I appreciate that many of my constituents have an interest in the European Referendum – this is the biggest decision our country will make in a generation. I have given the issue a great deal of thought, as a Member of Parliament and as Secretary of State for Transport and as an individual. Having done so, I am sure we are right to remain in a reformed EU. The EU is far from perfect, and sometimes I find it infuriating. But the fact is, withdrawing from it, would not make it go away. We would still have to deal with Europe, for trade and many other issues. But we would have no say in those terms and conditions. I would like to quote from the debate in the House of Commons on 22 February: you can find the full account at www.parliament.uk:
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend makes an important point: if your only determination was never to cede any technical sovereignty, you would never join any of these organisations, you would not do a trade deal and you probably would not be a member of the UN, the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. Therefore, the question really is: what maximises our power, influence and ability to get things done? As the Transport Secretary put it so brilliantly at the Cabinet meeting, “I would love to live in utopia but I expect the EU would probably be there, too.” That is to say, you do not abolish the EU by leaving it; you simply cut yourself off from something and therefore possibly make yourself, in many ways, less powerful, rather than more powerful.”
By Patrick McLoughlin on March 03, 2016