For and Against the UK Remaining within the European Union - Case Study Example

Assignment on the UK and the European Union Task: To discuss and debate some of the arguments for and against the UK remaining within the European Union. Student’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Introduction The European Union is made up of 28 European countries who have come together to form a union in order to reap political and economic benefits associated with engaging in activities as a group (Kimberly, 2014). The United Kingdom joined the European Union in the year 1973. There have been debates as to whether the United Kingdom stands to reap more benefits by virtue of its membership to the European Union. Some suggesting that the UK will be better off out of the European Union whereas others see the UK benefitting more being a member of the European Union. In order to quench those debates the British Prime Minister has even promised a 2017 referendum on whether Britain should remain attached to the European Union as a member or not (BBC News, 2013). With the looming referendum in UK and the 2015 elections in Spain, Britain, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Portugal and Estonia and the fact that the opposing sides in those elections have different views on the membership of their states to the European Union, the outcome of the elections will have an influence of the survival of the European Union (Denis, 2014). This essay will look at the benefits the UK is likely to continue to enjoy if it continues to pledge its allegiance to the European Union. The essay will also turn over a new leaf and discuss also the disadvantages suffered by the UK by virtue of being a member of the European Union. Arguments for UK staying as a member in the European Union In order for the UK to safeguard the numerous British jobs that are created simply because the UK is a member of the European Union, it must stay within the bloc. To relinquish its membership, it will be giving away about 3.5 million British jobs associated with its membership to the bloc (Brian, Iain and Dermot 2014). This number stands for the direct jobs alone that are created by the European Union to the UK. Therefore, if the UK were to abandon the European Union, they will be giving up more than 3.5 million British jobs (GBP, 2007). The other reason as to why UK need to think twice before withdrawing from the European Union has to do with the investment and export benefits it enjoys by just being an EU member. UK exports over 54% of its goods and 40% of its services to the European Union markets (Pro Europa). In total the EU market brings a total of £400 billion to the UK worth of goods and services per year (BBC News, 2013). For example, in 2011 UK exported £97.3 billion worth of services to the European Union market with the Irish Republic claiming £6.1 billion of those services. In the same year the UK services imported from the European market stood at £43.6 billion (ONS, 2013). Deductively from the data, UK’s exports of services to the European Union markets exceed the imports from the same market. Investors from Asia and America have set their investments in the UK particularly, building their industries here simply because the UK is a member of the European Union. More than 300,000 companies of British origin and native exporters of over 70% depend on the EU markets (Pro Europa). So withdrawing from the EU means giving up all these (GBP, 2007). Another important reason as to why the UK need to stay put in the European Union is the country’s trade. Most the country’s trade treaties have been discussed and agreed upon under the European Union umbrella (David, 2012). Backing out of the European Union would mean that the UK will have to re-discuss the trade treaties afresh. With the UK outside the European Union it may be difficult to renegotiate some of the treaties because other countries fear losing European markets by dealing with a UK government which is outside the European Union. UK moving out of the European Union could mean that the 1.4 million Britons roaming freely in European countries will have to lose that freedom. There will be restrictions of travel to the EU countries, even the freedoms of studying and working in those countries will have to come under scrutiny (BBC News, 2013). The UK ought to stay in the European Union because UK citizens in other EU countries enjoy unemployment benefits. About 30,000 British citizens in EU countries benefit from unemployment benefits simply because UK is a member of EU (Dennis, 2014). Because of the easy travel within the EU countries by citizens of these countries, labour and manpower in all departments has become easy to access by the UK. Immigrants to the UK from these other countries also contribute to the economy of the UK by remitting their taxes (Christian and Tommaso, 2013). EU has been instrumental in fostering tranquillity and political freedoms in various countries. This is an achievement that the UK enjoys as being part of the EU. EU helped Spain, Greece, Portugal and the Soviet countries to start enjoying democracy (Pro Europa). The most recent case of this is the EU involvement in the Russia-Ukraine crisis where the EU threatened Russia of economic sanctions if it does