Politicians with the honesty to admit that thier views have changed are a rare breed. However, Lord Lawson appears to be a genuine convert to the cause of withdrawalism. As Chancellor of the Exchequer under Margaret Thatcher, he was a keen supporter of Britain's membership of the Exchange Rate Mecahnism, which ultimately became the Euro. He admitted that he had voted to remain within the EU in the 1975 referendum, but now if there was a referendum, he would not do the same. "I'd vote to leave," he said. What is particularly signficant is his statement that it would be in Britain's economic interest to withdraw from an organisation which was "past its sell-by date". Such comments are a measure of how far the ground has moved in the debate about our relationship with the EU. While successive governments have held back until recently from any sort of cost/benefit analysis of our EU membership, pronouncements from most senior figures tended to paint a picture of economic gloom if we to withdraw, even though they offered few, if any, hard facts to back up these assertions.
Of course, if you want to find an ardent defender of our EU membership whatever the reality of the situation, you need look no further than Nick Clegg, who obliged listeners to BBC Radio 4's Today programme by trotting out the "three million jobs" myth yet again. “That’s poppycock", replied Lord Lawson, "but I don’t think Nick Clegg, who’s a charming young man, has ever purported to know anything at all about economics.” That's understatement, to put it mildly. Cleggie's problem is worse than merely a lack of knowledge about economics. The man seems to inhabit some sort of parallel universe where reality has somehow been suspended. I say this because the only other possible reasons for him continuing to trot out this nonsense is that either he is a serial liar or else he is incredibly stupid, neither of which I would think are true. He might perhaps just be ill-informed, but as Deputy prime Minister, he really ought to be be better briefed, as he sounds more and more ridiculous each time he regurgitates this rubbish.
FACT: EU membership has not created three million jobs. The Government's own statistics show that male employment actually fell by over 1 million in the decade following our accesion to the EEC, as it then was in 1973. FACT: These jobs would only be at risk if the EU pulled up the drawbridge and refused to strike a Free Trade agreement with one of its most important trading partners. In view of the trade deficit the UK currently runs with the rest of the EU, such an outcome would be most unlikely, especially as this would be in contravention of the EU's responsibilities as a member of the World Trade Organisation. Furthermore, EU regulation and protectionism hampers the UK from developing its trade with the growing economies of Asia and Latin America, thus hindering job creation.
I am quite sure that by the time the referendum takes place, the economic arguments for withdrawal will have been proven conclusively as far vast majority of the electorate are concerned. Doubtless, poor old Nick will still be screaming "THREE MILLION JOBS WILL BE LOST IF WE LEAVE" from his parallel universe, but by then he will have about as much credibility as David Icke or the Flat Earth Society.
Of course, if you want to find an ardent defender of our EU membership whatever the reality of the situation, you need look no further than Nick Clegg, who obliged listeners to BBC Radio 4's Today programme by trotting out the "three million jobs" myth yet again. “That’s poppycock", replied Lord Lawson, "but I don’t think Nick Clegg, who’s a charming young man, has ever purported to know anything at all about economics.” That's understatement, to put it mildly. Cleggie's problem is worse than merely a lack of knowledge about economics. The man seems to inhabit some sort of parallel universe where reality has somehow been suspended. I say this because the only other possible reasons for him continuing to trot out this nonsense is that either he is a serial liar or else he is incredibly stupid, neither of which I would think are true. He might perhaps just be ill-informed, but as Deputy prime Minister, he really ought to be be better briefed, as he sounds more and more ridiculous each time he regurgitates this rubbish.
FACT: EU membership has not created three million jobs. The Government's own statistics show that male employment actually fell by over 1 million in the decade following our accesion to the EEC, as it then was in 1973. FACT: These jobs would only be at risk if the EU pulled up the drawbridge and refused to strike a Free Trade agreement with one of its most important trading partners. In view of the trade deficit the UK currently runs with the rest of the EU, such an outcome would be most unlikely, especially as this would be in contravention of the EU's responsibilities as a member of the World Trade Organisation. Furthermore, EU regulation and protectionism hampers the UK from developing its trade with the growing economies of Asia and Latin America, thus hindering job creation.
I am quite sure that by the time the referendum takes place, the economic arguments for withdrawal will have been proven conclusively as far vast majority of the electorate are concerned. Doubtless, poor old Nick will still be screaming "THREE MILLION JOBS WILL BE LOST IF WE LEAVE" from his parallel universe, but by then he will have about as much credibility as David Icke or the Flat Earth Society.