25. ‘Stay’ track record isn’t great
Those in the ‘In’ camp are the same people who campaigned for Britain to adopt the Euro, the same
people who opposed a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and the same people who would surrender
more power to Brussels because they have little belief in their own island nation.
These people, such as Tony Blair, Nick Clegg and Cameron, have been wrong in the past and their
judgement is flawed again. They claim to “love Britain” but the reality is they’re talking down our
economic prospects and have no confidence in the ingenuity and entrepreneurialism that has always
been at the bedrock of our society.
Education secretary Nicky Morgan even outrageously tried to claim that being part of this political union
helps young people into work which would be put at risk by Brexit. What she fails to acknowledge is that
while youth unemployment in the UK stands at 13%, in the vast majority of other member states this
figure is far higher despite being in the EU. Youth unemployment stands at 48% in Greece, 45% in Spain,
39% in Italy, 29% in Portugal and 25% in France. Others have tried to argue that we would lose access to
the popular Erasmus programme which gives young people the chance to study in foreign countries.
However, what you are not
told is that Erasmus is actually
already open to non-EU
countries and indeed five of
the 33 countries which
currently participate in the
programme are from outside of
the EU. It is insulting to suggest
that opportunities for young
people will in some way be
curtailed by departing from the
EU. Do you want to put your
trust in these people?
26. Economic fears are unfounded
Here’s the truth: nobody knows precisely what the economic impact would be because it depends on so
many different factors and variables which cannot be foreseen before they happen. That said,
award-winning think-tank Open Europe (a group which wants us to stay in a reformed EU), recently
went some way to shattering the illusion that leaving the EU will wreck our economy in a comprehensive
study. They found that the “worst-case” Brexit scenario is that the UK economy loses 2.2 per cent of its
total GDP by 2030. However, conversely, it stated that GDP could rise by 1.6 per cent over the same
period if the UK negotiates a free trade deal with Europe and pursued “very ambitious deregulation”.
The report, which drew on detailed economic modelling to assess different Brexit scenarios, said a “far
more realistic range” is between a 0.8% loss or a 0.6% gain in GDP by 2030.
It concluded that the economic impact of Brexit is “not as clear cut in either direction as most previous
analyses have suggested. Instead it will depend on a number of tough decisions in the UK and Europe.
This includes whether UK politicians and voters are willing to transition Britain into the deregulated, free
trading economy it would need to become outside of the EU.”
27 cross-party reasons to Leave the EU | @DavidSeadon