Off Topic European Debate Thread

The EU: Myths and Truths
Without any coherent arguments about why Britain should remain in the EU, Europhiles resort to constant scaremongering.
GET BRITAIN OUT sets the record straight on what would happen if Britain gets out the EU:

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MYTH 1: Brexit would damage trade with our European neighbours.
Europhiles claim leaving the EU would sour diplomatic and trade relations with other Member States, making it harder for Britain to trade within the Single Market.
TRUTH: British Businesses do not need the EU to trade
In addition to the lucrative trade and investment deals with the rest of the world, Britain imports more from the EU than it exports to the EU.
This means we are the EU’s biggest customer – larger than China and the US – and no business – let alone the EU – would want to cut off ties with such a valuable customer as Britain. Can you imagine France wanting to damage sales of French cheeses, wines and champagne to Britain; Germany damaging sales of BMW and Mercedes cars to Britain? No! Trade will carry on as normal, without the political interference we currently suffer from Brussels.

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MYTH 2: Britain cannot survive economically outside the EU
We are told Britain cannot compete in the world without help from the EU, and without EU membership we would not have access to the Single Market.
Europhiles argue we need to be part of a trade bloc in today’s globalised world, ignoring successful independent countries all over the world.
TRUTH: Britain WILL thrive economically outside the EU
Britain is a global trading power and exports more to the rest of the world than it does to Europe.
Britain has the world’s 6th largest economy and is set to become the largest in Europe by 2035.
The EU’s share of world GDP is in terminal decline. In 1980, the EU’s world share of GDP was 26%. It is now just 20%, and will have fallen to 15% by 2020.
Currently all Britain’s trade deals must be negotiated by the EU, which on average take twice as long or more to agree and finalise than those negotiated by independent countries, such as Switzerland.
MYTH 3: Britain’s membership of the European Union can be substantially reformed

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For the past 40 years, successive British Prime Ministers have tried to make our EU membership work for Britain. So far, whether it was Margaret Thatcher’s hard-line stance, or Tony Blair’s supine grovelling, none have succeeded in positively changing the terms of our long-term EU membership.
TRUTH: Substantial change to our relationship with the EU can only be achieved by Brexit
David Cameron has already stated his intention to stay within a ‘reformed’ EU. Many fear this to be a replay of Harold Wilson’s ill-fated 1975 Referendum, in which largely cosmetic ‘renegotiation’ misled the public into staying.
EU leaders have already ruled out any weakening of the principle of Freedom of Movement and want to retain ‘open borders’.
Once Britain states her intention to leave the EU – by using Article 50 – a 2-year negotiation period will take place. This will include, reinstating border controls for all citizens coming into Britain. Britain will be free to negotiate the more favourable terms we want and need.
Research by Open Europe estimates a free-trading Britain outside the EU could increase its GDP by 1.6%.

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MYTH 4: Britain will lose influence in the world
The pro-EU lobby say Britain will lose its influence on the ‘world stage’.
TRUTH: Britain would have more say on trade and regulation
Britain has opposed 55 EU Directives since 1996, and has been outvoted every time – so the myth Britain currently wields any influence in Brussels is nonsense. Our EU membership gets us nowhere.
In addition, it is estimated around 70% of decisions made in the EU Council of Ministers are already implemented before they reach the voting stage.
An independent Britain would regain its own seat within international institutions such as the World Trade Organisation, in which Britain can pursue its own national interests.
(there are no other major international organisations which the EU fully represents us, largely smaller fisheries bodies etc)

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MYTH 5: Britain would lose three million jobs
This myth originated from a report by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research in 2004.The report incorrectly stated 3.2 million British jobs ‘associated’ with exports to the EU would be lost if we come out of the EU.
TRUTH: Leaving the EU will create far more jobs for Britons in the long-term
This myth assumes the £228 billion worth of goods and services Britain exports to the EU would drop to zero the day after Britain leaves the EU! This was comprehensively refuted by Treasury civil servants in August 2014.
Moreover, the Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in 1999, Martin Weale, has since confirmed the report does not claim 3 million jobs rely on our EU membership, denouncing this Europhile propaganda as “pure Goebbels”.

