The EU referendum debate seems interminable. It is a pity we cannot have the vote tomorrow. The principal arguments are clear :-
To stay -
Our economy will suffer if we leave, (certainly in the short term) and there is uncertainty.
We will be less safe if we leave and will lose influence in the world.
To go -
We can control our borders properly and decide ourselves how many people we want to let in from the EU.
Instead of hiding in the EU we can go out and trade with the world. It will not be easy. There will be setbacks but lots of advantages will accrue in the medium and long-term from the opening up of growing markets.
The democracy argument. We re-establish the sovereignty of our own parliament. We make our own laws.
I shall be voting to leave.
Why?
I do not believe the price we are paying to achieve economic growth within the EU is worth the downside of free movement of people and I do not want to be part of an ever more federal EU because it undermines our democracy.
On the threat to our economy I would say this - money is not everything. Quality of life is much more important. Sustainability is much more important. What the UK needs is a more realistic focus on how we spend (waste) our money and to some extent how money is distributed. I am a capitalist not a socialist but I believe the mad pursuit of economic growth is shortsighted.We need consolidation. We need to do things better. We need to be more efficient. We need to be more realistic. We need to be healthier. We need to be thinking longer-term. GDP is transitory - it should not define us.
I also think that we can trade successfully in world wide markets. It will not be straightforward but there is so much to go at and we are an entrepreneurial nation. There is little to fear from taking real charge of our own future and cutting our cloth accordingly.
I do not believe we will be less safe. Why would being able to better control who comes into our country make us less safe? We will remain in NATO too. We should stop the nonsense of the UK "must punch above its weight" and would prefer us not to be taking such a prominent and interfering role as a world nominal super power as long, as we can defend ourselves.
Why is controlling our borders and bringing an end to the free movement so important? Simply because the numbers coming in are out of control and highly damaging to our way of life and our sustainable future.
Have you ever watched the London Marathon field run by. 50000 people is an incredible number - a mass of competing humanity.According to government accepted net migration figures the net number of people coming in each year is equivalent to between 5 and 6 London marathon fields each year. This is a vast number of people - all who have to live somewhere, can use the NHS for free, will be using our transport system, can call on social services, need to be policed and as many of them are children - will be taking up school places.
But it doesn't stop there. There is a massive disparity between the figures above and National Insurance numbers issued to migrants. The NI figures indicate that up to another 250000 might be coming in each year - so add another 5 marathon fields. This is the people equivalent of establishing 2 new major cities each year - another Newcastle and another Reading - each year - and there is no end to it.
The argument goes this is "good" for the country. It makes us economically more wealthy because these people are coming here to work. It also makes us culturally richer too - all that diversity from different cultures mixing in the great melting pot that we should be proud of.
The stay lobby have no coherent answer to the question "is there any limit to the number of people that the UK can take". Free movement of people is the cornerstone of the EU free market project and it will not change if we remain in the EU. They see this as an acceptable bi product of the wider economic benefit of being in the EU. They argue too that it will find its own natural level.
The reality is we are millions of net migrants away from finding a natural level. Why. Our minimum (living wage) is at least 3 times that paid in many parts of the EU. We offer top quality health care and schools for free to any migrant and their families. There is help with housing. They are accruing pension rights by paying NI. They are able to claim child benefit - and of course we speak English here - everyone's second language. The UK is a magnate and its draw is massive and will not abate unless we do something dramatic.
The South of England is the most densely populated area in Europe. Government predictions is by 2030 we will have the largest population in Europe and our land mass is tiny compared to say Germany, France or Spain. We are overcrowded now, there isn't the room. We do not have the houses or classrooms or hospital beds or the infrastructure to cope. There is no end to the tide. Build build build to try and keep up.
The UK becomes one gridlocked urban sprawl. What is the point of economic growth if we are living like rats. It is a grim prospect for the future. We need to get out now. We need to be able to shape our own world, look after ourselves, look after our little island - be confident in ourselves - and above all democratically make our own laws - otherwise our culture and way of life will be lost in a tide of mass competing self serving humanity. The great EU project does not make sense anymore - if it ever did.
