Thread by @Dan010173

The Leave camps said “75% of our laws are made in Brussels” and asked “who really runs this country?”

That 75% figure was a lie and (for better or worse) the UK's Parliaments decide our key laws

From tax and sex to pensions and bombs, here's the proof WE RUN our country

1/.

All the big TAXES we pay are decided by the UK government

Income Tax: levels, bands & personal allowances
National Insurance
Council Tax
Taxes on Cars, Petrol, Diesel, Alcohol, Tobacco, Sugar
Capital Gains Tax
Tax relief on charity donations
Business Rates
Corporation Tax

2/.

All big laws on SEX are set by the UK

Age of consent, definition of sexual offences such as rape within marriage, sexual harm, indecent exposure, voyeurism

Regulation of sex shops and pornography, laws on soliciting, prostitution, closure of premises, revenge porn…

3/.

The laws underpinning our HEALTH SERVICE are set by the UK

Free, Universal Health Service - paid for by taxes

Free GP surgeries - paid prescriptions with exceptions

Coverage for all illnesses - with exceptions

Access to new medicines decided by expert panel (NICE)

4/.

Our MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE laws are set by our Parliaments

Legal minimum age
Civil partnerships and same-sex marriages
Where you can get married and who can marry you
Divorce law, grounds for divorce, alimony, maintenance payments, custody rights

5/.

The UK sets its own DEFENCE laws and our Parliament decides:

Should we renew Trident and our nuclear deterrents?
Should we go to war?
How much should we spend on the Army, Air Force and Navy?
What should we pay our military now and when they retire?

6/.

Our laws on EDUCATION are set by the UK’s Parliaments (remembering that devolution affects many UK laws)

School leaving age
Educational qualifications (GCSEs, A-Levels, Baccalaureate, NVQs, BTECHs) Apprenticeships
University tuition fees

7/.

The UK sets its own laws on DRUGS – which vary widely across the EU

Classification of illegal drugs into Class A, B and C as set out in the Misuse of Drugs Act and Psychoactive Substances Act
Minimum sentencing for dealing, possession and personal use

8/.

Our PENSIONS laws are completely different to the rest of the EU and set by UK Parliaments

Retirement Age
Basic Minimum Pension (much lower than most EU countries by the way)
Pension Contributions
Tax Relief on Pension Contributions

9/.

The UK’s laws on GAMBLING are completely unique

Types of bet (football pools, casinos, bingo, lotteries)
Types of gambling: sports, events, weather
Regulation of book-makers
Maximum Stakes for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals
Advertising restrictions & legal age

10/.

Our laws on TRANSPORT (for better or worse) are no-one’s fault but our own

Privatised rail network split into franchises
Government subsidies to rail operators
Compulsory purchase of land for High-Speed Rail Network
Toll-free motorways
Promotion of cycle lanes

11/.

Our ENVIRONMENT has benefitted from higher standards on beaches rolled out across the EU but most key laws are still made in Westminster

National Parks
Green Belts
Renewable Energy laws (solar and wind subsidies)
Nuclear power plants
Plastic bag tax

12/.

For LAW & ORDER we are responsible for the laws we make and enforce

Police: Numbers, funding and powers (eg. stop and search)

Prisons: partly privatised, rehabilitation, parole

Justice: Minimum Sentences, Access to Legal Aid, Jury Service

13/.

And now we come to WELFARE where the UK decides for itself:

Definition of unemployment, job-seekers allowance

Type, amount and eligibility for all welfare benefits

Design of the new Universal Credit Benefits System replacing housing, sickness, incapacity etc.

14/.

You probably realised all this already

All the vital, controversial laws that rouse people's passions, affecting lives and liberties ARE MADE BY US IN THE UK

Tax
Sex
Marriage
Health
Transport
Police
Justice
Welfare
Defence
Drugs
Environment
Education
Pensions
Gambling

Ends/