ANVIL Discussion: Should the UK Stay in the EU?

On Wednesday 11th November Dr Derek Hudson will be leading a talk at the ANVIL discussion group: The EU. Is it sustainable and should the UK remain in it?

Former Deputy Head of the Bank of Botswana, Derek has practical experience of balancing a national budget. Faced by the decision of the Prime Minister to call a referendum on the question: Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union, or leave the European Union? Derek has been hard at work researching and writing a paper on this complex subject.

Few political decisions could be more momentous for us and our children than the outcome of this referendum, yet I find myself shying away from careful thought about it because it IS a complex issue. Here then is our chance to get stuck in to understanding, listening, and discussing what is at stake as best we can.

With Derek’s agreement I passed his paper to Sir Graham Watson. Sir Graham is a Member of the European Economic and Social Committee and President of the Europe-wide Liberal Democrat Party. From 1994 to 2014 he represented the south west of England in the European Parliament. He lives in Langport in Somerset.

He is now part of a high-powered cross-party team working to present the case for the UK to remain in the EU. He is unable to attend our meeting but on reading Derek’s paper he immediately sent us his full and careful response. In addition he has sent me the text of an article he was asked to write for a newspaper. To read these papers visit ANVIL’s website.

This is the final ANVIL session for 2015. We have had six very lively and well attended sessions. To join, simply send your email address to me at to get a reminder email before each meeting. We meet once every two months.

As usual, if you would like to come to a session remember attendance is restricted to 16 to allow for proper discussion and you are expected to have read the papers in advance. Please email me and I will reserve a place for you on a first-come-first-served basis.

The discussion starts at 7.15pm in the Quaker Barn off Wincanton High St. Please bring £4 to cover our expenses.

Comments

johnbaxter
Posts: 1

The EU should we stay in?
Reply #1 on : Thu November 12, 2015, 16:35:20

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Derek Hudson's talk attracted a full house and excellent lively and thoughtful discussion.
His aim was to present us with a balanced paper for he has found that so much that is written is expressed in a strongly one-sided way for or against. He showed this is unhelpful for there is much to be considered pro and anti point by point. It is also the case that so much is unknown and outcomes cannot be predicted with any certainty. Come the referendum however and we will need to make a choice. The fear is the choice many will make will be based on little knowledge. We had a professor of economics with us and he said the economic outcome is impossible to predict. This means our choice should be moral and political. Do we agree?

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