Not actually true. You may try to prosecute them for treason, but usually, you have to be obliged legally to keep secret, by signing a document that obliges you to.

For example, during my internship in prosecutor's office and in court I had to sign such document of confidentiality.

You are not obliged to stay quiet just because something has "top secret" on cover.

I didn't say states. I mean regions, as in the South, the Northeast, the Midwest and the Pacific coast. Those 4 areas are pretty different from each other, not to the extent of European countries of course but enough to feel like different countries at times and to want radically different things from government.

Anyway, someone else was right when they said our national identity is too strong for us to pull apart. That's basically what I said in my post, despite our diversity the idea of any region seceding is insanity.

Contrary to what people here from Germany seem to be saying, I don't think many people blame the EU for difficulties that the UK is facing. We're pretty solid on blaming the banks. I've not heard anyone say that the EU was in any way a cause of our current troubles.

As for should we leave. Yes, unfortunately. Not because the EU is "trouble" or "a drain on our resources", simply because we don't want to go the same way as them. Most people in the UK feel very strongly that people in prisons should not get the vote. We don't want to move towards the fiscal and political union that the EU is heading towards. We don't resent it, just don't want it for us. So we should get out of the way.

I'm sure there are other ways to work around the trade difficulties that we would encounter from leaving the common market. If not, I guess it's just a price we'll have to pay. We are too dependent on the EU for trade anyway, it makes our economy dangerously twinned with the fate of the EU. A bit of balancing out would probably do us good if we were to go it alone without any safety net.

Wow, it's 1984 already? ;)

with the number of camera's in london hell yeah :P

Reality always tops fiction.

When I was in Scotland, I also saw many cameras (I think it's an UK constant), but they had blacked out the text on the nearby sign so instead of the original "we are always watching out for you" it read "we are always watching you". Scotland got an instant +1 on my book.

That about figures, but going on thier past actions if we ask a primary school for a book filled with random numbers and submit it as our annual accounting we'd have been accepted.

oh well,

I just answer the first question: yes please, let the UK leave the EU. Then will the EU fight less with Switzerland. ;)

Very well said.

For the last 45 years or so, there's been nothing but propaganda from the British government to the people on the subject of the EU.

They go out of their way to minimise highlighting the EU as a source for unpopular laws, unless it's a home-grown law, and then it's suddenly fair game, until it's researched and exposed...which few are, either way.
National Utilities privatised = EU regulated/directives.
One-Size-fits-all business regulation/"red tape" = EU directives.
Depressed GDP/economy by 2-5% per year [depending which research you look at - but they all agree it is a definite negative effect] = EU regulations.
Increasing food prices = EU directives on "green" bio fuels and set-aside crops and limits on crops grown.
Seas being over-fished to extinction levels = EU's cynically added CFP condition to UK "signing up".

And that's without going into Daily Fail territory of "unrestrained immigration from Poland and Romania and half of Eastern Europe!!!!!111!!"
Funnily enough, the EU did regulate on classifying vegetables by shape/size - "bendy bananas/cucumber/etc" - being that having certain "irregularities" of shape and size, they had to be labelled as "2nd class" or similar, on the shop shelves, which would, and did for a time, result in good food by the hundreds of tonnes per month being wasted as people didn't buy it.
And our elected scum have had more than a hand in shaping the monster in Brussels. Hell, they've been ringleaders in it! We should have made them listen to Churchill's words on Europe : "We in Britain are all for a United States of Europe. We wish it well. Britain, the USA and even the Soviets would join in support of such a creation, but our interests are global, and Britain will remain outside of it."

Every government we've had, even Thatcher's - who got stabbed in the back by the Heathite traitors in her party for standing up to the EU, has gone out of their way to shut down all talks of "referendum". Oh, they promise one, should certain conditions arise, but suddenly, it disappears as "not being the right time for such debate".
That's got to the point where damned few people actually listen to them now.
Now, that's not to say that either/or are to blame for Britain's disenchantment with the unelected autocrats in Brussels/Strasbourg, but rather it's a conglomeration of both of them, and the lack of real, un-propagandised debate from our "leaders".

They constantly trot out phrases like "vital National Interests" and "3 million jobs", but never expand how, why or where these are so....Frankly, it's something you'd expect from a nursery school kid.

As for the Bank of Toytown currency called the "ECU MK2", it's not for want of trying that Britain hasn't joined into that farce. From 1993's ERM fiasco and "Black Wednesday", to Gordon Brown's saying "NO!" only to spite Bliar's wish for it....there's not a single one of them, LibLabCon, that wouldn't sign up in a heartbeat. Public willing or not.

The thing is, Europe is in dire straits, not least because of the Kommission's insane meddling in areas not conducive to being a "free trade" bloc that Britain signed up to in 1972. It's getting worse when Germany et al broke their own rules to admit countries like Greece on blatantly fraudulent budget/financial reports.
While an oft-reported [upto - figures change almost weekly depending what need the government has at the time O_o! Like they expect we can't remember what they said three days ago!!] 60% of Britain's trade is with the EU, most of it is, by EU law, shipped into mainland ports for eventual trans-shipment to final destinations world-wide. For which they take "shipping fees". Did someone say "free trade"? I could have sworn they said "Free Trade"! Another piece of information seldom given to the public here. Funnily enough, that figure dropped to 42% the other week...Either way, why bother with a dying, closed, insanely-regulated market, when there's far better out in Asia or South America for our money?!
EU isn't about Free Trade. It's about protectionism and worse. Why else won;t France modernise their farming industry against all common sense and fiscal responsibility?
It's a Customs Union [and never in the history of mankind has a Customs Union EVER worked!] with delusions of grandeur. It's accruing to itself powers to regulate in areas far outside those needed, and should be left alone to national governments. Kind of like the Soviets did. No. EXACTLY like the Soviets did. GOLF? WTF? What has GOLF got to do with selling food crops, or cars, or banking services or anything that's traded?! I hear they want to regulate FIFA next....

No. We've never had ONE iota of evidence that the EU is good for Britain. We've had plenty of lies, and a surfeit of propaganda, but nothing else. The Guardian are SHITTING themselves this month, because their good pro-EU buddy, the BBC, are getting a good kicking over other misadventures, and there's a LOT of talk about breaking it up - which, IMO, wouldn't be a necessarily good move.

Well, Here in Norway we arent member of the EU
We voted against being members twice but our politicans managed to sneak us in the backway (EØS) over the heads of the people, meaning we didnt get to vote if we wanted to be in EØS or not.
Beat that.

Im pretty sure if this had happened in other contrys there woud have been riots and chaos.
But the Norwegians must be one of the worlds easyest population to govern.
People grumble now and then and sometimes strike but riots and stuff like that havent happened here since the viking time i think.

Thanks to EØS I pay home fees for my PhD here in UK.... I'm pleased.

As I understand it, the UK people never had a referendum on whether to join the E.U. The constitution was called a 'treaty' and passed over the heads of the UK people. There was no vote on it from the people. I don't think there ever has been a majority of people in the UK who wanted to be part of the E.U.

I think we pay alot of money to alot of contrys in the EU.
I guess we can afford it since we make billions on oil, or rather the goverment is making billions.