bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
The fifth biggest economy in the world will just be allowed to have parts of it "die"?
That's more fanciful than the reality you're suggesting. There's far too much money at stake by many people across the world who have invested in British businesses to just see it crumble into nothing. There will be desperation, of course, but from those interested and involved parties who will want to retain their earnings, not lose them due to something as petty or simple as a 'trade negotiation", which is even stipulated under EU law that a leaving member must be given a new trade agreement upon leaving, so it's not like they won't be prepared for it, especially if opinion polls appear to swing in favour of an exit coming up to the day of the referendum.
All this talk of "the economy will suffer!" "Security will suffer!" "Jobs will suffer!"; it's scaremongering, the same scaremongering that those on the In side accuse the Leave side of doing. The current facts about British economy on an exit or staying in are that Leave say "It'll be better if we leave!", In say "It'll be worse if we leave!", whereas most economists say "Meh....most likely no change whatsoever."
The things that strike me there are -
1/ Current EU law may state a member that leaves must be given a new trade agreement - does it stipulate one as beneficial as the trade agreement they have as a member? Don't think anybody has actually left yet to put that to the test.
2/ If we vote to leave it won't happen overnight - whats to stop the remaining members deciding that they don't like the idea of other countries deciding to leave and so repeal that law prior to our leaving. Its not as if we would have influence and a voice in Europe to try and prevent it happening
The way I see it we have the existing situation and IF the vote is to remain in we have the chance to integrate with the EU to actually have an influence to stop what we don't want to happen happening rather than standing semi detached on the side lines - so if we know what we have now what exactly does leaving entail - not the broad brush strokes of " oh there is too much money invested here for it to affect us " and " we are the 5th largest economy in the world " - if we leave whats to stop the money thats invested here because we are in the EU migrating to Paris or Frankfurt to stay in the EU and will we remain the 5th largest economy? If we don't - if we get smaller - couldn't that begin a downward spiral?
The exit side rely on the broad brush type statements I have said but never flesh out their argument with how a Britain outside the EU will be able to maintain and even increase its economic security going forward.
My biggest fear is the referendum campaign will he hijacked by the immigration - ISIS - kind of xenophobic argument and people who don't want Asian people on their street will drag the country into an economic mess by effectively voting on the wrong issues.