Should the UK stay in the EU or leave it?
In 2016 the UK will have a referendum to decide whether or not to remain in the EU.
By examining the issues, with arguments and counter-arguments, we can try to come to a conclusion whether on balance we are better off in than out.
Leave
Steve Hilton says EU makes UK 'ungovernable'
simon gray - 2016-05-23 / 20:25:34 - Login or register to respond'David Cameron's former director of strategy has called for a vote to leave the EU, saying membership "makes Britain literally ungovernable".
Steve Hilton, who was one of the PM's closest aides, attacked Brussels' "statism, corporatism and bureaucracy".
In an article for the Daily Mail, he said the PM's "relatively modest" reform demands had received "arrogant and dismissive treatment"'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36357212
Stay -
Jonathan Riddell - 2016-05-24 / 14:38:05 - Login or register to respondI'd read this but then I read that he wrote it for the Daily Mail and decided not to
Michael Gove: Staying in EU 'will add up to 5m to UK population'
simon gray - 2016-05-21 / 11:35:42 - Login or register to respond'Staying in the EU could increase the UK's population by up to 5.23m by 2030, Vote Leave has claimed, putting the NHS under "unsustainable" pressure.
Justice Secretary Michael Gove said the estimates were "robust" and voting to leave the EU would strengthen the NHS.
He argued the National Living Wage was an extra "pull factor" for migrants'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36341206
Ignore voices of doom over Brexit, says Lord Owen
simon gray - 2016-05-21 / 11:33:58 - Login or register to respond'Vote Leave's Lord Owen has dismissed the "voices of doom" warning against Brexit and said the sooner the UK can quit the EU, the better.
He said the quicker it began, the less likely the UK was to be "dragged down" should the Eurozone collapse.
The former SDP leader accused Downing Street of "manipulating the FTSE 500" to back the Remain campaign'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36335122
Row over impact on UK curry houses
simon gray - 2016-05-21 / 11:30:54 - Login or register to respond'In an interview with the Evening Standard newspaper, Ms Patel claimed that the UK's curry restaurants were being denied high-quality chefs because of the caps on the number of non-EU workers able to come to the UK.
"This means that we cannot bring in the talents and the skills we need to support our economy.
"By voting to leave we can take back control of our immigration policies, save our curry houses and join the rest of the world," she said.
Conservative MP and EU exit campaigner Paul Scully, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group for the British Curry Catering Industry, has made the same point'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36330032
Michael Gove sets out post-exit UK-EU trade vision
simon gray - 2016-04-24 / 10:57:56 - Login or register to respond'The UK would still be able to trade freely within Europe even if it left the EU, Michael Gove has said.
The justice secretary said the UK could be part of Europe's free trade area to avoid trade tariffs, even if it was not a member of the EU single market.
The pro-Leave campaigner also said a UK exit would lead to the "democratic liberation of a whole continent"'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36074853
Owen says Leave vote will help reverse NHS competition
simon gray - 2016-04-10 / 16:50:40 - Login or register to respond'Former Labour Foreign Secretary Lord Owen says leaving the EU is necessary to protect the NHS from interference and stop the spread of market forces.
The peer, who backed Britain's membership in the 1975 referendum, said he had been wrong to think the "common market" would "leave the NHS alone".
He warned a planned trade deal between the EU and US would harm the NHS'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35979759
Stay - Nhs
Jonathan Riddell - 2016-05-15 / 15:43:08 - Login or register to respondAny time politicians need a quick political win they say how is needed for the nhs. I wish someone would say how important it is for the procurator fiscal service or any other random public service
EU exit 'would banish UK austerity', says John Redwood
simon gray - 2016-03-24 / 18:58:04 - Login or register to respond'The UK could end austerity if it left the EU by reinvesting the money spent on contributions in the economy and the NHS, Tory MP John Redwoood has said.
Mr Redwood, from pro-exit Conservatives for Britain, said the UK would be able to guarantee the current EU funding farmers and universities receive.
It would have £10bn left to spend on new nurses and doctors and to cut "unfair EU taxes" he said, as he set out what a post-exit first Budget could look like'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35873996
Founder of FTSE 100 broker backs EU exit
simon gray - 2016-03-18 / 10:26:03 - Login or register to respond'The "unknown" of leaving the EU could help stimulate Britain, according to Hargreaves Lansdown co-founder Peter Hargreaves, who backs the UK's withdrawal from the union.
