The Case to Stay IN is Strong

The Case to Stay IN is Strong

The out campaign have been practising their messages for years but how will they react when put under pressure to defend their claims? Just how much depth of knowledge do they have or is it a thin covering that simply adopts the idea of being negative and blaming the EU for all the problems?

I am indebted to David Walker of the Regions Campaigns working group for points he raised, reasons for us arguing strongly to Stay IN. Here are some of the points highlighted by David.

"Average farm incomes in the UK are highly dependent on income from the EU in the form of Single farm payments. Defra accounts show that in 2008 SFPs made up over four-fifths of the total value of subsidies to UK farming (£3.7 bn in 2008, up from £2.8 bn in 1996), and at farm level the SFP in 2008/9 was equivalent to just under half the average Farm Business Income (£23 thousand of the £51 thousand average FBI in England).

It would be worth quoting this in any exchange of debate with the Brexit camp and ask them how they would support farming after we had left the EU.

The SFP system is not ideal and there is an excellent article on how it might be reformed at
http://www.reformthecap.eu/blog/sfp-phase-out-options

The EU is not a free market as far as countries which do not belong, or which might have left.

It is very instructive to look at
http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/international_affairs/trade/index_en.htm "

The debate is gathering pace - we need to be ready to make our case.

Kind Regards
Phil

Cllr Phil Knowles
Vice Chair East Midlands Region