On the 23rd June 2016 we will have one choice to make, to stay in or to leave the European Union. My vote will be to stay. My reason for doing so is not a blind love of the EU, but a pragmatism over the areas I believe are important in our world; namely trade and security, which for me add up to our collective ability to influence decision making on the world stage.
Firstly trade, as the fifth largest economy much of our trading influence comes from our position within the EU. Currently, we have trade deals with 53 countries and a further commitment to secure trade and investment agreements with many of the world’s most dynamic economies, such as China, USA, India and Japan. A vote to leave would still make trading with the EU and its 500 million customers a possibility. However it is hard to imagine that a renegotiation process lasting at least a decade, as current agreements with Switzerland and Canada would suggest, will not impinge upon UK jobs and families. Furthermore if we are trading outside the EU, for example like Norway, we will still be subject to rules and regulations but unable to influence them; a very poor consolation prize.
Secondly, the security of our currency has been safeguarded in the recent renegotiations. The pound sterling will remain a strong independent currency and will not be discriminated against as we strive within the EU. The financial service industry, our number one service export, will be protected and the financial stability of the UK remains in the hands of the Bank of England. Additionally British taxpayers will never be made to bail out other countries in the Eurozone, a negotiation which respects and acknowledges the UK’s importance within the EU.
Lastly the UK’s competitiveness has been improved by the successful cutting of the number of new regulatory initiatives by 80% and negotiations are committed to further reducing the total burden on business. This is important for small and medium sized enterprises who can and should benefit from the best of both worlds; EU trading without the red tape. As a businesswoman, I know how regulation can act to the detriment of competition. I want to see UK businesses trading within a reformed Europe, rather than merely opting to leave.
For many people migration sits at the heart of why they wish to withdraw from the EU. I believe we must find a balance; we must attract the right skills to maintain our labour force but deter those who are unwilling to contribute to our economy. The Home Secretary has secured new powers to stop criminals from other countries coming to UK and strengthened deportation rules. The auspices of the European Arrest Warrant allow for ease of repatriation of any criminals within the EU. There are longer re-entry bans for fraudsters and people who collude in sham marriages, plus EU nationals are no longer able to avoid immigration rules when bringing their families from outside the EU. New migrants cannot claim Universal Credit when looking for work and those who are unable to find work within 6 months are required to leave. A new emergency brake has also been established so that new migrants will have to wait four years until there is full access to our benefits. However I would advise caution here, skilled and un-skilled workers from the EU fill gaps within our workforce, particularly within health, agriculture and food production. An overly restrictive policy would impact upon these sectors.
I have witnessed at first hand the refugee crisis that is currently over whelming Greece in particular; this mass movement of people will need a response that is more intelligent than merely shutting borders. This does not mean resettling all refugees to the detriment of member states but it is essential that the EU, as the most successful peace-keeping political union in history, continues to work towards a solution.
The concern over this, and other closely integrated responses, is that it draws the UK into an ever closer union within the EU. The Prime Minister’s negotiations protect our country from further political integration. There is now clear agreement that different countries are travelling at different speeds. This, combined with a strengthening of Parliament in the UK, means powers cannot pass to Brussels without a specific referendum. However using Norway and Switzerland as examples, being outside the EU in no way exempts nation states from its regulatory powers.
Ultimately, if the UK remains within the EU, with a set of renegotiated powers protecting our national interest, we retain the ability to ‘punch above our weight’ on the world stage, within organisations such as the UN, NATO and the Commonwealth. This, and our special relationship with the US, emphasises our role as a positive influence and gives us a unique voice in global politics.
While we may not realise it, the EU impacts directly upon our lives, whether it be collaboration between world class centres of learning, or the Erasmus programme benefitting educational exchange, or open access to European cities, cultures and travel. The cost of many goods and services would rise, and we have already seen the effects on the currency and the markets of potential uncertainty.
Many of our organisations gain from access to the largest market in world and much of the unseen benefit is hard to quantify. However peace in Europe since 1945 is not. We live in a different world to the one I grew up in before we joined the EU. Uncertainty, for me, is the biggest reason to remain and, in my mind, there is a lack of adequate answers for the alternative.
As a pragmatist, I appreciate that for some this is an emotional decision and I fully respect the views of each individual constituent. I understand you may not agree with me. That is why it is important we have this referendum where each individual’s vote counts. On 23rd June, I will be voting to remain in a reformed Europe for stability, trade, security and influence. I urge you to join in voting with me.