He told the Today programme a fresh start could help Britain innovate.
Demand for UK fashion and cars, as well as the attractiveness of the UK as a market for the EU, would ensure good trade deals, he said'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35822037
Suffragettes' efforts undermined by EU - Priti Patel
simon gray - 2016-03-08 / 18:58:41 - Login or register to respond'Suffragettes fought to get women the vote but these rights are being eroded because of the UK's EU membership, minister Priti Patel has said.
At the launch of pro-EU exit group Women for Britain, she likened the Leave campaign to that of suffragettes.
She said those campaigning to quit the EU were fighting the "same cause" to protect "our democratic freedom".
The cross-party Women for Britain campaign - launched on Tuesday, International Women's Day - aims to encourage women to vote to leave the EU in the referendum on 23 June.
The group, which includes female political figures and women from the world of business, says the power of women's votes is undermined by being in the EU'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35752605
EU reform on UK sovereignty not achievable, says Johnson
simon gray - 2016-03-07 / 09:53:13 - Login or register to respond'EU reforms on UK sovereignty are "not achievable" and the government has not delivered "fundamental change", Boris Johnson has said.
David Cameron has said he has secured a commitment to exempt the UK from "ever closer union".
But Mr Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr the EU wanted a "superstate into which we would inevitably be dragged".
Instead, he said, the UK had a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to make its own relationships with other nations.
"We were told were going to get wholesale changes," he said.
"Anybody looking at the agreement that we have before us now would be in no doubt that this is not fundamental reform.
"The next item on the agenda is the further evolution of what was a common market into this superstate into which we would inevitably be dragged."'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35739518
Stay - Sovereign
Jonathan Riddell - 2016-05-15 / 15:46:25 - Login or register to respondGood, the Westminster level of government is the one I test least, I'm all for it not having sovereignty which is a scary sounding notion anyway
Ex-foreign secretary Lord Owen backs EU exit
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:57:34 - Login or register to respond'Former Labour foreign secretary Lord Owen is calling for the UK to leave the EU, saying remaining in the union is "the more dangerous option for British security".
The ex-minister told The Sun EU law over-rides UK law and there were "many positive aspects" to leaving.
In his Sun article the peer, who suggested he could back an exit in September, said leaving the EU "could be the spark we need to re-energise our nation: a challenge and an opportunity".
"To remain in the EU is in my judgement a more dangerous option for British security in its deepest sense - economic, political, military and social - than remaining in a dysfunctional EU dragged down by a failing eurozone," he added'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35656457
"Remaining in the EU is risking more than leaving."
Leaving EU a stride into the light - Duncan Smith
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:50:08 - Login or register to respond'The campaign to leave the EU represents hope over pessimism, said Iain Duncan Smith, as he dismissed suggestions a UK exit would be a "leap into the dark".
The work and pensions secretary said leaving would be a "stride into the light", enabling the UK to trade freely and control migration.
He accused In campaigners of belittling Britain's strength, as if the UK was "too inconsequential" to cope outside.
He told the Andrew Marr Show: "I am positive about leaving the EU because I believe rather than saying it is a leap in the dark, I think it is a stride into the light. It is about hope versus pessimism and people will vote for that."
Mr Duncan Smith said the UK had "faced bigger trials than this".
"It has stood alone in war but it has also defined trade around the world...Britain is a phenomenal country. It has stood alone and fought for freedom. It has been a global trader, it can again be a global trader'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35681525
Former Tory chancellor Lord Lamont backs Brexit
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:36:14 - Login or register to respond'Writing in the Telegraph, the former chancellor says that Britain must “take control†of immigration and that quitting the EU is a “once in a generation opportunityâ€.
Refuting the argument that Britain will not be able to reach an agreement with the EU after a “Brexitâ€, Lord Lamont writes: “Supporters of the EU demand to know what sort of agreement Britain would have with the EU in order to continue trading.
