The case for Britain leaving the EU

There has been a lot of recent TV and media coverage of the risks Britain would face if it left the EU from high profile figures such as British PM David Cameron, but there are always two sides to every argument. I am going to take a quick look at some of the potential benefits the UK would have if it chose to leave.

1.    Economic benefits – A good starting point regarding this issue is the actual cost of the EU annual membership. The estimated net contribution to the EU comes in at a staggering ￡8.5 billion per year, equivalent to 0.5% of Britain’s GDP. The membership fee cannot be compared to the economic benefits since the final result is more than disappointing. Analyses show that the costs are higher than the retribution because EU spending priorities do not match the UK’s, such as agriculture and regional structural funds covered within the budget, which are not equal to the actual cost that the UK has in that particular area.

Britain is the second net contributor to the EU budget and the 'out' campaigners say that this money could be better spent elsewhere. With the realisation of the Brexit model, small businesses could then be freed with more than a welcome break from the bureaucratic chains associated with trading arrangements and higher tax rates.

2.    Actual democracy - The actual compatibility of an established British political and monarchy based system with an undemocratic and centralised organisation like the European Union is still very questionable.

Britain was once known for parliamentary democracy, with a consistent and strong political structure. One of the key issues of this whole debate is leadership. Typically, the control of a country is best served by its own elected government and its representative ministers, not by unelected representatives from a foreign land. Should Britain choose to remain part of the current EU arrangement, then it is likely that the current prevailing cracks we already see will widen further. In the current state, the two political systems seem somewhat incompatible and keeping the status quo will no doubt result in a constant negative political agenda by certain parties, that may lead to self-destruction and evolve deeper consequences in the long run.

If the UK leaves the EU, then it would of course be able to free itself from EU control and take things into its own hands. It will be better placed to govern itself on its own terms and implement more compatible legislation and judicial systems for its citizens. The UK courts would again be supreme in the power to decide what is actually right or wrong for the country. The laws would in essence be written by UK courts and parliament, away from an EU office in Brussels.

Another powerful compelling argument that we hear from the supporters for Brexit is the current deprivation of influence over overall EU decision making. Evidence shows that the UK is already having a very hard time getting its way in the EU community and we have already seen the British prime minister David Cameron argue against EU decisions but without the power to stop it. This clearly demonstrates the lack of influence by the UK’s government as well as sending out very confusing leadership messages. Right now, political issues and tension prevail as the majority of UK law is now derived and set by the EU, yet the UK had previously objected to laws being imposed or challenged them. In such a case, the EU is often seen forming stronger federal connections with other countries to push through a wider agenda of its own.

Then there is the court system, the High Court of Justice has always had a huge influence on national courts in the UK. Despite this, it is no longer considered as the supreme court by the EU, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has in effect more power than Britain's highest court.

3.    Greater global trade - whether Britain should leave the EU will finally reach its climax in June or July this year. A key concern for economic experts in the UK is the potential loss of trade treaties. To some, given the current world economic climate situation, engaging now in any game of risk taking in exiting the European Union is seen as ludicrous. But, the concerns might not be justified. Britain is a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in its own right (as are other EU countries). Thinking about this differently, Britain could make its own trade treaties with both European countries and international countries. The worst case scenario would just be that there would be tariffs on some goods and services, Britain will probably be in a period of economic uncertainty shortly after the break up with the EU, but it would not take long to stabilise and improve. Through globalisation, global trade tariffs have naturally been falling in any case, more and more countries have set up and are involved in free trade agreements.

Statistically, the EU’s share of global GPD has fallen over the years. So, although the EU buys 40% of British exports, and plenty of the other member states have deficient surpluses in trade with the UK, the exporters of the countries would certainly require continued collaboration instead of trade disruption. This means that the countries will be forced to make a formal trade deal with the UK.

After the Out, Britain will still remain present in the EU market, as one of the biggest traders.

4.    Taking control over the borders and re-engaging with the Commonwealth - The migration of refugees and citizens across the EU has become a really hot topic over the past few years and by land mass, Britain is a relatively small island to its high population. It needs to evaluate the challenges it will face by the restriction its EU membership holds in ‘not having the power to control its own borders’. Britain's EU membership has meant that EU citizens have the right to live and work anywhere in the UK, this has resulted in increased immigration, especially from southern and eastern Europe. There is a strong view from some that the economic migrants seem to overwhelm the country and therefore by leaving the EU might be the only real way to put migration under control.

The UK might want to implement an Australian style border control system, something that the EU currently won’t allow. If it did, then there is an argument that the risk of possible terrorist attacks would reduce, tighter border controls make it more difficult for foreign terrorists to move around freely.

What has not been widely covered in the press is that in October 2016 there is also the possibility of Turkey's accession into the EU and current proposals include visa-free travel, under the Schengen Agreement, to 77 million Turkish people. This worries the 'out' campaigners as they argue it could see millions of additional Turkish people entering the UK, stretching the education and health system beyond its current limits.

Generally, this debate is not all about the economy. It’s about who is best placed to make and implement important decisions for the country. The question is, does Britain really need the EU on its shoulder telling it what to do?

An exit may mean that there is an initial struggle for the country, but once Britain gets back on its feet, it won’t fail. History tells us repeatedly that this respected global superpower is more than capable of looking after its own interests. Now might just be the right time to quit.

Jonathan Larter, March 2016

Artwork kindly supplied by #Spectoons