Saturday, February 15

EU In Or Out: The Key Claims Of Both Camps


 

 

David Cameron and Boris Johnson Here are the key claims made by the Remain and Leave campaigns.

:: ECONOMY

REMAIN says the EU accounts for 44% of British exports. World’s largest trading block. We don’t know what trade agreement would be put in place if the UK leaves.

LEAVE says the UK spends £350m a week on payments to the EU and the UK could shift focus to emerging economies and the Commonwealth.

:: IMMIGRATION

REMAIN says EU immigrants pay more in taxes than they take out, immigration provides a boost to the economy and the UK has to accept free movement for access to the single market.

LEAVE says immigration is uncontrollable and public services are strained. Internal EU migration is running at near record levels, meanwhile countries such as Turkey could join and create more pressure.

How the official campaigns line up :: SOVEREIGNTY

REMAIN says the UK can veto laws in important areas and has influence in drawing up EU-wide legislation. They say the trade-off is having influence in the modern world.

LEAVE says the EU now makes the majority of British laws and regulations. Other EU members can force through laws the UK doesn’t want, often over-ruling the will of Parliament.

:: SECURITY

REMAIN says the EU promotes “peace and stability”, shares security intelligence and we can use the European Arrest Warrant to remove individuals who have committed crimes.

LEAVE says EU citizens have the right to free movement and so it is easier for terrorists and weapons to reach the UK as part of the EU.

:: JOBS

REMAIN says leaving the European Union would cause a serious shock to the UK economy that could lead to 950,000 job losses.

LEAVE says there could be some initial job losses but, longer term, Brexit will help create jobs as it will remove red tape on businesses from Brussels.

:: COST OF LIVING

REMAIN says families would be £4,300 worse off after exit, and the prices of goods and services – from food to the cost of airline travel – would increase as the pound would slump.

LEAVE says the cost of living would fall in a Brexit as we would import goods at “world prices” rather than inflated “EU prices”.

:: NHS

REMAIN says future funding for the NHS is dependent on a growing economy. Downturn in the event of a Brexit would mean cuts to public spending, which would affect the NHS.

LEAVE says a British exit from the EU would free-up an extra £100m per week to spend on the NHS by 2020.