POLITICS INSIDE WESTMINSTER
NICKY MORGAN, Education Secretary, offers her opinion on the EU debate
Campaigning to remain in Europe
As I am sure you are aware, on 23 June there will be a referendum on our continued membership of the European Union. I have been very clear that I am campaigning for Britain to remain in a reformed EU. This is a pivotal moment for many thousands of businesses in Derbyshire,
wages, in turn easing pressure on schools, hospitals and other public services. For migrants already living and working in the
UK, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969 would come into play. It contains articles that are based on ‘acquired rights’, which individuals build up over time and hold despite any changes in future treaties enacted by their nation, which mean they would not be deported and could be given ‘indefinite leave to remain’. This would offer similar protection to British expats living and working in other EU countries.
SOVEREIGNTY A significant proportion of UK legislation originates from the EU, and Leave campaigners are concerned that many EU regulations are transposed into UK national law without passing through Parliament. The UK Government was taken to court 23
times for failing to implement EU law between 2007 and 2011. Meanwhile, the UK wields only 13% of votes in
the European Parliament – when it joined the EU, it had almost 20%. Leaving the EU would, in theory, give Britain
back control of its own laws, which would ensure that its own Parliament remains a genuine, legitimate and democratic force and, crucially, one which can have the final say over any laws that are implemented in the UK.
WHICH OF OUR POLITICIANS ARE IN THE LEAVE CAMP? At a national level, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and UKIP Leader Nigel Farage are arguably the most high profile proponents of the Leave campaign, but a number of Tory rebels such as former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith and Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Michael Gove also favour the UK leaving the EU. East Midlands MPs who have already declared
their support for Leave include Andrew Bingham (CON, High Peak), Dennis Skinner (LAB, Bolsover), Andrew Bridgen (CON, North West Leicestershire), Nigel Mills (CON, Amber Valley) and Heather Wheeler (CON, South Derbyshire).
Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and I believe that our continued membership of the EU is vital to your future prosperity. For smaller businesses in particular, many of
which are run by the female entrepreneurs I meet regularly, I believe that leaving the EU would be a leap in the dark. Small businesses rely on full access to the
Single Market to sell products to over 500 million consumers. They also benefit from the EU’s free trade
‘Over 100,000 British businesses export to the EU, including many thousands in the East Midlands’
deals with over 50 other countries, widening market access further to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Thanks to just one single set of rules that apply in all 28 member states, small
businesses in this country can export their goods and services without any additional barriers to trade. In 2014, the EU accounted for 45% of UK exports of goods and services. Over 100,000
British businesses export to the EU, including many thousands in the East Midlands, and 3.3 million jobs in the UK are related to exports to other EU countries. All of this would be put at risk if Britain votes to leave the EU. Damaging tariffs could
be slapped on British exports to Europe – hitting those small businesses in particular which rely on lengthy supply chains in many countries across the EU. The Bank of England, the IMF and a whole host of other independent experts have
predicted that a vote to leave could cause an economic shock for the UK – and it would be businesses and the jobs they create that would be the worst affected. In my role as Secretary of State for Education I’m tasked with making sure that our
young people get the skills they need to succeed. I want them to live fulfilling lives. It’s important for them that we are an outward facing country and that we take
advantage of all the benefits that come from being in the EU. That means taking advantage of the opportunities mentioned above. Recent research has already shown that the recruitment market is slowing down while
businesses wait to see what happens in June. We know from recent years that it is recruitment for entry-level jobs which is hit first. If Britain leaves Europe it will be young people who suffer the most, left in limbo while
we struggle to find and then negotiate an alternative model. We are facing a truly momentous, country-changing, generation-defining, history-
making vote on 23 June, which matters not just for us but for wider global stability. That is why it is so important that Britain votes to remain.
ABOUT NICKY MORGAN Nicky Morgan stood as the Conservative candidate for Loughborough at the 2005 General Election and again in 2010, when she was elected to Parliament. In July 2014 Nicky was appointed Secretary of State for Education. She is also Minister
for Women and Equalities. Nicky previously served as Financial Secretary to the Treasury (2014), Minister for
Women (2014), Economic Secretary to the Treasury (2013-14), an Assistant Government Whip (2012-13) and the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Rt Hon. David Willetts MP, Cabinet Minister for Universities and Science (2010-12). Nicky was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Loughborough in the 2015 General Election.
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