In less than 24 hours, Britain will brace itself for one of the biggest days in recent modern democracy. Unlike our usual general elections, an estimated turnout of 80% has been projected, as Brits go to the polls to decide whether they want to stay within the European Union, or to seek a messy divorce. The news has been heavily dominated by the EU referendum. People who are usually disengaged with politics have taken a keen interest for once, and have not shied away from expressing their opinions Everywhere I go, whether it's an interview for a summer internship, university debates, talking amongst friends and family, the one question everyone usually asks is, “how will leaving the EU affect us?”. There is of course no simple answer, hence I have resorted to writing a piece on what I have made out of the situation we find ourselves in. Thursday’s referendum is set to go to the wire.
Both the IN and Out campaign officially hit the campaign trail, both eager to persuade voters, given what is at stake. The In campaign, promoting that Britain is Stronger In Europe, have argued that the economy is at huge risk if Britain was to leave the EU. The Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne, has over the last few months released several reports highlighting the financial risks for both businesses and individuals. David Cameron and the opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn have formed an unlikely relationship, making the case for Britain’s membership of the European Union. The In campaign has also argued that things such as UK employment right laws, which mostly stem from European legislation, will also be heavily affected. The right to holiday pay, equal treatment for men and women rights, and health and safety standards at work are at risk of being scrapped. The NHS is also at risk in the likely case of Brexit, as damages to the economy means that the government would have to reduce its spending on the NHS. The chief of the NHS was quoted as saying that “Brexit would be very dangerous for the NHS”. World leaders including Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau and Narendra Modi argued that Britain’s world influence would be diminished if Britain left the EU.
Nonetheless, on the other corner, the Out campaign led by the infamous Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Michael Gove, have promoted that Britain is better off out. The tone has been set, “ make Britain great again”, let's abandon the sinking ship that is the European Union.
The out campaign have argued that leaving the EU would give us more freedom to make stronger trade deals with other nations, freedom to control our national borders, freedom to restore Britain’s special legal system and the freedom to improve the British economy and generate more jobs. The out campaign has made immigration one of its core arguments, with Boris Johnson calling for a more transparent immigration system, and ensuring that we keep control of our borders in order to reduce spending, and most importantly crime. Boris has also argued that we would get enough revenue back from the EU, which we would reinvest into the economy, thus having the ability to generate more jobs. Boris has also argued that Britain would retain its sovereignty, which would increase its power on the global stage.
Although I myself am in favour of staying within the European Union, the campaigning from both sides have been shocking to say the least. The In campaign has resorted to the politics of fear mongering, much worse than what we witnessed in Scotland in 2014. Barrack Obama’s visit to the UK in April, where he claimed that America would put Britain at the back of the queue in regards to trade if it voted to leave, caused much uproar. This was followed by recent comments made by Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who argued that there would be no single market access for the UK after Brexit, adding to the worries of some. Furthermore, the French Finance Minister said Britain should prepare for a “total exit” if it leaves the EU, which was a defeat to the Out campaigns suggestion of adopting a Norway-style model. There were also claims made by the intelligence services community that Brexit would put our national security at risk, due to intelligence sharing with other European security agencies being heavily limited.
On the other hand, the Out campaign has devolved into racism and xenophobia, given Farage’s latest anti-immigration poster, which was slammed by many. Many in Britain are still unsure on how to vote on Thursday, this is not a general election whereby a vote is guaranteed every five years, this is a once in a lifetime historic decision, which in many aspects could have severe implications and consequences. Many voters are unsure on whether to gamble the economy and job growths for sovereignty, with leading businesses such as HSBC declaring that as many as 1,000 jobs would automatically go to Paris amidst the UK leaving EU. Furthermore, leading public figures such as Richard Branson and J.K Rowling have also backed the case for the UK to stay in the EU. The out campaign have solely focused on immigration, which has somewhat become a major talking point in British politics. They claim that there are too many EU and non-EU immigrants in the UK, and due to being a member of the EU, we are more susceptible to criminals and terrorists. This narrative is not only dangerous, but has also played into the minds of many. I have a huge problem with the immigration debate set forth by the out campaign for various reasons. Firstly, immigration is not just a British problem, it is a European problem, due to turmoil in other parts of the world. Secondly, in regards to EU migration, there are almost 100,000 UK citizens residing in Spain, as well as thousands more living in France, Germany, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. This fuss over EU migration has in my opinion been dramatised and overplayed and has exposed the xenophobia for those campaigning for Brexit. What I also find hugely surprising is how Boris Johnson has teamed up with Nigel Farage and Gove to push for Brexit, three politicians who I believe are as worse as each other.
Nonetheless, this is a quote from Rawdah, a left-wing writer on why she’s voting to remain:
“The European Union is not a perfect institution and yet Britain has no solid arguments to leave, the Leave campaign instead relies on overstating the so-called benefits of Brexit. 1. No we don’t send over 350 million to the EU every week, in fact as a Nation we get out of the EU more than we put in. 2. Our government is in the process of privatising the NHS, who really believes that they’ll invest in health care? 3. Britain is already the most difficult member of the European Union, #AnotherEuropeIsPossible. The EU protects our workers’ rights, allows the freedom of movement and trade, and living in an increasing integrated world, it would be ludicrous to separate from our European partners. Vote in, unless you want to please the likes of Nigel Farage and co”.
Europe is not perfect, but from what I have gathered from my legal and political studies, it is a system envied by the rest of the world. But how can anyone expect a Union formed after a devastating Second World War, a movement merely existing less than 70 years, expects it to be so perfect. A Union of 28 countries with a single market, freedom of movement, a European Human Rights Court which has championed human rights across 47 states, irrespective of EU membership and investments. It is evident that we get more benefits than we concede. My point is, the road to reaching a completely perfect European Union will be long and difficult, but that is given, due to the fact that the EU caters to 28 different countries that have their own cultures and laws etc. Britain has more allies than enemies in Europe, and regardless of Boris Johnson’s claims, it is pretty evident that Europeans leaders such as Angel Merkel and Francois Hollande, would like the UK to remain, rather than leave.
Finally, I would also like to urge voters of all ages, including young voters to go out and to vote tomorrow. What is the point of discussing the implications and consequences of leaving the European Union, if we don’t exercise our democratic rights? Please don’t sit at home on what is a historic polling day, a day that could determine the course of not only this generation, but for future generations to come. For once, let's not encourage political apathy, regardless of how you vote, please vote and make your voices heard. There were 250,000 people who registered to vote in the extended 48 hours voting registration deadline, I truly hope these numbers are reflected in the polls tomorrow, If you are still undecided on which way to vote, speak to people, and weight up how both sides would impact your life. Ask yourselves, is there anything that’s broken that needs fixing? The polls will open from 7am tomorrow and will close at 10pm, so there are really no excuses for not voting. In the words of Abraham Lincoln “The ballot is stronger than the bullet”.