not withdraw from Crimea (Kimberley, 2014). In the EU bloc, goods from member countries can be sold in any of these countries without exorbitant taxes because of the regulated tax tariffs. Reduced aeroplane fares, internet costs and cheap phone call rates within the EU bloc are enough to make UK stay in the European Union (DTI, 2004). In order to fight terrorism and crime UK ought to remain within the European Union bloc. Within the bloc it is easier to extradite criminals from one country and take them to countries where they are required to be charged. This has been made possible by the European Arrest Warrant which exists within the European Union (Pro Europa). Eurojust, a department within the European Union has helped the UK and EU member states to combat drug and people trafficking as well as money laundering. As far as research is concerned, the UK receives enormous support from the European Union in terms of research funds. To be precise, the UK comes second largest beneficially of such funds (David, 2012). The UK is more powerful when it is a member of the European Union. In many international organisations, the UK is represented but jointly in EU delegations, making it more powerful than when acting alone (Pro Europa). Among the policies of the European Union is peaceful co-existence and non-discrimination among members of the European Union states as enshrined in the European Union law. This ensures British citizens are not discriminated against based on race, religion or sexual orientation whenever they decide to visit or live in the European Union member states (Pro Europa). The force behind 28 states has been able wade off unfair competition and exploitation practiced by giants like Samsung, Toshiba and Microsoft. UK cannot achieve this when acting alone (Pro Europa). A clean environment for all is one of the policies of the European Union through the stipulated EU standards among its member states, Britons living in the European Union countries get to enjoy a cleaner and safer environment (David, 2012). Something UK couldn’t afford on its own. Arguments supporting UK withdrawal from the European Union According to Lewis (2013), the United Kingdom has lost chances of improving and growing economically because of the trade restrictions within the European Union. These restrictions strangle free trade. Hence, withdrawal will ensure that the UK will bounce on such chances and move forward economically. Another reason for withdrawing is the cost of being a member Within the European Union. it is expensive to be a member of the European Union, particularly for the United Kingdom. Lewis (2013) argues that it costs the United Kingdom a whopping £25 billion just to maintain its membership within the European Union. This figure can rise to £50 billion dollars if the United Kingdom was to agree to the proposed Continental plans of harmonising tax tariffs within the European Union. The UK joined the European Union in the year 1973. Just after two years of operating within the bloc, the UK inflation rate jumped from 9.2% to 24.2% in 1975 and the United Kingdom experienced the lowest growth rate ever of 2.9% (David, 2012). This alone is a clear indication that the United Kingdom economy is not viable within the European Union hence the strong urge to withdraw from the bloc. Once out, the United Kingdom will have the freedom of guarding its borders and controlling movements especially those of illegal immigrants who might disturb the tranquillity of the country. Because of being in the European Union, the UK had no power to regulate the 2.3 million immigrants from the European Union countries into the United Kingdom (BBC News, 2013). Within the bloc, the United Kingdom is deprived of democracy as its representation can be easily outvoted thus denying its citizens fundamental rights and freedoms to pass policies tailored to their needs. This is because politically the United Kingdom representation in the European Union council is odious (Lewis, 2013). Representation and voting within the EU council deprives the electorate of his or her democratic right. It is in a such a way that there is nothing the electorate can do to influence policy or remove ineffective system. United Kingdom operating outside the European Union will go a long way in ensuring that goods and services that are cheaper and affordable are made available to the citizens. This is because liberalised free trade without tax tariff controls will widen market sizes enabling businesses to enjoy economies of scale. This brings about health business competition thus a decrease in prices and an increase in the quality of goods and services (Lewis, 2013). The European Union consists of countries with differing cultural backgrounds in that some of the European Union countries ban the advertisement of certain products for example, alcohol, tobacco, and certain drugs. These countries at the same time are unceasingly advocating for the same bans to be incorporated into the European Union bloc (Lewis, 2013). Thus the United Kingdom should get out of this bloc in order to avoid advertisement restrictions and enjoy the benefits of liberalised free trade. United Kingdom freeing itself from the European Union and concentrating all its energies on the European