ONCE Britain was known as the ‘sick man of Europe’. Now our nation is racing ahead economically and has no need of the failing European Union.
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| Boris Johnson believes that Britain is poised for a new age of confidence |
The fundamental choice in this referendum is between people who believe our country is capable of running itself and people who want to outsource our future to unelected Brussels bureaucrats.
My view is that Britain is poised for a new age of confidence.
On June 23 we have the chance to take back control of our destiny and our place in the world. With control of our trade, our borders and our democracy we can prosper as never before. We are ready.
Our economy is the fifth biggest in the world and we do more of our trade beyond Europe than any other EU member state except Malta.
This country has always been at its greatest when we’ve looked outward, when we’ve steered a course for freedom and exploration – the great Elizabethan age, the Industrial Revolution, the spirit of Churchill.
That was not the Britain which joined the Common Market in 1973. Europe was streaking ahead. The bulldog had lost its bounce. It was the year of power cuts and butter coupons for pensioners.
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| Winston Churchill inspired the British to never accept defeat |
On the day we joined they even managed to hoist the Union Jack upside down over Brussels, a signal for a ship in distress.
We should have been worried. Now Britain is back. Free of the euro, we have raced ahead of the continent and beyond it. Less than half our exports go to the EU and the share is falling.
Ignore the pessimists from Remain who tell us we have no alternative to this economic misery zone that has left half of all young Greeks jobless.
The EU is the global laggard, its economy growing more slowly than any continent except Antarctica. We could do even better if we shook off the remaining Brussels fetters.
The EU imposes uncontrolled migration from Europe. It stops us negotiating the free trade with the world that would bring new jobs and prosperity.
Its unelected officials crank out six in 10 of our laws. Then they charge us an eyewatering membership fee of £350million a week.
After the British people vote to leave and take back control, we will get back all that money to spend on our priorities such as the NHS and cutting VAT on energy bills for pensioners – which the EU, you won’t be surprised to know, forbids us from doing.
By taking back control of our borders we can finally get a grip on migration from Europe.
In 2015, 270,000 people came to Britain from the EU, that is like adding a city the size of Newcastle every year.
Reducing the number of migrants will make life easier for young people struggling to get on the housing ladder. Less immigration will help people on the lowest incomes the most.
They are the ones who are hit hardest when companies bring in cheap labour from Europe. The alternative, to stay in the EU, means having no chance of controlling numbers.
It is likely to get worse, with nearly 90 million people from Turkey and four Balkan countries being lined up for EU membership and free movement.
That will bring competition for jobs and pressures on hospitals, schools and housing that we can only guess at.
I’m pro immigration but it has to be controlled and it must be done with the consent of the British people.
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| Brexiteers join Tory MPs Michael Gove and Boris Johnson at a rally in support of the Leave campaign |
Like many others, I was optimistic the Prime Minister would win a good deal in his renegotiation with Brussels.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. If we stay, the EU will be after extra cash from us, not least to bail out the euro.
We beg to give them less, they demand we hand over more. It would baffle Oliver Twist. We should remain good friends and neighbours and carry on trading as before with our European friends.
But for Britain, the EU has had its chance and it has had its day.
The Remain camp will not get away with running Britain down by saying we can’t manage our own country.
I believe Britain will have the confidence to take back control and Vote Leave tomorrow.
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http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/682050/Boris-Johnson-vote-Leave-for-brighter-future-Brexit-EU-referendum
