Why I am voting REMAIN

1. Above all, the EU is a political endeavour to create peace through trade and it has WORKED! My grandparents* (sadly no longer with us), lived through world war two and some of its horrors. The EU is the Europe that came after that and said “never again”.
   
   
2. Being a key player in Brussels increases Britain’s standing in the world. Our global allies like the USA and Commonwealth countries appreciate our voice being in the room, and our very British pragmatism and level-headedness is appreciated by many of our European partners.
   
   Despite the attempts of Leavers to do Britain down and paint us as a helpless victim of the rest of the EU, since 1999, the UK has been outvoted 2% of the time. So in fact we’re very good at getting British priorities accepted at EU level. We should be proud of this! Being outside the door when crucial decisions about our continent are being made would be a loss of control and influence for the UK.
   
   
3. I believe in cooperation! In an interconnected world facing serious challenges, Britain can do much more by working together with our European neighbours to tackle the big issues like climate change, organised crime and terrorism.
   
   
4. The UK economy benefits massively from being part of the world’s biggest single market. It’s not just about big corporations exporting good and more importantly services (8/10 British jobs) seamlessly, but also universities, the science sector, the tech sector, the green economy, the arts, farming and more.
   
   It’s also about the billions of pounds of foreign direct investment from companies setting up EU operations in the UK and the many jobs and opportunities that creates.
   
   
5. Worker’s rights including paid holidays, pension rights, parental leave and anti-discrimination rules are enhanced by EU membership. The EU sets minimum standards below which no decent country should fall; the UK is free to set higher standards. When many on the Leave side talk about “cutting red tape”; remember they mean worker’s rights.
   
   
6. The EU has led the world on tackling climate change and protecting the environment often with Britain at the forefront. At home this has meant cleaner beaches and greater protection of our beautiful countryside and native wildlife.

BRITS DON'T QUIT!

SO LET'S VOTE REMAIN TO LEAD NOT LEAVE! 

* If they were, as committed Pro-Europeans, they’d be voting REMAIN....

EU free movement is NOT unconditional!

Judging from media coverage of the referendum, many Brits would be excused for believing that EU free movement is absolutely unconditional and that the UK has no right to refuse entry to any EU national or prevent them living here long term. Hence the accusations of “uncontrolled” EU migration.

This is false, because the rules are quite clear that EU citizens can be refused entry to the UK on the (rather broad) grounds of public policy, public security or public health. Decisions have to be taken on a case-by-case basis entry can be refused if an individual represents a current and serious threat to the UK.

The Home Office recently confirmed that since 2010, 6,500 EU citizens were refused entry to the UK (see article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36101449).

So let’s be clear: THE UNITED KINGDOM CAN AND DOES REFUSE TO ALLOW SOME EU CITIZENS TO ENTRY THE COUNTRY.

Secondly, EU law is equally clear that an EU citizen can only stay in another EU country for longer than three months if:

• The person can show they are working (employed or self-employed) or have sufficient resources to support themselves e.g. via a pension or other income/savings

 

• The person has comprehensive sickness insurance to cover their healthcare needs e.g. valid European Health Insurance Card enabling the NHS to claim back the cost of treatment or private health insurance

So this means that EU CITIZENS HAVE NO RIGHT TO STAY IN THE UK LONGER THAN THREE MONTHS IF THEY AREN’T WORKING OR CAN’T SUPPORT THEMSELVES.

Factsheet on the relevant legislation: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/displayFtu.html?ftuId=FTU_2.1.3.html

EU CITIZENS COME TO THE UK TO WORK AND STUDIES SHOW THEY PAY MORE IN TAXES THAN THEY RECEIVE IN BENEFITS AND PUBLIC SERVICES. So in fact they make a net contribution to the UK economy.

