Catherine Bearder to Nigel Lawson: Pulling out of the EU would mean losing power and influence over our future

Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder has written to the Times (£) to respond to Nigel Lawson's article which argued that the UK should leave the EU:

She wrote:

Sir,

Lord Lawson's argument for EU exit may be eloquent but it is fanciful. It is true that the 19 countries of the eurozone are going to have to move closer together. But that makes it even more imperative that Britain, as the financial capital of Europe, defends its economic interests in the EU's single market as a whole.

Half of our exports go to the rest of Europe and even if we were to leave, UK businesses would still have to follow EU rules to sell there. Crucially the financial services industry, which forms the bedrock of Britain's exports, relies hugely on rules that are shaped at European level, not least by our current EU commissioner, Lord Hill of Oareford. Pulling out of the EU would mean losing power and influence over our future.

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