Douglas Carswell's Blog

Europe: Are you for In or Out? That is the question

Whether or not Britain should remain a member of the European Union is one of the biggest public policy questions of the day.

It has enormous implications; do we remain part of a sclerotic block or trade openly with the world? Will we be free to elect our own government, to determine public policy for us – or are we to contract decision making out to Brussels?

How we answer the Europe question will not only help define us as a country. It will influence the ability of our children and grand children to live better, more prosperous lives.

So it's not just big. Or even BIG. It is bigger that the career of any single here-today-gone-tomorrow politician. Of greater long term consequence than this – or indeed any one - government.

Economic forces reshaping the world around us mean that the Europe question - as opposed to Europe's share of global GDP - is only going to get bigger.

There are some people in all three parties who honestly believe that we should remain members of the EU – with all that that entails. And then there are MPs, like me, who believe that Britain should quit the EU. Both are honourable positions to take.

But for too long, too many of those in SW1 have equivocated. On perhaps the greatest macro issue of our age, they have sought refuge in wordplay to avoid coming down one way or the other.

The SW1 gang have sought succour from pollsters and pundits, who provide them with every conceivable excuse not to draw the obvious conclusion. It will no longer do.

Europe matters electorally. And it boils down to In or Out.  I have spelt out where I stand on Europe - O-U-T.  

Soon everyone in SW1 will have to decide on which side of the question they stand.  

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