19. Farmers stifled by EU regulations
Dysfunctional European regulations, over which we have very little power to change, are stifling our
farming industry. Over 80% of legislation affecting DEFRA comes from the EU and compliance with this
endless list of rules – such as the maximum width of a hedge or whether a cabbage and a cauliflower are
different crops or should be deemed the same crop – is regulated through a system of penalties called
“disallowance”. Auditors at the EU Commission can levy fines against the Government and indeed the
UK is hit by penalties of around £100m-a-year for a multitude of trivial, perceived mistakes which, in
reality, matter very little. This draconian system has naturally made the industry more risk averse,
curtailing innovation in the process.
A lot has been made of the subsidies farmers receive from the EU, but the truth is that by not
sending £8.5bn-a-year to the EU we can properly support farming, the countryside and the
environment through our own national policies. MP George Eustice, farming minister for the past
two-and-a-half years, said: “It would be far better if we take back control, make our own laws, and
craft a national agricultural policy that’s right for our country.” If the EU continues to accept new
member states like Turkey, Albania and Macedonia with comparatively low GDPs and very high areas
of agricultural land, UK farmers will see a significant reduction in the amount of funding received
from the Common Agricultural Policy anyway.
Outside the EU the UK will be able to set our
own environmental standards, and reward
farmers and landowners for looking after our
precious landscape and allowing others to
enjoy it. We’ll also be free to modify the water
and planning laws – such as the Water
Directives – which have got in the way of good
water management and worsened flood
problems across much of our countryside.
20. Because everybody loves an underdog
No country has ever left the EU and, as already
highlighted, the money, power and influence
is behind the ‘In’ campaign. Everyone loves an underdog so wouldn’t it be lovely to show the world that
the British can make bold and decisive decisions for the love of our country?
Regrettably all you hear from the ‘In’ camp is: “it would be a leap into the unknown”. Yet Yngve
Slyngstad, CEO of Norway’s £590bn state-owned investment fund, said it will likely increase its
investments to the EU whether we leave the EU or not. “We’ll continue to be a significant investor in the
UK at about the same level as we are today and probably even increasing our investments there no
matter what happens,” he added. Eurostat, the EU’s main statistical agency, shows that the UK is less
integrated into the wider European economy than any other country. Of all 28 member states, Britain’s
share of exports going to other countries in the Union is the lowest – 44% compared to the average of
62%. In fact our exports to the EU have declined by a significant 10 percentage points since 2006 and is
primarily down to the EU economy stagnating. The Leave campaign is passionate about taking back
control of our sovereignty and economy and we should be proud to do so.
27 cross-party reasons to Leave the EU | @DavidSeadon