Introduction - First Thoughts

Welcome to my Blog!

I plan to use it as a means of helping me decide how to vote in the UK Referendum on its membership of the EU.

Should we stay or leave?

Riding on this simple choice, there are far reaching implications for the UK, and for Europe.

What are these implications?

What are the key issues? And how important is one issue relative to the others. Their relative importance is a personal issue, really. It will be different for each voter based on their knowledge and life experiences , and will shape how the voters make up their minds.

And the sum of the YES and NO votes decides the outcome. How fascinating! No wonder the politicians are reluctant to make use of referendums. I am confidant there will be a high turn-out for this one. I hope it is as high as the recent Scottish Referendum.

This blog will capture my journey through this thought process,  on how I make up my decision on which way to vote.

At this time, I am open minded, genuinely, on which way to vote. I think this is due partly to the fact that I see opportunities in both options. I am not scared of the outcome either way. I think it will be good for us all to decide which way to go, and then plan our route to get there!

I am not a member of any political party. For me, politicians only tell you want they want you to know. Taking input from a variety of politicians can help in decision making on how to vote. But they all try to keep it simple and dumb it down to a few simple concepts that promote their position. The answer lies in the detail, as always.

I am perhaps naively hoping to witness a decent debate on the issue, in the months ahead. It has to be a debate with content and substance to it. My hope is that it focuses on the future and not just dwell on the past. The history of how the EU has developed to date is useful of course. Its current status and how it functions is also important. However, the decision we are making must be focused on the future opportunities that each option may create.

What is the future direction of the EU? Do we want to be a part of it?

If we leave, what options are there for our relationship with the EU and the rest of the world? What opportunities would open up to us if we leave. What are the implications of leaving?

At the outset of this blog, I consider the issues for research fall under the following headings?

Economical Issues
Political Issues
Legal Issues

I plan to include a library of reference material or sites that I find that discuss both options or assist me in making up my mind.

And of course  the benefit of using a blog is that it is public. So hopefully people can suggest useful sources of information to help me. And the blog may help others with a similar dilemma - the Undecided voters amongst us!

At the outset, I want the blog to contain a balanced range of information. If any bias creeps in, perhaps that may be the start of my decision crystalising. Let's see!

Back soon!

...the Undecided Voter.