“What is forgotten is that the EU needs an agreement just as much as we do. German car manufacturers can’t be left up in the air, not knowing the terms on which they can export to their largest market, the UK. There’s a mutual need.â€
On immigration, Lord Lamont writes: “Britain has also lost control of its borders. Of course, we need some immigration, skilled and unskilled, but we do not need immigration in the hundreds of thousands. There is no economic case for it.â€'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12179973/EU-referendum-Former-Tory-chancellor-Lord-Lamont-backs-Brexit.html
Treatment of refugees
simon gray - 2016-02-21 / 08:37:49 - Login or register to respondThe people fleeing from conflict in North Africa and the Middle East and arriving in Europe should be treated as welcome guests to the continent as a whole, however disproportionate burden is laid on the infrastructure of some countries more than others to absorb them into society. It's to the credit of certain member states that they are willing to take on large numbers of refugees, however the issue should be treated as a co-ordinated EU-wide issue with all member states co-operating to welcome proportionate numbers of refugees each, rather than some members being expected to support many and other members not supporting any. By failing to agree to co-ordinated support for the benefit of all member states, the EU is betraying one of its foundation principles.
The EU's treatment of Greece
simon gray - 2016-02-20 / 17:16:39 - Login or register to respondThe way the EU has treated Greece over the Greek economy's bail-out is unconscionable; One of the founding principles of the EU is for better off states to help out worse off states, in order to develop a healthier pan-European economy for all. Attempting to reduce Greece to a situation of penury is a betrayal of this principle.
The EU is not democratic
Jon Bounds - 2016-02-17 / 11:54:56 - Login or register to respondThe European Union has become an anti-democratic and anti-socialist institution. Successive British governments have handed over power and influence to unaccountable EU institutions.
Agreements like TTIP affect the power of the people of Europe to elect officials that can affect change in how corporations work with our national institutions such as the NHS.
Stay - TTIP
simon gray - 2016-02-20 / 15:26:36 - Login or register to respondWill the UK be likely to negotiate a deal more favourahle to the UK than TTIP may or may not end up being on its own?
Uncontrolled immigration
simon gray - 2016-02-16 / 17:07:22 - Login or register to respondBy being in citizenship union with another 27 nations we have an open ended invitation for all the citizens of those nations to come and live in the UK, regardless of the likely contribution they may make to British society.
Stay - Immigration is a negligible problem
simon gray - 2016-02-16 / 17:14:17 - Login or register to respondAlthough technically yes, the entire populations of all 27 other member states have the right to come to the UK, in reality most of them don't want to, not least because there are much stronger and thus more attractive economies elsewhere in the EU.
And UK citizens also benefit from the ability to live and work in other EU member states, so it probably balances out anyway.
Stay
Brexit 'would spark year-long recession' - Treasury
simon gray - 2016-05-23 / 20:27:01 - Login or register to respond'Leaving the European Union would tip the UK into a year-long recession, with up to 820,000 jobs lost within two years, Chancellor George Osborne says.
Publishing Treasury analysis, he said a Leave vote would cause an "immediate and profound" economic shock, with growth between 3% and 6% lower.
David Cameron said it was the "self-destruct option" for the country'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36355564
Brexit 'could damage NHS', health boss warns
simon gray - 2016-05-23 / 20:24:05 - Login or register to respond'Leaving the EU could damage the health service, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has warned.
He said he took warnings of possible recession in the event of Brexit "very seriously", adding that would be "very dangerous" for the service.
"When the British economy sneezes, the NHS catches a cold," he said, adding it would be a "terrible moment" at a time when the NHS needed extra investment'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36353145
Cameron warns prices would rise if UK leaves EU
simon gray - 2016-05-23 / 20:22:47 - Login or register to respond'Household bills would rise and wage growth slow if the UK voted to leave the EU, David Cameron has warned.
The prime minister said the weekly shop would increase by almost 3% - equivalent to an extra £120 a year on food and drink for the average family.
The former bosses of four major High Street retailers said Brexit would increase prices and put jobs at risk'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36352370
Michael Bloomberg says Brexit could hit UK business
simon gray - 2016-05-21 / 11:26:54 - Login or register to respond'Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg says a Brexit vote on 23 June could leave the UK "disadvantaged".
He also said it would reduce the ability of Britain - and America - to "influence the dialogue" in Europe.
