First published: Prospectmagazine.co.uk, 30/05/2016
Which arguments should we listen to on the economy, immigration and sovereignty?
Most of us have probably had more than enough of the EU referendum debate. But while tribal members of both the “Remain” and “Leave” camps will not change their minds during the countdown to 23rd June, many other voters will be undecided. What should be said in order to influence them over the next three weeks? And in particular, the minds of young people who may not be planning to vote? The debate over whether we should “Leave” or “Remain” basically boils down to three issues: the economy, immigration and sovereignty.
First, the economy. “Remain” is widely credited with winning the argument here, and will be keen to keep the focus on it. The economic case for staying in the EU has been endorsed by what “Leave” campaigners have called a “cosy clique” of institutions and elites. These include the Treasury, the Bank of England, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in the UK, along with the IMF, OECD, the World Trade Organisation, the leaders of the G7, the ECB, and US Treasury Secretaries from the past and present. Other policy makers abroad have endorsed this case too; President Putin has not. You decide if this is a cosy clique or if their common narrative reflects a conviction that we would be well advised to take seriously….Read more:
