The Left backing Brexit: The conclusion

In this piece I will look at some closing points about the EU, and explain why we would want to be as far away from it as possible. The EU is routinely labelled undemocratic and impossible to reform. Yet one may be quick to point out something – don’t we have a European Parliament where MEPs approve legislation?

We do, and it is the least powerful parliament on Earth, for MEPs are unable to propose or repeal laws. The UK has less representation in the European Parliament than the Liberal Democrats do in the House of Commons. Hardly enough to influence the issues.

Furthermore the allocation of seats is completely unfair; per capita, tiny Malta has ten times the representation we do in the EU parliament, meaning they have disproportionate levels of influence for their population.

The UK has less representation in the European Parliament than the Liberal Democrats do in the House of Commons

It is important to get to the heart of what the EU is – a trading bloc. These are organisations where tariffs (taxes levied on goods traded between countries) and quotas (limits on how many goods can be imported) are used to protect weak industry inside the bloc.

Take the example of coffee. If African coffee bean farmers want to sell their unprocessed beans to EU countries, then they can do so happily with little hindrance. But if they decide to roast their beans, in order to make more money from their produce, they will find that the EU has put up a trade barrier to processed coffee.

Tariffs and quotas are used to protect weak industry inside the bloc

This takes the form of a tariff, which means that the African coffee will cost more in shops and so EU consumers are less likely to buy it. Why is there this tariff? Because Germany has a large coffee processing industry, and doesn’t like the competition. In 2014 the whole of Africa made $2.4 billion from coffee exports. Germany made $3.8 billion, and all without growing a single bean.

The only sustainable way to lift countries out of poverty is to trade with them at a fair price, and yet we do the opposite – we take their raw materials at a low price, process and package them, and sell them on for a higher price.

The only sustainable way to lift countries out of poverty is to trade with them at a fair price, and yet we do the opposite

Meanwhile, the Common Agricultural Policy grants subsidies to European farmers, encouraging complacency rather than efficiency. UK farmers receive less funds because our farms work better and are more profitable.

The price is ultimately paid by consumers  – we pay more for our food firstly because of high tariffs on goods like the African coffee, and secondly because we pay for the large subsidies given to farmers.

UK farmers receive less funds because our farms work better and are more profitable

Ask yourself why you would want to remain. Perhaps you’ve listened to my arguments but you think there will be an economic risk that you’re just not willing to take. I implore you to think about why you are trusting big businesses and economists so wholeheartedly. These are people who we know regularly make bad predictions, and who only act in their own interests.

Trade and business happens because it is in both parties’ interests. It is not done at a governmental level. London will still be economically bigger than any other EU city by far, and will remain one of the biggest business centres on Earth.

I implore you to think about why you are trusting big businesses

Perhaps it is in the projects that the EU sponsors that it has appeal. There are buildings that would never exist if it was up to the UK parliament. Yet if the parliament wouldn’t fund something, it’s probably because it’s not sensible or popular.

This is clearly a great reason not to sponsor something, and it makes me wonder why the EU would put UK money into things that the people do not want. Secondly, it is UK money. We are a net contributor to the EU and so any money they spend could be spent by us, outside of the Union.

There are buildings that would never exist if it was up to the UK parliament

But maybe it’s the progressive policies that the EU has put through that’s swaying you. This argument fails because we can and will keep those measures upon leaving. If the Tories decide they want to repeal them, vote them out of office. It is as simple as that.

Labour was once a Eurosceptic party, but now they are supporting Remain because they want to ‘lock in’ the policies they support by keeping them at EU level, where democracy can’t touch them. To paraphrase Tony Benn, it is better to have a bad parliament than a good king.

Labour was once a Eurosceptic party, but now they are supporting Remain because they want to ‘lock in’ the policies they support

The idea that we have to take some bad laws in order to get the good ones is ridiculous – it’s our country, and we should decide how it is run. For this reason, and all of the others I’ve mentioned, I hope you recognise the left-wing case to vote to leave on June 23.