To stay -
Our economy will suffer if we leave, (certainly in the short term) and there is uncertainty.
We will be less safe if we leave and will lose influence in the world.
To go -
We can control our borders properly and decide ourselves how many people we want to let in from the EU.
Instead of hiding in the EU we can go out and trade with the world. It will not be easy. There will be setbacks but lots of advantages will accrue in the medium and long-term from the opening up of growing markets.
The democracy argument. We re-establish the sovereignty of our own parliament. We make our own laws.
I shall be voting to leave.
Why?
I do not believe the price we are paying to achieve economic growth within the EU is worth the downside of free movement of people and I do not want to be part of an ever more federal EU because it undermines our democracy.
On the threat to our economy I would say this - money is not everything. Quality of life is much more important. Sustainability is much more important. What the UK needs is a more realistic focus on how we spend (waste) our money and to some extent how money is distributed. I am a capitalist not a socialist but I believe the mad pursuit of economic growth is shortsighted.We need consolidation. We need to do things better. We need to be more efficient. We need to be more realistic. We need to be healthier. We need to be thinking longer-term. GDP is transitory - it should not define us.
I also think that we can trade successfully in world wide markets. It will not be straightforward but there is so much to go at and we are an entrepreneurial nation. There is little to fear from taking real charge of our own future and cutting our cloth accordingly.
I do not believe we will be less safe. Why would being able to better control who comes into our country make us less safe? We will remain in NATO too. We should stop the nonsense of the UK "must punch above its weight" and would prefer us not to be taking such a prominent and interfering role as a world nominal super power as long, as we can defend ourselves.
Why is controlling our borders and bringing an end to the free movement so important? Simply because the numbers coming in are out of control and highly damaging to our way of life and our sustainable future.
Have you ever watched the London Marathon field run by. 50000 people is an incredible number - a mass of competing humanity.According to government accepted net migration figures the net number of people coming in each year is equivalent to between 5 and 6 London marathon fields each year. This is a vast number of people - all who have to live somewhere, can use the NHS for free, will be using our transport system, can call on social services, need to be policed and as many of them are children - will be taking up school places.
But it doesn't stop there. There is a massive disparity between the figures above and National Insurance numbers issued to migrants. The NI figures indicate that up to another 250000 might be coming in each year - so add another 5 marathon fields. This is the people equivalent of establishing 2 new major cities each year - another Newcastle and another Reading - each year - and there is no end to it.
The argument goes this is "good" for the country. It makes us economically more wealthy because these people are coming here to work. It also makes us culturally richer too - all that diversity from different cultures mixing in the great melting pot that we should be proud of.
The stay lobby have no coherent answer to the question "is there any limit to the number of people that the UK can take". Free movement of people is the cornerstone of the EU free market project and it will not change if we remain in the EU. They see this as an acceptable bi product of the wider economic benefit of being in the EU. They argue too that it will find its own natural level.
The reality is we are millions of net migrants away from finding a natural level. Why. Our minimum (living wage) is at least 3 times that paid in many parts of the EU. We offer top quality health care and schools for free to any migrant and their families. There is help with housing. They are accruing pension rights by paying NI. They are able to claim child benefit - and of course we speak English here - everyone's second language. The UK is a magnate and its draw is massive and will not abate unless we do something dramatic.
The South of England is the most densely populated area in Europe. Government predictions is by 2030 we will have the largest population in Europe and our land mass is tiny compared to say Germany, France or Spain. We are overcrowded now, there isn't the room. We do not have the houses or classrooms or hospital beds or the infrastructure to cope. There is no end to the tide. Build build build to try and keep up.
The UK becomes one gridlocked urban sprawl. What is the point of economic growth if we are living like rats. It is a grim prospect for the future. We need to get out now. We need to be able to shape our own world, look after ourselves, look after our little island - be confident in ourselves - and above all democratically make our own laws - otherwise our culture and way of life will be lost in a tide of mass competing self serving humanity. The great EU project does not make sense anymore - if it ever did.
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