Economic Area could result in the creation of 1 million jobs for the Britons. Less than 10% of the United Kingdom economy relies on the European Union but still the United Kingdom continue to feel the brunt of the challenges associated with European Union rules. Thus the UK needs to free itself from such injustice (BBC News, 2013). By virtue of the United Kingdom operating within the European Union, its relationship with other countries outside the European Union has been strangled since the European Union restrictions does not afford the United Kingdom an opportunity to mingle with other states more often. But pulling out of the European Union will enable the United Kingdom make decisions that are independent in warming up to trading with Brazil, China, Russia and India. This will go a long way in strengthening political relations and ties between the United Kingdom and these countries (BBC News, 2013). Bailing out falling economies is part of the European Union economies. Discussions in the European Union in the year 2014 were what were to be done to economically uplift the economy of Ukraine after it had experienced economic and political turmoil. Thus, the United Kingdom bailing itself out of the European Union will ensure that it won’t be using the taxpayer’s money to bail out other economies (David, 2012). Also, if the United Kingdom opts out of the European Union, it will afford itself an opportunity to be in charge of its fishing waters instead of sharing it with the European Union member states, thus freeing itself from the Common Fisheries Policy. It will also ensure that the United Kingdom is not a signatory to the Common Agricultural Policy which leaves families bills of £1200 in food bills. This will allow the United Kingdom to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining (Lewis, 2013). In Europe, countries with the highest gross domestic product are Norway and Switzerland. These countries have been able to achieve those high GDP figures simply because they operate outside the European Union and thus have been able to taste the sweetness of free trade (Pro Europa, na). This is a wake call to the United Kingdom to wake up and smell the coffee and start packing in preparation to move out of the European Union and take the dive to the free world out there. Conclusion In conclusion, a number of arguments have been raised for and against the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, but bottom line the arguments for their continued subscription the European Union outweigh the arguments for their wanting to withdraw from the EU bloc. As far as democracy is concerned the European Union is continuously re-inventing itself to better fulfil the needs of its members (Pro Europa, na). The benefits of reduced mobile phone calling rates within the bloc, affordable flights, cheaper internet and standardised payments for labour across the bloc not forgetting the numerous trade benefits associated with acting as a bloc among others should be more than enough to persuade the United Kingdom to continue pledging its allegiance to the European Union. If the European Union member states were to act alone in formulating economic and political policies, it would have resulted in 28 sets of regulation documents but coming together as the European Union has saved the member states time and money and has resulted to a single amalgamated functional document. References BBC NEWS 2013, UK and the EU: Better off out or in? [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politic-20448450. [Accessed: 26th February 2015] Brian, A., Iain, B. and Dermot, H 2014, UK jobs Depend on the EU, London, South Bank University. Christian, D and Tommaso, F 2013, The Fiscal Effects of Immigration to the UK, London, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration. David, C 2012, Au Revoir Europe: What if Britain left the EU?. London: Biteback Publishing. Debatewise. The UK should leave the European Union. [Online] Available from: http://www.debatewise.org/debates/784-the-uk-should-leave-the-european-union/. [Accessed: 26th February 2015. Dennis, M 2014, Will Europe Survive 2015, the year of all Elections?. [Online] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/30/europe-2015-elections- eu-britain. [Accessed: 26th February 2015] Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 2004, Making Globalisation a Force for Good, Norwich, Crown Publishers. Great Britain Parliament (GBP) 2007, Modernising European Union labour Law: Has UK anything to Gain?. 22nd Report of session 2006-07. Kimberley, A 2014, What is the European Union? How it Works and History. [Online] Available from: http://useconomy.about.com/od/worldeconomy/p/european_union.html. [Accessed: 26th February 2015]. Lewis, A 2013, British Withdrawal from the European Union: A Guide to the Case For. Manchester: Industrial Systems Research. Office for National Statistics 2013, Europe Remains the dominant Market for UK Exports and Imports. [Online] Available from: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/itis/international-trade-in- services/2011/sty-international-trade-in-services.html. [Accessed: 26th February 2015] Pro Europa. [Online] Available from: http://proeuropa.org.uk/twelvereasons. [Accessed: 26th February 2015] Read More