Mr Bloomberg told the BBC's Today programme that the UK might in the future fail to negotiate trade deals as beneficial as its current ones'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36327456
Post-Brexit trade deal with US could take 10 years, Obama warns
simon gray - 2016-04-24 / 11:02:50 - Login or register to respond'The UK could take up to 10 years to negotiate trade deals with the US if it leaves the EU, Barack Obama has said.
In a BBC interview, the US president said: "It could be five years from now, 10 years from now before we were able to actually get something done."
Britain would also have less influence globally if it left, he added'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36120808
Staying in EU 'best hope' for UK's future say ex-US Treasury secretaries
simon gray - 2016-04-24 / 10:59:20 - Login or register to respond'Leaving the European Union would be a "risky bet" for the UK, eight former US Treasury secretaries have said.
The advisors, who served both Republican and Democratic presidents, say it could threaten London's pre-eminence as a financial capital.
In a Times article ahead of President Obama's UK visit, they say it would be "difficult" to negotiate trade deals'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36087583
EU membership 'good for UK environment' say MPs
simon gray - 2016-04-24 / 10:54:12 - Login or register to respond'Being a member of the European Union has benefited environmental protection in the UK, a group of MPs has argued.
The Environmental Audit Committee said efforts to reduce pollution and boost biodiversity had happened "faster" than otherwise would have been the case.
It said membership gave a platform to influence global climate change policy'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36074849
Jeremy Corbyn warns of workers' rights 'bonfire' if UK leaves
simon gray - 2016-04-24 / 10:51:22 - Login or register to respond'Jeremy Corbyn has warned there could be a "bonfire" of workers' rights if the UK votes to leave the EU in June.
The Labour leader claimed the Conservatives would "dump" equal pay, annual leave and maternity pay rights.
And he did not think "too many people" had come to the UK from inside the EU.
David Cameron said they disagreed on "lots of things" but welcomed Mr Corbyn's backing for EU membership - as Leave campaigners said the Labour leader "does not really mean it".
Making his first major speech of the referendum campaign, Mr Corbyn stood by past criticisms of the EU but said Britain had to remain in to fight for social reform'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36039925
Airbus warns Out vote may hit investment
simon gray - 2016-04-10 / 16:48:08 - Login or register to respond'One of the world's largest aerospace firms has written to its 15,000 UK employees warning about the risks of voting to leave the European Union.
In a letter to staff, Airbus Group said it makes "good economic sense" for the UK to stay in the EU due to its ability to trade freely and recruit workers.
While it would not relocate elsewhere in the event of EU exit, the company said it might reduce its investment'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35958693
UK stronger in EU, says New Zealand PM
simon gray - 2016-04-10 / 16:44:55 - Login or register to respond'The prime minister of New Zealand has said Britain's position is stronger if it remains in the European Union
At a meeting with David Cameron, John Key said: "If we had the equivalent of Europe on our doorstep ... we certainly wouldn't be looking to leave it."
Mr Cameron described the comments as "important". New Zealand wants to sign a free trade deal with the EU'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35943388
Leaving EU 'devastating for young', says Nicky Morgan
simon gray - 2016-04-10 / 16:43:25 - Login or register to respond'A vote to leave the European Union could have a devastating impact on the life chances of young people, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has said.
Entering the debate over EU membership, she urged parents and grandparents to think how their vote would affect opportunities for the next generation.
She also told young people to make sure they voted in June's referendum'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35911017
EU Remain vote will protect workers, says Labour
simon gray - 2016-04-10 / 16:39:21 - Login or register to respond'The only way to ensure UK workers' rights are protected is for Britain to remain a member of the European Union, Labour's deputy leader has said.
Tom Watson said the party was "united" on Europe, with 213 of its 231 MPs backing the Remain campaign.
He claimed Tory "Brexiters" wanted to take workers' rights away and urged undecided Labour MPs to back the EU'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35995590
CBI warns of UK exit 'serious shock'
simon gray - 2016-03-24 / 18:52:08 - Login or register to respond'A UK exit from the EU would cause a "serious economic shock", potentially costing the country £100bn and nearly one million jobs, according to a report commissioned by the CBI.
The business lobby group said a study found that a vote to leave would have "negative echoes" lasting many years.
