In spite of George Osborne telling us the economic debate is over, there is still much claim and counterclaim from both Brexit and Remain The problem both sides have with their argument over the monetary cost, or benefits, is that no one really knows what would happen should we decide to leave. All either camp can do is speculate.
I believe however that the economic argument is not the one on which the majority of voters are focused. In my opinion the two really big issues of the referendum are "Who makes and enforces our laws" and "How do we control immigration". Of course at a fundamental level the two are inextricably linked. While we continue to be signed up to the EU we have to accept that the free movement of people comes with the deal. It is therefore the EU who ultimately decides who we have to let in. We do get to chose those from outside of EU but given the sheer numbers arriving from our European brothers and sisters (and their families) there is just not that much room left for our Commonwealth cousins, let alone our other foreign friends.
As a nation with a proud history of accepting refugees, asylum seekers and skilled immigrants there are very few people in this nation who could be accused of xenophobia. The problem we have is not one of being anti-immigration but rather one of assimilation and integration. The Blair government's policy of open doors has meant that we have had to absorb too many people too quickly and multiculturalism has compounded this situation by fostering the belief that those coming here do not have to assimilate into the UK's culture and society, which breeds discontent, by both communities.
If we look back at the mass immigration waves which occurred in my lifetime, The Empire Windrush generation from the West Indies, the Asians who were expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda, the Biafran refugees to name but three and not to mention those from Indian and Pakistan who came before, during and after. In all these case we see that they have, largely and successfully, integrated themselves into our society. This is not to say that they haven't kept their own culture alive, but as they arrived we had time to digest the extra numbers and integration was achieved by osmosis rather than diffusion.
As I see it the problem we have with the EU is that it will not allow us to slow the rate of immigration caused by the free movement of people and the EU itself apparently has no policy (or the will) to stop Africa trying to decant itself into Europe. I think that the point must be made that no one in the Brexit camp is saying that we would, or should, ban all immigration from the EU countries, but, while Brussels will not let us make and enforce our own laws that will give us back control of our borders; I must vote for Brexit.
I believe however that the economic argument is not the one on which the majority of voters are focused. In my opinion the two really big issues of the referendum are "Who makes and enforces our laws" and "How do we control immigration". Of course at a fundamental level the two are inextricably linked. While we continue to be signed up to the EU we have to accept that the free movement of people comes with the deal. It is therefore the EU who ultimately decides who we have to let in. We do get to chose those from outside of EU but given the sheer numbers arriving from our European brothers and sisters (and their families) there is just not that much room left for our Commonwealth cousins, let alone our other foreign friends.
As a nation with a proud history of accepting refugees, asylum seekers and skilled immigrants there are very few people in this nation who could be accused of xenophobia. The problem we have is not one of being anti-immigration but rather one of assimilation and integration. The Blair government's policy of open doors has meant that we have had to absorb too many people too quickly and multiculturalism has compounded this situation by fostering the belief that those coming here do not have to assimilate into the UK's culture and society, which breeds discontent, by both communities.
If we look back at the mass immigration waves which occurred in my lifetime, The Empire Windrush generation from the West Indies, the Asians who were expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda, the Biafran refugees to name but three and not to mention those from Indian and Pakistan who came before, during and after. In all these case we see that they have, largely and successfully, integrated themselves into our society. This is not to say that they haven't kept their own culture alive, but as they arrived we had time to digest the extra numbers and integration was achieved by osmosis rather than diffusion.
As I see it the problem we have with the EU is that it will not allow us to slow the rate of immigration caused by the free movement of people and the EU itself apparently has no policy (or the will) to stop Africa trying to decant itself into Europe. I think that the point must be made that no one in the Brexit camp is saying that we would, or should, ban all immigration from the EU countries, but, while Brussels will not let us make and enforce our own laws that will give us back control of our borders; I must vote for Brexit.
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