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MYTH 6: Britain will be isolated on the ‘world stage’ if we leave the EU
We are told Britain must be a member of the European Union in order to have influence in the world.
TRUTH: Britain will be able to work closer with our natural allies in the Commonwealth – and the rest of the world
The EU is not the sole international organisation in the world. Britain is already a leading member of NATO, and we have a seat on the UN Security Council.
We have cultural and historic links with countries all over the world and are regarded as the world’s leading “soft-power” state. All of this is unrelated to our membership of the EU.
The United States; Australia; Canada; New Zealand; India; Hong Kong – Britain has strong ties with all of these important global, self-governing nations.
By leaving the EU, we will have the independence of action to co-operate more with our allies within the Commonwealth, whilst still retaining friendly relations with Europe.

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MYTH 7: The EU protects democracy in Europe
The European Parliament portrays itself as the guarantor of the democracy in Europe.
TRUTH: Westminster protects democracy in Britain
The European project destroys democracy by replacing nationally elected politicians with unelected bureaucrats.
On the rare occasion the EU has consulted the electorates of Member States, such as in referendums held by the Netherlands and Ireland to ratify the Constitutional Treaty, the results were rejected by the EU. The Constitutional Treaty was repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty, with minor alterations. Brussels then forced the Netherlands and Ireland to vote again to approve the Lisbon Treaty.
The European Parliament cannot propose legislation. It is only able to approve or reject legislation proposed by the unelected European Commission – as such, it is a toothless institution. The European Commission’s rulings bypasses Westminster ensuring laws voted through the European Parliament are forced upon Britain, furthermore our limited influence in Brussels ensures European laws can be implemented even if all British MEPs voted against them.

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MYTH 8: The EU has stopped seeking greater political powers for Brussels
Many believe we have reached the high water mark of EU authority. Margaret Thatcher signed away many of our vetoes through the Single European Act, because she was led to believe the Single European Act was the last European treaty Britain would have to sign up to – though this was not the case.
TRUTH: The EU will not stop until Europe has become a federal superstate
All treaties of the European Union clearly set out the principle of Member States continuing to seek “ever closer union”, which means the EU gradually evolves into a single unified state, while the Member States are reduced to mere provinces of a federal Europe. The only way to prevent the UK from becoming a European province is to Get Britain Out of the EU.

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MYTH 9: Brexit would drive European Premier League footballers out of the UK
This claim by the Guardian newspaper suggests that two thirds of European football stars in England wouldn’t meet the criteria used for non-European overseas players to automatically qualify for a work visa. This led the paper to predict that Premier Leaguefootball squads would be “decimated” if the UK voted to leave the EU.
TRUTH: Leaving the EU would enable the Football Association and the government to loosen the requirements for foreign footballers to play in Britain.
The FA itself has recognised the recent restrictions on skilled immigration from non-EU countries are the direct consequence of the EU’s freedom of movement rules. Leaving the EU would enable the UK to relax the current requirements for foreign footballers to obtain a sponsorship licence from the FA. This would enable more top footballers from both inside and outside of Europe to play in Britain.

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MYTH 10: Many EU rules will still be in place after leaving
Some civil servants and Europhiles are saying the UK will be beset with legal difficulties following our exit from the EU. They say it will take up to 10 years for us to completely unravel ourselves from the EU. In addition to the current lengthy renegotiation process, they claim Britain will be forced to retain many EU rules, regulations and directives.
TRUTH: A managed withdrawal from the EU will place British interests first
Reports on Brexit for the Institute of Economic Affairs have identified over 3000 pieces of EU legislation which would ideally need to be reformed or repealed following Britain leaving the EU. Britain would still retain membership of the World Trade Organisation, the World Customs Organisation, and its countless UN appointments concerning international regulation. We would simply remove the most negative aspects of EU red tape. While 10 years might sound long, it is likely to be an overestimate – which also demonstrates the appalling amount of interference Brussels has over Britain. Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty states a Member State leaving the EU will undergo 2 years to negotiate its terms. Being one of the biggest customers of EU goods, such talks will go favourably. Even pro-EU Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted Britain would have access to the Single Market just “as Norway and Switzerland do”. Brexit should be as cordial as possible, keeping former laws until they are gradually replaced, reformed, or repealed will result in the most stable outcome.