Why am I voting Remain?

So, It's been a while since I wrote, But I was prompted to write a post after being asked by a colleague, "Why are you voting Remain?!?" earlier today. Being the dyspraxic fool that I am, when I am put on the spot, my mind goes blank. I have many, many reasons for voting remain, but at that moment, I couldn't think of a single one.

However, I am lucky enough to be extremely good at communicating non-verbally, so, Dave, this is for you - my reasons (the important ones!) for voting remain - 

1) Economic stability

Everyone, on both sides of the debate, agrees that if we leave, there will be a recession. The debate is about how long there will be a recession for. A recession will affect everyone. Food prices will rise, wages will go down and jobs will become harder to get and harder to keep. The poor will become poorer and people will suffer. There is no guarantee how long it will last, and personally, I don't feel it is worth the risk.

2) Border Control

Border Control will be SRTONGER in the EU. If we leave, we will still have to have an open border police with the EU, just as Norway does, in order to maintain a trading agreement with the EU. We need the EU's trade - they are the people who trade with us most and if we lose that we will be even worse off.

3) EU Legislation

As I have previously mentioned, we will have to stick by the EU's rules in order to maintain a trading agreement - necessary for our economic wellbeing. This means that we will still have to abide by the EU's laws. the only difference is that we will no longer have a say in what rules and regulations are passed. Additionallly, in the eventuality that Turkey finally manages to pass all 35 conditions they need to enter into the EU (They've only passed ONE since 1987!) we will no longer be able to veto them. Just FYI, if we were to veto Turkey, that means that they cannot join the EU. all we would have to say is no. If we're not in the EU, we can't say no to Turkey, but we would still have to have open borders... See the problem?

4) Worker's Rights


The EU's laws protect things like holiday pay, sick pay, pensions, Maternity and Paternity pay, etc etc. While we are in the EU, our government cannot touch those things. The EU has raised our holiday allowance, raised our maternity leave allowance. The EU protects us, the workers.

5) The NHS

Currently the EU injects a huge number of workers into our NHS system. Without the EU we would not have enough Nurses, enough doctors, enough surgeons and consultants. Our own countrymen are not attracted to the profession due to poor wages and horrendous working hours. That shortage is filled by immigrants, immigrants that would leave if we were to leave the EU. This would result in a massive shortage and no one to fill the gaps.
On a side note, as EU citizens, we have the right to go to a specialist anywhere in the EU and be treated free of charge if our own country is unable to help us. Another thing that the EU provides us with.

6) Terrorism

Although we are not a weak and feeble little country with no friends, to leave a big group of strong countries while we are facing such a massive threat from so-called "Islamic State" is madness. It's like in a horror movie when the stupid blonde goes off on her own to explore the cellar.

7) Jobs

Over 3,000,000 jobs in the UK depend upon the EU. need I say more?

8) Holidays

Who the hell wants to apply for a Visa every time they go on a trip to France to grab some booze?!?

9) Immigration

No economy can survive without immigration. It fuels growth, creates jobs and feeds money into our society. Ever noticed that those people complaining that people "come over here and steal our jobs!" are those people with no education, a criminal record, and have been on benefits because of a "fall" they had 23 years ago? There's a reason they don't have a job, and it's not because of immigration.

10)  Lies

The Brexit's campaign of massive porkies make me feel that if we leave the EU and put our country into the hands of these imbeciles, we are dooming ourselves to failure. It only takes a quick google search to discredit the whole "£350,000,000 a week" lie, or "half-truth" and another to discredit the lie that Turkey are about to join the EU. In order to join the EU a country has to fulfill 35 "EU Points", as I call them. Turkey has been trying to join since 1987, the year I was born. Since 1987 they have only managed to fulfill ONE point. One point in 29 years. Sure Turkey is trying to join the EU, but at this rate, it will be 3031 before they are successful, and even then we can Veto them so they can't join anyway.

11) Morals

I strongly believe that we, as a country, are far, far better off than many others on this planet. We have the NHS, benefits, pensions, free speech, a right to marry whomever we want, votes for women, the right to choose a religion, hell, I'm even allowed to go to work without my husband's permission!
I believe we should be part of a group that protects human rights - a group WE set up. I believe we should be using our power, our strength and our influence to be helping others - freeing those who are trapped, saving those who need saving. Protecting the weak and innocent. The EU gives us the ability to do that on a far larger scale than we could do on our own. We can do more for the benefit of others. We can do so much to improve this world, but we can do more, together

So there you have it. my list of reasons for voting remain. I don't expect people to agree. I don't expect people to even understand or pay attention. I expect you to do only one thing - Vote. People died to give you that right, use it. Use the information that you have been given by both sides to choose the option that you feel most suits you. This is one of the most important decisions in this countries recent history - be a part of it, and be proud.

