By Lucette Davies
There seems to be an endless stream of stories about UKIP candidates making racist tweets and statements in the media as the date for the European elections is approached.
Nigel Farage must be thrilled with the coverage he is getting on the TV and in newspapers but surely the whole discussion must be more than a debate on the nature of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)?
Image by Alex Bikfalvi (view license details)
The issues that surround Britain’s continued membership of the EU are actually quite complex. There are no easy answers when deciding whether we should stay in or get out. For a start, nobody can predict the future and what it will bring, but if we decide to stay in that is a decision we can change later. In contrast, to leave the EU may not be a decision that is so easily reversed.
The European ‘Common Market’ started to emerge in the post-war period as the continent struggled to rebuild itself after six years of devastating conflict. The hope was to build a Europe that was united by some degree of political agreement and strengthened by the economic benefits of having a single market economy. Britain was finally allowed to join the new community in 1973.
The European Union that exists today has evolved over time with the passing of numerous treaties. The European Union is now the world’s largest single market with a total GDP greater than that of Japan and the USA combined at around £11 trillion. With 500m people now living in the EU it serves to give a voice to its member states that is greater than the sum of the voices of the individual states.
Many people are now talking about the amount of money that Britain is paying into the EU each year, but it has to be remembered that a significant amount of this money is paid back into this country. Figures show that in 2010 nearly half of the money that was paid into the EU was paid back in the form of the British rebate, grants and subsidies. The EU commission has estimated that there are at least 30 ways to calculate a countries net contribution to the EU. One estimate for Britain’s net contribution in 2010/11 is that we paid in to the EU £8.9bn out of the £706bn of total public spending for the UK. For some this payment is seen as a drop in the ocean, for others it is seen as a payment the UK does not need.
Being within a single market has removed the need for any customs and excise duties to be paid when goods are sold between member states. The EU has served to make sure that Britain can sell goods and services to other European countries. Currently 51% of UK exports are made to other EU member countries. In Britain it is believed that 3.5m jobs are now linked directly to the UK’s trade with member states. Britain also attracts much of its foreign direct investment because of its membership of the EU.
An argument against the UK staying in the EU is that 90% of the UK economy does not involve trade within the EU, but has to adhere to EU rules. The belief for some is that the additional cost of exporting if Britain were to leave the EU, would discourage global manufacturers from operating in this country. If Britain left the EU manufacturers would be subject to EU export tariffs.
Small and medium size enterprises are able to apply for grants from the EU for any capital investments, investments in research and development and schemes that will provide long term improvements in infrastructure, training or employment issues. Many of the British farming businesses and schemes are eligible for subsidies and grants from the EU. Grants from the EU can be given to help British local authorities. Even the BBC admitted it had claimed £3m from the EU over the last 4 years.
The freedom of movement for people within the EU has proved to be a contentious issue in the press recently. An alarmist approach was taken on the prospect of a massive influx of people from Romania and Bulgaria at the start of the year. The only change that happened on 1 Jan this year was that Romanians and Bulgarians could work in this country without needing a visa to do so. There was no need to fear that we would have an influx of people wanting to claim benefits, when we were just making it easier for them to work. In fact so far, very few have even taken up the chance to come and work here.
The truth is that British people also have the freedom to move to other countries and many Brits are taking up those opportunities. We have a mutual recognition of qualifications across the EU so nobody has to retrain if they want to work abroad. We can get a EU driving license that entitles us to drive abroad and an EU health insurance card in case we need health care abroad. There is even agreement on toy standards so parents do not need to worry about the safety of toys they may buy abroad. There are now as many Brits living in other EU member states as there are EU migrants in Britain. If we left the EU, there would possibly be just as many people seeking British jobs as there are now.
It is unlikely that British people would need a visa to travel to Europe if we left the EU, but we may not be given the freedom to live abroad, work abroad or retire abroad. At the moment there are many British people who choose to do just that. Students can study in any university within the EU and UK universities attract many students from other EU countries.
The EU has served to make common agreements between member states on many issues that will affect the whole of Europe. Britain is a significant part of the decision making process in these agreements. It is less about us being told what to do by Brussels and more about how we are choosing to make some agreements with other countries in the EU. The EU is not a completely separate body from the UK it is a body that the UK has chosen to be part of. The EU has made a decision to respect the sovereignty of its member states allowing them to run their countries in accordance with their culture and traditions as well as their needs. If we left the EU we would still have to comply with the European Court of Human Rights as this is outside the EU.
There are many benefits to the agreements that are made in Brussels, both in terms of our economy but also in terms of giving British people greater freedoms. The issues that surround economic migration within the EU are something that is going to be looked at in Brussels shortly. For many British firms the ability to hire people from other EU countries can help them in areas where there is a skills shortage amongst the British people.
As with everything else, for Britain to gain from being within the EU we also have to accept we need to pay for those benefits and accept some compromises with other member states. If we stay part of the EU, we remain part of the decision making processes, we can have an impact on what is happening in Europe. Even if we are outside the EU, the economy of Europe would directly affect Britain, so perhaps it is better to be part of an institution that serves for the benefit of Europe and where we can have our voice heard. British people benefit from EU employment laws and social protection.
Norway and Switzerland have access to the EU single market but are not bound by EU laws, it is felt by many of the Eurosceptics that a similar relationship to this would be beneficial to the UK. It is also being said that if Britain were to ask for this type of relationship, France, Germany and other EU member states would not allow it.
Nigel Farage and the UKIP party seem to have lowered the argument into being one that is focused on a feeling that the EU is stopping Britain being Britain. He has said: “I want my country back.”
Nothing should ever stay the same, the world is changing and Britain needs to change too. We need to exist in a global market and to ensure British goods and services can be sold abroad. Decisions made in Brussels will always affect us to some degree, for many it makes sense that we are part of those decisions.
Many British people have become disillusioned with politics, we are fed up with public school boys making decisions about our lives. We are sick of hearing scandals about MPs fiddling their expenses. For these reasons many people are deciding they don’t want to know about politics. Voter turnouts are dropping at elections and they are particularly bad at European elections.
However some British people who are feeling like this will go out and vote this May for a party that is run by another public school boy, an ex-city trader and someone who has already had his expenses investigated, that being Nigel Farage. He claims he doesn’t like laws or being told what to do. He has a large coffin in his office that he says is the coffin of the EU and sits defiantly smoking in protest at the ban on smoking in public places. We see him on the TV with a beer in one hand and a fag in the other, and for some people that makes them feel he is ‘just like everybody else’. He is attracting those people who are fed up with politicians, fed up of hearing about their expenses scandals and don’t want to be governed by the public school boys.
In any country where there is a recession or economic difficulties, there will often be an increase in support for the far right parties. Within the population many people will start to resent the presence of foreign nationals. It is easy for some to start believing that problems can be solved by getting rid of the foreigners. Groups such as the Golden Dawn Party in Greece demonstrate the nationalist tendencies people express when their country is in hardship. It is a dangerous attitude that can allow racism and discrimination to become acceptable.
The reasons why so many people are willing to support Nigel Farage and his party are not based on any reality. There have been numerous cases of UKIP councillors and candidates being found to have made racist and sexist comments. Nigel Farage is managing to contradict himself with nearly everything he says. UKIP for some is a protest vote against all they believe is wrong in our political system. There are many ways of protesting without the need to vote UKIP that perhaps will express more about the issues that are angering people.
I feel the EU is clearly very important in how the future looks for Britain. I would love to see the majority of the British go out and vote in May. The EU is not perfect and we need to have MEPs committed to helping bring about a reform of the EU and make it the institution we need.
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Lucette Davies - journalist 
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