A UCL study showed that from 2001-2011, EU citizens as a whole made a £5 billion net contribution to the UK economy: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1114/051114-economic-impact-EU-immigration

Rapid Formations study found that EU citizens contribute 13.5% more to the UK than they receive in benefits or public services: http://www.cityam.com/213058/eu-immigrants-contribute-463-second-uk-economy

CONTRARY TO TABLOID MYTH, EU CITIZENS CAN’T COME TO THE UK AND IMMEDIATELY CLAIM BENEFITS, but must be genuinely resident in the UK and have contributed in order to pass what is called the “habitual residence test” which requires:

• The person is currently working or self-employed and earning enough to pay national insurance contributions
• The person is self-sufficient e.g. via a pension or savings, or a student
• The person has been living in the UK for at least five years is therefore a permanent resident

Failing the habitual residence test means a person is refused all means-tested benefits such as job seekers allowance, tax credits, housing benefit etc. EU job seekers cannot claim means tested benefits for the first three months and are heavily restricted (it’s nearly impossible) to claim after three months, even if they have a verified job offer.

More information can be found here:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/coming-from-abroad-and-claiming-benefits-the-habitual-residence-test/the-habitual-residence-test-an-introduction/what-is-the-habitual-residence-test/

https://fullfact.org/economy/migration-and-welfare-benefits/

http://www.niesr.ac.uk/blog/migrants-benefits-and-uks-renegotiation-questions-and-answers-updated#.V2kGTHqGfnw

Following David Cameron’s renegotiations, in future EU citizens will have to wait four years before being able to claim in-work benefits such as housing benefit in the same way as Brits do:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12136400/Will-David-Camerons-EU-benefits-deal-actually-encourage-migrants-to-stay-longer.html

EU CITIZENS ARE ALSO LESS LIKELY TO CLAIM BENEFITS THAN NATIVE BORN BRITS.

See: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/britons-43-more-likely-claim-4669678

Official government figures showed that in 2015, EU nationals made up 6% of the workforce, but only 2.2% of out of work benefit claims. British And of course some of those EU citizens claiming out of work benefits will have lived and paid taxes in the UK for many years, so it’s only fair that they can claim if they lose their job.

DWP data:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456074/nino-registrations-adult-overseas-nationals-june-2015.pdf

In terms of in-work benefits like child tax credits and housing benefit, EU workers make up around 7% of claims. See UK Parliament report: http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN06955.pdf

Young people & Europe

Here is the unabridged version of my letter to the Evening Standard which was published last week:

Dear Evening Standard,

The 13 June letters about young people seem to think EU membership is only about opportunities to work, study and travel across Europe (which young people are very keen on) and completely ignore that being in the EU stimulates huge foreign direct investment in the UK, which creates jobs.

This investment comes mainly from companies in other EU countries, but Japanese and American companies also use the UK as a springboard to the world's biggest free trade area, the EU single market. Many of us know someone who works for one of those companies.

Outside the EU, such investment is unlikely unless single market access is guaranteed, but the promises Leave campaigns have made (no more EU rules, no free movement, no EU contribution) means being outside the single market. It is possible to trade with the EU without being in the single market, but it's very limited; a huge step back from what we have now. Leave campaigners need to come clean about what this will mean for our economy and stop pretending we can have our cake and eat it.

Young people are overwhelmingly voting IN because they want the opportunities the EU offers and they think it's sensible to collaborate closely with our European neighbours. They don't want to take the country back; they want to take it forward!

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Taylor
Liberal Democrat IN Together campaign

Cut through the noise & get unbiased background & facts on the EU referendum!

A lot of people, particularly undecided voters, complain that they struggle to find good quality unbiased information so they can weigh up the arguments for REMAIN and LEAVE and then make up their own mind. 

There are a number of reliable non-biased information sources which either present both sides of the debate and/or fact check the claims coming from the IN and OUT campaigns:

(1) Fullfact is an independent fact-checking charity which is examining claims from IN and OUT campaigns: https://fullfact.org/europe/.

Worth noting that 38 degrees, the campaigning organisation, which has no position on the EU referendum, is advising its members to consult fullfact, see: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2016/04/12/eu-referendum-lets-get-the-facts/



(2) BBC news EU referendum reality check: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35603388

Interestingly enough, the BBC EU referendum reality check conclusions have sometimes contradicted news reporting by the BBC (which isn't a great advert for BBC impartiality and accuracy....)

(3) Channel Four fact check on the EU: http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/category/europe




(4) King’s College London website promoting high quality independent research on the UK’s relationship with the EU. Also includes some fact checking of claims from both sides:  http://ukandeu.ac.uk/