or control of the Soviet Union. Little has been said about the day-to-day value of the EU for ordinary people such as my own family. Two of my sons are married to citizens of other EU countries. The three grandchildren are EU citizens with joint nationalities. One family lives in the UK, the other on the continent. The rights for all EU citizens, to travel, live, work, study or start a business in any of the 28 countries are fundamentally important. These rights are ones we all benefit from; they are real and extremely valuable. | • Franklin Medhurst DFC (Letters, 16 June) reminded us forcefully of the core international value of the EU: to enable nations to work together in peace and security, with democracy and liberty for all citizens. Benefits well appreciated by the newer member states now free from dictatorship or control of the Soviet Union. Little has been said about the day-to-day value of the EU for ordinary people such as my own family. Two of my sons are married to citizens of other EU countries. The three grandchildren are EU citizens with joint nationalities. One family lives in the UK, the other on the continent. The rights for all EU citizens, to travel, live, work, study or start a business in any of the 28 countries are fundamentally important. These rights are ones we all benefit from; they are real and extremely valuable. |
| Brexit would take these rights away from those in my family who hold British passports. This would have included my late brother, who worked in the aerospace industry in Germany for over 30 years and would have incidentally been denied a vote in the referendum. I meet many who have similar European family situations; I very much hope that we will not all find out that we have inadvertently lost these rights in a few days’ time.Robert AlexanderWoodbridge, Suffolk | Brexit would take these rights away from those in my family who hold British passports. This would have included my late brother, who worked in the aerospace industry in Germany for over 30 years and would have incidentally been denied a vote in the referendum. I meet many who have similar European family situations; I very much hope that we will not all find out that we have inadvertently lost these rights in a few days’ time.Robert AlexanderWoodbridge, Suffolk |
| • I will not be voting on Thursday, not because I don’t want to – I would dearly love to – but because I can’t. My postal voting papers have not arrived and it is now impossible for me to return them in time to be counted. I am a British citizen living in France and a remain supporter. My whole life, and that of my bicultural, bilingual family, is based on the principle of European integration, and our lives are inevitably affected by referendum. However, my vote, and that of others in my position, will not be counted. It feels frustrating, and wholly undemocratic.Sarah BarthélémyLe Touquet, France | • I will not be voting on Thursday, not because I don’t want to – I would dearly love to – but because I can’t. My postal voting papers have not arrived and it is now impossible for me to return them in time to be counted. I am a British citizen living in France and a remain supporter. My whole life, and that of my bicultural, bilingual family, is based on the principle of European integration, and our lives are inevitably affected by referendum. However, my vote, and that of others in my position, will not be counted. It feels frustrating, and wholly undemocratic.Sarah BarthélémyLe Touquet, France |
| • I cannot vote in this EU referendum but I can write. The exchange of threats during the campaign has brought out the worst in this country: its insular, provincial and intolerant attitude. | • I cannot vote in this EU referendum but I can write. The exchange of threats during the campaign has brought out the worst in this country: its insular, provincial and intolerant attitude. |
| I came to this country in October 2001, after I obtained (in a open and competitive process) a fellowship to carry out research at the University of Warwick. Less than a year later, I was offered a lectureship in applied mathematics at the University of Leeds. Back then, I believed that this country was special. It was tolerant and open to people like me. | I came to this country in October 2001, after I obtained (in a open and competitive process) a fellowship to carry out research at the University of Warwick. Less than a year later, I was offered a lectureship in applied mathematics at the University of Leeds. Back then, I believed that this country was special. It was tolerant and open to people like me. |
| I felt I was trusted and valued, because I could contribute to this country (with my teaching and my research), something that my own (Spain) had not offered me. | I felt I was trusted and valued, because I could contribute to this country (with my teaching and my research), something that my own (Spain) had not offered me. |
| Now, I feel vulnerable and unwelcome. As silly as it may sound, I have second thoughts about speaking Spanish to my own children in public in case another intolerant person decides he or she wants us out. But in we are, no matter what the result. Because the UK is in Europe; and so it was when some of its citizens, not even concerned about their own lives, decided to fight in our Spanish civil war. They believed that Spain and our democracy was also their problem. | Now, I feel vulnerable and unwelcome. As silly as it may sound, I have second thoughts about speaking Spanish to my own children in public in case another intolerant person decides he or she wants us out. But in we are, no matter what the result. Because the UK is in Europe; and so it was when some of its citizens, not even concerned about their own lives, decided to fight in our Spanish civil war. They believed that Spain and our democracy was also their problem. |
| It is a shame that this country has shown its true (and dark) colours. I live in the hope that there is a large fraction of voters able to see beyond the threats and the lacerating language of some speeches. If only we could rescue the jewel in the crown of this country – its tolerance towards those who might be from the continent or from overseas, but who bring their hopes and dreams of a better life.Prof Carmen Molina-ParísUniversity of Leeds | It is a shame that this country has shown its true (and dark) colours. I live in the hope that there is a large fraction of voters able to see beyond the threats and the lacerating language of some speeches. If only we could rescue the jewel in the crown of this country – its tolerance towards those who might be from the continent or from overseas, but who bring their hopes and dreams of a better life.Prof Carmen Molina-ParísUniversity of Leeds |
| • I’m just a simple man with no influence, but I would blame myself if I didn’t just do my little bit. I beg you to vote for staying in the EU. | • I’m just a simple man with no influence, but I would blame myself if I didn’t just do my little bit. I beg you to vote for staying in the EU. |
| The EU is more than financial matters and stupid rules from Brussels. It is a symbol of peace between our countries. British culture was always a great inspiration for me and I couldn’t imagine living without it. If you decide to leave, it wouldn’t change my attitude. But things can only get better together.David StaegeMarburg, Germany | The EU is more than financial matters and stupid rules from Brussels. It is a symbol of peace between our countries. British culture was always a great inspiration for me and I couldn’t imagine living without it. If you decide to leave, it wouldn’t change my attitude. But things can only get better together.David StaegeMarburg, Germany |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |