The EU is far from\u00a0perfect.<\/p>\n
It was\u00a0built\u00a0on a false premise, which was\u00a0that freedom of movement for capital would deliver growth. As is very clear that's not true: it has\u00a0delivered\u00a0inequality\u00a0within\u00a0and between states.<\/p>\n
And the EU has also never been able to shed some of the economic logic of the 1950s that is so\u00a0deeply\u00a0embedded\u00a0in the\u00a0Common\u00a0Agricultural Policy, for example.<\/p>\n
In addition, the EU has moved forward too quickly towards economic integration through the Euro when cultural and political integration has not been following in its wake.<\/p>\n
The stresses of all these situations are now obvious. And the stress of trying to reconcile\u00a0them\u00a0is equally obvious. I do not underestimate that.<\/p>\n
But the reality is that like it or not the EU is also a success story. It has kept the peace. It has allowed people to move in a way unimaginable before. It has aided trade, enormously, and that trade has\u00a0overall\u00a0been of\u00a0considerable\u00a0benefit. It has created dialogue and tolerance. The result is that if there was a referendum on Europe tomorrow I'd vote to stay in. Not unreservedly: decidedly reservedly, but unambiguously I'd vote yes.<\/p>\n
Why? Because I want that trade. It would be much harder for the UK to secure it without EU membership.<\/p>\n
Why else? Because being inside the tent is in the end of the day the only way to change things - and as Norway knows all too well, watching the EU form the sidelines means complying with all its demands and having no say upon them.<\/p>\n
And because I'm a European and always have been. My name alone helps give that game away. I believe we're better off with open borders. I\u00a0believe\u00a0we're better off with fairly free trade. I believe we're better off on things like tax with the EU because it has lead some of the most\u00a0successful\u00a0challenges on tax abuse\u00a0internationally. \u00a0And I believe that the EU can be improved.<\/p>\n
Outside the EU I see isolation and inter-state\u00a0competition\u00a0prevailing. That leads to lost income, and worse, to a lack of\u00a0understanding and intolerance that in turn leads to the threat of war.<\/p>\n
I want none of those things. I'm not a fan of the EU. But we're much better off with it than without it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The EU is far from\u00a0perfect. It was\u00a0built\u00a0on a false premise, which was\u00a0that freedom of movement for capital would deliver growth. As is very clear that’s
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