It said the cost could be as much as 5% of GDP and 950,000 jobs by 2020'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35855869
The Environment
kate white - 2016-03-19 / 21:47:17 - Login or register to respondWithout the European agreements on limiting climate change, our environmentally-unaware government will do even less to prevent the global temperature increasing by another 2 degrees with catastrophic results
Workers' rights/conditions
kate white - 2016-03-19 / 21:41:24 - Login or register to respondWithout shared European standards on minimum holidays, maximum hours and temporary contracts, every state would start a race to the bottom (this point has been made by nicola Sturgeon, and should be given much more prominence).
David Cameron says UK farmers would suffer outside EU
simon gray - 2016-03-18 / 10:41:33 - Login or register to respond'David Cameron has warned that British agriculture would suffer if the UK votes to leave the EU.
During a tour of a lamb and beef farm in North Wales, the prime minister said farmers could lose as much as £330m on lamb and beef exports alone if Britain were to withdraw from the EU.
Benefits of the single market outweigh frustrations with red tape, he said'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35787111
CBI survey suggests most members favour staying in
simon gray - 2016-03-18 / 10:38:52 - Login or register to respond'Britain's biggest business lobbying group says 80% of members questioned in a survey want to stay in the EU.
The CBI said the majority of nearly 800 firms taking part felt Britain remaining in Europe was "better for business, jobs and prosperity".
But the group said it would not align itself with either side of the debate.
Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "It's welcome news that the CBI has seen sense and won't be seeking to campaign in the referendum."
Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the CBI, said: "The message from our members is resounding - most want the UK to stay in the EU because it is better for their business, jobs and prosperity.
"Walking away makes little economic sense and risks throwing away the many benefits we gain from being part of the EU."'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35803189
Out vote 'could weaken Nato', says US general
simon gray - 2016-03-18 / 10:30:56 - Login or register to respond'If Britain votes to leave the European Union it could have a negative impact on the Nato alliance, a senior US military commander has warned.
Lt-Gen Ben Hodges, head of the US Army in Europe, said he was "worried" the EU could unravel just when it needed to stand up to Russia.
He acknowledged the vote was a matter for the British people, but said he was concerned about the outcome'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35808955
What has the EU ever done for Birmingham? 15 things we wouldn't have without Brussels
simon gray - 2016-03-17 / 09:48:33 - Login or register to respond'Birmingham has received hundreds of millions of pounds of investment from the EU - how would the city look without it?
Whether or not you are for Brexit or firmly in the remain camp there can be no doubt that the European Union has shaped Birmingham’s development with almost £1 billion of investment.
From the International Convention Centre during the early 90s to the recent Youth Employment Initiative, Birmingham and the West Midlands have enjoyed many benefits of European Union funding'.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/what-eu-ever-done-birmingham-11028563
Leave - Brum got a bad deal from Europe it is claimed
simon gray - 2016-03-17 / 10:55:41 - Login or register to respond'Readers hit back at list of 15 Birmingham projects backed by EU money - saying the UK Government will give us more if we leave the union.
BRUMMIES have paid more in taxes to the EU than the city has received those arguing for a Brexit have claimed.
The comments came after a list of Birmingham projects which have been backed by European Union grants over the years sparked furious debate on social media.
Among them were NEC and ICC development and the refurbishment of the historic Town Hall to grants for businesses and a fund get more unemployed youngsters into work.
But Birmingham would have had far more if the UK was not paying £8.5 billion a year to be part of the EU it has been claimed'.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/eu-referendum-debate-brum-bad-11039198
Mark Carney: EU exit is 'biggest domestic risk'
simon gray - 2016-03-08 / 18:55:08 - Login or register to respond'The governor of the Bank of England has said that the possibility of Britain leaving the EU is the "biggest domestic risk to financial stability".
In a hearing before the Treasury Committee, Mark Carney said that the economy would be affected by the uncertainty created by an exit vote.
But Mr Carney emphasised the Bank was not taking sides in the EU referendum.
However, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg accused him of making "pro-EU" comments.
The governor told the committee that an exit posed the biggest "domestic" risk in part because there could be uncertainty over such things as investment, household spending, and the impact on sterling.
