Guest blog - Why I'm backing Remain by Richard Logue

By Richard Logue

I did say I wouldn't speak about the Referendum again after last week's tragic murder of Jo Cox MP but we are now hours away from voting and I can't remain silent when the same old lies are being repeated.

When I spoke on Wednesday evening in favour of Remain at our public meeting in Mill Hill many pro-Brexit supporters were shouting, telling me to sit down and shut up.

Is this the Britain we want? A Britain where only those with pre-approved opinions are allowed to speak? A Britain where our elected representatives are under threat of Murder because they dare to break the consensus and call out the Leave campaign for what is really is?

And it really is a squalid, know-nothing argument, built on lies, built on exaggerations and built on deception.

That’s not the Britain I love. The  Britain I love is strong and influential inside the European Union. It’s now free to push for genuine reform as it is no longer bound to the Treaty of Rome requirement for “ever closer union”. No longer bound (and it never was) to bail out Eurozone countries as our non-Eurozone status is confirmed through the deal Cameron struck with the EU prior to the Referendum.

A Britain prepared and ready to veto any non-democratic or free countries that want to join the EU. Turkey is not going to join the EU. It won’t join until it’s confirmed as a free, democratic nation that respects the rights of minorities. That process may take 40 years, it may take 100 years. What is certain that it is not going to join the EU any time soon. That is a fact.

And what about the £350 million a week argument? It's an exaggeration. In reality we send just under £250 million a week and get back money to pay for agriculture and infrastructural projects. In addition the private sector gets EU grants to pay for research. Even then the money we pay out is less than what we pay for overseas aid and is dwarfed by what we spend on the NHS, Defence and Social Welfare. Returning £250 million per week to the UK exchequer would have almost no impact and could easily be sucked up if our economy tanks and the value of the pound crashes in the event of Brexit.

We are told that if we Vote Leave we'll take control. We won't take control. The British Establishment will take control. Are we really going to "take control" by abolishing our directly elected British MEPs and replace them with the unelected House of Lords? Are we going to "take control" by opting out of making the EU laws and directives and replacing that by having to blindly follow them if we want to trade with the EU? Are we going to "take control" by admitting we have to continue mass immigration because our elected politicians cut education and not reform it so we can grow much needed trades and vocational education? Do we "take control" by allowing well known NHS opponents like Michael Gove and Aaron Banks to take power in this country in the event of a Brexit vote?

I’m sick of this referendum. I’m sick of the Leave campaigners undermining this country and I can’t wait for their poison and vitriol to leave the stage and allow us to rebuild our country after the sick and disgusting events leading up to this referendum.

I wholly respect people's desire to vote Leave. We have a democracy in this country and our right to vote is fundamental to how it works. But so too is the right of Free Speech and the right to elect Politicians to represent us. I believe a vote to Leave endorses Tommy Mair, Britain First, Nigel Farage and Lies rather than truth. Darkness instead of light.

I want Britain back. I’m voting Remain.

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Ricahrd Logue is an engineer and the chair of teh Mill Hill Residents Association. He wrote this in a personal capacity and it in no way reflects the views of the MHRA which is a non political and non aligned organisation