Quote of the day 19th February 2016

“If we have that sort of debate over these next few weeks then I think there’s a very real chance that the anti-Europeans will win.

“If we have two campaigns that are scaremongering then in that case the biggest fearmongering tends to win.

“The real danger is that the pro-European case, the real case about this country’s position in Europe is not being made.”

(Former SNP leader Alex Salmond, quoted in  The Scotsman, accused both sides in the EU referendum debate of scaremongering.

For the avoidance of doubt I personally have a lot of sympathy for that view but would go further - I don't think a positive case for either side is coming over properly.,)

Comments

Jim said…
Lord Lawson Just dealt a blow that really hurt a lot (well that is if you want to leave, if you want remain then happy birthday)

A more foolish question is hard to imagine. The alternative to being in the European Union is not being in the European Union. Most of the world is not in the European Union – and most of the world is doing better than the European Union.

So far as the detail is concerned, we would repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, which establishes the primacy of EU law over our own UK law. The morass of EU regulation, much of which is costly, unnecessary and undesirable, would become UK regulation, which we would then be free to accept, repeal or amend as our national interest requires.

And we would continue to trade with the EU, as the rest of the world does today, almost certainly assisted by a bilateral free trade agreement, which they need far more than we do.

Now, please excuse me whilst I spend the rest of the day banging my head on this desk.
7:13 am
Jim said…
I agree with you that a positive case for either side is not being presented.

Though I could not help but notice Alex Salmond's term "Anti-Europeans"

Kind of cashing in on the fact that some see, and implant the vision in others that the "Leave" side consists of mouth drooling kippers who cant stand foreigner's.

For the avoidance of doubt, though I must say I cant speak for the entire leave side, in general we are not Anti-European, not even anti-EU really, its just we happen to be of the opinion that the UK is better off being friends and trade partners of the EU, but not a member of its political, supranational structure.
7:25 am
Chris Whiteside said…
Fair point that Salmond's characterisation of all supporters of Brexit as "anti-European" is unfair and oversimplified.

I don't think Lord Lawson quite gets it about how we would have to go about leaving, does he?
10:33 am
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