He added, however, that the Bank was not assessing the direct economic impact of an exit, and added that there were perhaps more significant international risks to the UK.
Mr Carney said: "I would say that in my judgment the global risks, including from China, are bigger than the domestic risks."'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35751919
UK safer inside EU, former defence chiefs say
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:55:04 - Login or register to respond'The UK is safer in the EU and better able to meet a range of global threats, including so-called Islamic State and Russia, ex-defence chiefs have said.
Twelve of the country's senior military figures said the UK was stronger in the EU at a time of "grave" challenges.
The letter, released by Downing Street and signed by officers from all three services, including former Chiefs of Defence Staff Lord Bramall and Lord Stirrup, said that while Nato was the most important alliance for UK security, the EU was an "increasingly important pillar of our security".
It said Europe was facing "grave security challenges" from instability in the Middle East, the rise of so-called Islamic State and "resurgent Russian nationalism and aggression".
The letter also said: "Britain will have to confront these challenges whether it is inside or outside the EU. But within the EU, we are stronger.
"Inside it, we can continue to collaborate closely with our European allies, just as we did when we helped to force the Iranians to the negotiating table through EU-wide sanctions, or made sure that [Russian President] Putin would pay a price for his aggression in Ukraine."'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35647071
BMW tells UK Rolls-Royce and Mini workers of EU 'benefit'
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:39:47 - Login or register to respond'As the debate around the referendum to decide the future of the UK's European Union membership increases, it is an appropriate time to outline the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and BMW Group position.
The decision on whether to stay in the EU or not is for British voters to decide on in June. However, as a wholly-owned BMW Group company, it is important for all Rolls-Royce Motor Cars employees to understand the view of our parent company.
The BMW Group believes that the UK is better as a member of the EU than it would be outside it. You will see in the media this week an open letter supporting the campaign to stay in the EU, signed by around 200 business leaders, including Member of the AG Board, Ian Robertson.
Free trade is important for international business. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars exports motor cars throughout the EU and imports a significant number of parts through the region.
For BMW Group, more than half of Minis built and virtually all the engines and components made in the UK are exported to the EU, with over 150,000 new cars and many hundreds of thousands of parts imported from Europe each year.
Tariff barriers would mean higher costs and higher prices and we cannot assume that the UK would be granted free trade with Europe from outside the EU'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35712537
Hollande warns of UK exit 'consequences'
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:32:30 - Login or register to respond"French President Francois Hollande has said he wants the UK to stay in the EU - and warned of the 'consequences' for immigration and the economy of leaving.
A French government minister earlier suggested his country could end UK border controls in Calais.
Speaking to reporters at a summit in Northern France, Mr Hollande said: 'There will be consequences if the UK is to leave the EU, there will be consequences in many areas, in the single market, in the financial trade, in development, in the economic development between our two countries.
'It doesn't mean that everything will be destroyed, I don't want to give you catastrophic scenarios, but there will be consequences.'
He said the change would not put the historic relationship between the UK and France in question - but it would have an impact on 'the way we handle the situation in terms of immigration'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35712463
Alternatives to membership: possible models for the United Kingdom outside the European Union
simon gray - 2016-03-06 / 10:27:42 - Login or register to respondThe UK government has published its formal analysis of how the UK would fare outside the EU.
"4.2 It would, however, be hard even to come close to replicating the level of access and influence from which the UK currently benefits as a result of our special status in the EU. In addition to the pressure imposed on the UK by the Article 50 process to secure a deal quickly, reaching agreement on a wide range of issues with 27 Member States, each of which would seek to fight for their own interests, is likely to be challenging and involve difficult trade-offs. If we failed to reach agreement within two years under the Article 50 process, our membership of the EU – including our access to the Single Market and to Free Trade Agreements with 53 markets around the world – would lapse automatically, unless all 27 other Member States agreed to an extension.
4.3 The UK would therefore have to make some difficult decisions about its priorities. Each possible approach would involve a balance between securing access to the EU’s Single Market, accepting costs and obligations and maintaining the UK’s influence".
https://goo.gl/79JIyA
UK EU exit would be global economy 'shock' - G20 leaders
simon gray - 2016-02-27 / 10:27:24 - Login or register to respond"Finance ministers from the world's leading economies are warning of a "shock" to the global economy if the UK leaves the EU.
