How do you like these apples?

The Queen’s speech has fired the staring gun on the debate concerning Britain’s membership to the European Union. The problem for Britain has always been with the four fundamental freedoms of the single market. The obligation of member states in free movement of capital, goods, services and people to ensure that niche markets are supported by the right (EU) resources. For any organisation, this guarded principle ensures optimal growth as a by-product of highly evolved capitalism. However, popular opinion within the UK is at odds with the unprecedented inflow of people which does not seem to be proportional to the economic advantages of membership. Certainly as a developed nation the UK is now approaching an all time high in terms of inbound net migration, driven by EU migration. One might be forgiven for assuming a person who believes indefinite growth of anything physical on a physically finite island is either crazy or an economist. But just like economics, on an island with multiple trading options, it’s simply a matter of whether we prefer to buy apples from New Zealand or France.