What are the main changes David Cameron has agreed?
Mr Cameron agreed a package of changes to the UK's membership of the EU after two days of intensive talks with other member states' leaders in Brussels in February. The agreement, which will take effect immediately if the UK votes to remain in the EU, includes changes to:

Child benefit - Child benefit payments to migrant workers for children living overseas to be recalculated to reflect the cost of living in their home countries

Migrant welfare payments - The UK can decide to limit in-work benefits for EU migrants during their first four years in the UK. This so-called "emergency brake" can be applied in the event of "exceptional" levels of migration, but must be released within seven years - without exception.

Eurozone - Britain can keep the pound while being in Europe, and its business trade with the bloc, without fear of discrimination. Any British money spent on bailing out eurozone nations will be reimbursed.

Protection for the City of London - Safeguards for Britain's large financial services industry to prevent eurozone regulations being imposed on it

Sovereignty - There is an explicit commitment that the UK will not be part of an "ever closer union" with other EU member states. This will be incorporated in an EU treaty change.

'Red card' for national parliaments - It will be easier for governments to band together to block unwanted legislation. If 55% of national EU parliaments object to a piece of EU legislation it may be rethought.

Competitiveness - The settlement calls on all EU institutions and member states to "make all efforts to fully implement and strengthen the internal market" and to take "concrete steps towards better regulation", including by cutting red tape.

Some limits on free movement - Denying automatic free movement rights to nationals of a country outside the EU who marry an EU national, as part of measures to tackle "sham" marriages. There are also new powers to exclude people believed to be a security risk - even if they have no previous convictions.

that in logo reminds me of the old london weekend television logo.....and that in turn reminds me of the empire....and some irish bloke told me we could return to those heady days if we leave the eu


ill be voting out

'Red card' for national parliaments - It will be easier for governments to band together to block unwanted legislation. If 55% of national EU parliaments object to a piece of EU legislation it may be rethought.

To be honest every British person longs for a return to the empire according to the same Irish sources. If we can get a bit colonial on someones ass, I will join the "out" campaign too.

You are conflating British with English IMHO.

Feel free to start a thread about your English insecurities - this is about the EU

I think it will be an 'out', the conditions Dave has won are clearly shite and full of conditions. He's come away empty handed.

I think it will be an 'out', the conditions Dave has won are clearly shite and full of conditions. He's come away empty handed.

If there is a no vote but Scotland's populous vote overwhelmingly to stay in then it will be interesting to say the least.

If there is a no vote but Scotland's populous vote overwhelmingly to stay in then it will be interesting to say the least.

The polls are quite turbulent but it's interesting to see various breakdowns based on different things.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the 'higher' your social class the more likely you are to vote to stay, with the university/A level educated also more likely to vote to stay, versus GCSE educated more likely to vote to leave.

Places such as London, North East England and Scotland are strong "stay" and East Anglia stronger "leave"

Old bastards want out, the younger generation want to stay - 18-29s the biggest stayers, 60+ the most likely "out" group

British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over 18 who are resident in the UK, along with UK nationals who have lived overseas for less than 15 years. Members of the House of Lords and Commonwealth citizens in Gibraltar will also be eligible, unlike in a general election. Citizens from EU countries - apart from Ireland, Malta and Cyprus - will not get a vote.

Link?

So the longer one has been an adult, the more likely an out vote.

Indeed - the closer you are to death, the more you want to influence shit for those that will have to live with it.

Doesn't Corbyn also have greater support amongst the young?

Craig Bryant ن‎ ‎@Bryanttie
I reckon we'll deffo come last in Eurovision because of this #euref #nilpoints

It's an interesting issue.

In the Scottish independence referendum the nationalists accused the older generation of not being brave and hanging on to the status quo.

In this case it's the older generation who want "out" of something more than the young.

Quite. I'm already cringing waiting for all the people who were dead against Scottish independence from the UK arguing in favour of UK 'independence' from Brussels, whilst shamelessly using all of the same arguments.

It's an interesting issue.

In the Scottish independence referendum the nationalists accused the older generation of not being brave and hanging on to the status quo.

In this case it's the older generation who want "out" of something more than the young.

im baffled as to how the phrase may be rethought equates to a red card

Quite. I'm already cringing waiting for all the people who were dead against Scottish independence from the UK arguing in favour of UK 'independence' from Brussels, whilst shamelessly using all of the same arguments.

Surely its the other way. Those for Scottish independence are likely against UK sovereignty. For some strange reason.

Scottish nats voting to stay in Europe

It's a pretty solid correlation both ways. Those who supported independence are largely pro-Europe, those who support the current Union of the UK are anti-Europe. There is another group of mostly English nationalists who would be happiest to see the lot of them bugger off, but it's a minority.

what's so funny?