The notion of a member state - particularly one as vocal and powerful as the UK - being simply told to jump and responding with "Certainly, how high?" is one of the most over-used fallacies in this whole process; Leave's very own version of project fear. We have exercised plenty of opt-outs - The Euro, Schengen, Tax and Social Security harmonisation - there's three pretty substantial ones to be going on with. It's one of the reasons why members who are like-minded but lacking the clout are sorry to see us going.
Another fallacy is the idea that we - a post-industrial economy with a population heading for 70 million - can become some kind of deregulated, low tax haven - like an offshore Luxembourg, only bigger.
I voted remain because the balance of arguments for doing so easily trumped the hypotheticals being promoted by the leave campaign; many of which have already been dismantled. A list of things some people don't like at the moment, plus a supplementary worst-case list of other things which others might want to happen in the future, is nowhere near enough.
My life is actually pretty okay: if I'm going to vote for change the reasons would need to be absolutely compelling. They aren't.
Another fallacy is the idea that we - a post-industrial economy with a population heading for 70 million - can become some kind of deregulated, low tax haven - like an offshore Luxembourg, only bigger.
I voted remain because the balance of arguments for doing so easily trumped the hypotheticals being promoted by the leave campaign; many of which have already been dismantled. A list of things some people don't like at the moment, plus a supplementary worst-case list of other things which others might want to happen in the future, is nowhere near enough.
My life is actually pretty okay: if I'm going to vote for change the reasons would need to be absolutely compelling. They aren't.