Ikea Should Come With A Health Warning

So, a few weekends ago I decided that I desperately needed to put up some shelves in my office. Emergency shelves. I was so desperate for some shelves that I decided that the next day the Fiance and I would make an emergency Ikea trip to purchase the emergency shelves before the world collapsed around me in a shelf-less mess.

So Sunday arrives and we find ourselves in Ikea Milton Keynes. As this was the second Sunday after New Year, everyone else also found themselves in Milton Keynes, looking for emergency shelves, emergency boxes, emergency Tupperware, every kind of emergency storage you can think of.

I had, perhaps naively, assumed that the average set of 6 shelves would set you back about 20-30 quid. after all, it's just a bit of wood and two brackets - surely £5 a piece is an average price for this in a place like Ikea, where they produce enough wood in a day to build an ark? But no. Eighty quid lighter, and after numerous debates about what KIND of shelf I'm looking for (I personally thought the clue would be in the word "emergency", as in, "I want to go in, buy a bit of wood and leave, sharpish") I eventually ended up with a rustic looking shelving unit.

Whenever the Fiance and I pop to Ikea we always go for a mooch around the "Bargain Corner". and thus far we've managed to find many things to spend money on that we would not have otherwise spent money on (Damn you, Ikea!) and this visit was no exception. Before we left Ikea we managed to not only buy emergency shelves, but we also bought the LARGEST wardrobe I have EVER SEEN.

Now, the Fiance does not drive a small car. It's not an estate, but I know for a fact that two grown adults can have a nap in the boot with the seats down at 4 am in a service station. I also know that it's bloody FREEZING - but it is possible.

I can also tell you that you should never, ever buy a large set of emergency shelving and a colossal wardrobe at the same time. It didn't help that it was raining buckets and the wind kept trying to blow the giant wardrobe into someone else's boot. While it was closed.

Eventually, after more swearing than I've ever heard in my life (and I saw Peter Capaldi in "The Thick Of It"!) the Fiance finally managed to get the boxes into the car. Looking pleased with himself, he gets into the car (which we'd parked temporarily in a nearby disabled bay as the packing of the car would take "five minutes" and it was closer to the door so we'd be in and out in NO time. 45 minutes later...) while I return the trolley.

When I return I get in the car, at which point the Fiance says, "You're going to have to do the handbrake and gears, I can't reach!" I look down and sure enough, the Giant Wardrobe is blocking him from any use of the handbrake. I look up and realise that I also can't  SEE him. He's just a voice coming from no where. "Are you OK with that?" Comes his muffled voice. I quickly realise that I have to be OK with that, as if I am not OK with that one of us has to get out of the car and wait to be collected at a later date, and that "someone" is me. And it is raining. Inside the car there are heated seats. Outside the car there is a hurricane.

Mind made up, I say, "Just tell me which gear you want it in and leave the rest to me".

An hour later, I'm not entirely sure how we made it home alive. I assume the trauma has made me blank the whole thing from my memory, although I have flash backs of a muffled voice yelling "FOURTH....FIFTH!" and going around many, many roundabouts.

After arriving home, the Giant Wardrobe stayed at the bottom of the stairs, where it remained for the next week. The bookcase was assembled and full long before the wardrobe made it upstairs.

Eventually, we decided to get the wardrobe assembled. There were four large, heavy boxes that eventually made it up the stairs, and in Box One were the instructions. To my horror I realised that there were 64 steps to this monstrosity. I saw hours and hours of work ahead of me, with no end in sight. The Fiance, on the other hand, takes one look at it and proclaims, "We'll have this up in an hour!". I think the shock must have temporarily made him lose his mind.

So, how many steps do you think we made it through before The Almighty Ikea-Related Row began? I'm sure you know the one. It's the row that every couple is obliged to have. It can happen on the way into Ikea; simply because you have to go, During Ikea; when one of you leaves the other for dead in the children's section, after Ikea; when you're trying to fit the bastard wardrobe in the car or during the Ikea Comedown; when you're trying to build that beautiful TV cabinet you bought and one of you accidentally puts the hammer through one of the side panels.

This row was the Ikea Comedown Row. We lasted 13 steps before it hit. It was like a storm that had been brewing for some time, it was fast and it was ANGRY and it was about what way up the drawer runners go.

It was days before we could face going back in and finishing the wardrobe. Flinching at every mention of the words "Flat-pack" and "Screwdriver".

Eventually though, we put on our big girl knickers and got down to it. Hours later (it DEFINITELY didn't take an hour!) we re-emerged - tired, but victorious.

Ikea, you lose.