The ministers give their assessment in a statement released at the end of a two-day meeting of G20 nations in China.
UK Chancellor George Osborne, who is at the event, told the BBC the issue was "deadly serious".
UK, Chinese and American officials and the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, have been discussing key issues to the global economy during a G20 summit in Shanghai since Friday.
The outcome of the UK's EU referendum has been mentioned among global risks to the world economy and is set to appear in the final communique, according to a draft seen by BBC News".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35677385
Dozens Of Top Bosses Warn Of Brexit Jobs Threat
simon gray - 2016-02-24 / 13:09:56 - Login or register to respond"Bosses at more than a third of the UK's biggest businesses have signed a letter supporting the campaign to remain in the European Union.
Chairmen or chief executives at 36 FTSE 100 companies - including BT, Marks & Spencer, Kingfisher and Vodafone - warned a Brexit would "deter investment and threaten jobs".
The 36 are among the names of 200 business leaders, representing 1.2 million employees, to put their names to the letter".
http://news.sky.com/story/1646749/dozens-of-top-bosses-warn-of-brexit-jobs-threat
Major blow for Brexit campaign as US rules out UK-only trade deal
David Jackson - 2016-02-22 / 21:34:20 - Login or register to respondhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11962277/Major-blow-for-Brexit-campaign-as-US-rules-out-UK-only-trade-deal.html
US Trade Representative says America has no interest in a trade deal with Britain alone, urging it to remain in the EU
The United States has ruled out a separate trade deal with UK if it leaves the European Union, in a major blow to Brexit campaigners.
President Obama’s most senior trade official said that America is “not in the market†for a free trade deal with Britain alone, and warned British firms could face crippling Chinese-style tariffs outside the EU.
Stay - The killer argument
simon gray - 2016-02-23 / 11:29:23 - Login or register to respondOf all the arguments to stay, this surely has to be the killer one - if the USA is not prepared to negotiate favourable trade terms with us on our own, no EU membership = no favourable trade with the USA = no UK economy.
International economic relations
David Jackson - 2016-02-21 / 22:05:49 - Login or register to respondIf the UK left the EU, the economic fall out will rival the Russian and Ukrainian economic decomposition of the early 90's. The United States and European Union will immediately withdraw their backing and stop suprressing the value of the US dollar against the pound. US companies will pull out immediately without EU legal protection due to Great Britain's history of anti trust litigation and protectionism.
This is the issue by the numbers as of 2014 the European Union had $89 billion dollar trade deficit with China that means all 24 members economies combined fell short with only $249 billion in exports net trade. The United Kingdom will have a trade 3 tines that number due to its low exports production and weak currency reserves. The UK only has 69 million citizens although it is 10th in economic productivity based upon World Economic Foundation rankings it lacks sufficient manufacturing structure ie they don't make anything other than BMW's. The next issue is that the cost of energy is high for the UK with production cost around $52.00 a barrel and the average price of oil a $27.00 their energy subsidiaries negotiated in the European Union-Russian Federation Cooperative Agreement of 1994 would cease and they would be forces to negotiate independently at a higher rate and the pipeline fees would break their bottom line. We cannot afford to leave, simple as that.
Free trade and movement of people benefits the UK
simon gray - 2016-02-21 / 08:43:00 - Login or register to respondBy businesses in the UK being able to trade freely with all the other EU nations with the minimum of barriers and regulations, and people from the UK being able to live and work anywhere in the EU as easily as they might live and work anywhere in the UK, UK business, economy, and citizens benefit.
The EU has kept the peace in Europe since 1945
simon gray - 2016-02-16 / 12:42:49 - Login or register to respondBy uniting nations which had been at war with each other for most of recorded history economically and increasingly politically, they have been discouraged from further going to war against each other.
Leave - Unsupportable assertion
simon gray - 2016-02-16 / 16:26:26 - Login or register to respondWhilst it's true that in the earlier years of the European Coal and Steel Community, leading into the European Economic Community, the economic co-operation amongst European nations engendered a sense of social co-operation and detente, there is no evidence to support the assertion that in the absence of the ECSC / EEC / EC / EU another war would have inevitably followed.