Pros and Cons - Debbie Newman, Ben Woolgar 2014

Should Britain leave the EU?
Section I. United Kingdom issues

Britain joined the European Union (then known as the European Economic Community) in 1973 and voted to remain a member state in a referendum in 1975. In the 1990s, the issue of whether to remain a member became more prominent and the UK refrained from further integration such as joining the euro. Much of the British press and public are Eurosceptic and UKIP (the UK Independence Party) has been growing its support, but the main political parties are all committed to staying in Europe. Do the benefits justify the political and economic costs?

Pros

[1] Public opinion in the UK favours leaving the EU, and so it would be the democratic thing to do. It would also be more democratic as it would transfer powers back to Westminster, which is a more accountable body. Leaving would restore sovereignty on the national level and bring decision making back closer to those affected.

[2] The UK is a reluctant member state. It has never been willing to join the euro, it expects to be able to negotiate endless opt-outs and it opposes further integration. This means that it does not have a strong voice in the EU in the way that France and Germany do, and yet it is still subject to the laws and regulations that are passed. The UK traditionally has stronger links to the USA and the Commonwealth, and it could use its independent position to promote its own interests and to have an influence on the world stage.

[3] Untethered immigration has put a strain on UK infrastructure. The freedom of movement that is granted under the EU has seen huge waves of immigration into the UK from Eastern Europe. This has led to a shortage in school places and has meant that there are fewer jobs available in industries such as construction. It has also meant that the UK has had to further restrict immigration from outside the EU. The government should be able to control immigration levels, but while it remains part of the EU it cannot. The government predicted that fewer than 20,000 immigrants would come to Britain in 2004 when eight new member states joined the EU. The actual number was 690,000.

[4] The UK is a net contributor to the EU. This means we subsidise poorer EU nations when the money could stay at home. Countries such as Spain have built excellent new roads with EU money, while many roads in the UK remain of poor quality. The money we give to the EU could also go in aid to those in greater need. If we wish to contribute abroad, perhaps it would be better to give the money to less economically developed countries where more obvious good could be done.

Cons

[1] It is not clear that the people of Britain care as much about the issue of the EU as do its political parties and its newspapers. The UK is represented democratically in Europe through its directly elected MEPs and through the Council of Europe. The reality is that if the UK were to leave the EU, it would still have to follow many of the EU laws and directives without having any say in them.

[2] The UK is no longer a superpower. The EU can compete with the USA and China, but the UK cannot. If the UK leaves the EU, it risks becoming isolated and losing its influence on the world stage. The UK is one of the largest economies in the EU and one of its two nuclear powers. This guarantees its influence at an EU level while not compromising its relations with the USA or the Commonwealth.

[3] Citizens of the UK benefit from being members of the EU. Freedom of movement means that they can live and work in any EU state. There is also added human rights protection through the European Court of Human Rights. The effects of immigration have also been positive for the UK, bringing many skilled workers to the country and helping the economy to grow.

[4] Businesses in the UK benefit from being part of the largest single market in the world. About half of all of the UK’s trade is with the EU and there are advantages in terms of the absence of tariffs and the level playing field created by all states using the same regulations. Being an EU member state also helps to attract foreign direct investment to the UK because of these benefits.

This House believes that the UK is better off in the EU than out.

Possible motions

This House believes that the UK should leave the EU.

This House would hold a referendum on EU membership.

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