LETTER: Think of your children

The economic arguments in favour of remaining are overwhelming. Leaving the EU would have a significant negative impact on the UK economy and families’ incomes. After ‘Brexit’ we would face years of economic uncertainty whilst we tried to negotiate trade treaties to replace our membership of the EU single market.

If Scotland voted to remain with the UK as a whole voting to leave, it is highly likely that there would be a second Scottish referendum on independence, only this time with a different result. The United Kingdom would be united no-longer.

Since 1945 we have had peace in most of Europe, and always had peace within the Common Market/EC/EU. Should the UK leave the EU it would greatly encourage right wing nationalist anti EU movements in several countries (e.g. France, Poland, Hungary) and could start a domino effect leading to the break-up of the EU, which might then lead to conflict between nations currently within the EU.

Many world leaders, including of course Barak Obama as US President, have urged us to stay within the EU for both security and economic reasons. How many are in favour of us leaving? None of the leaders of nations who we would regard as friends. Who would be pleased if we left? Why Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Marine le Pen of the Front Nationale in France!

Other key areas of our life that would be negatively impacted by our leaving the EU include: environmental regulation, scientific research, the pharmaceutical industry, the NHS, and our universities. This is not just my opinion – it is the publically stated view of a large number of distinguished people in those spheres of activity.

In short, do we want to remain ‘Great Britain’ or pull up the drawbridge and become ‘Little Britain’? This is the point of no return for our nation.

I hope your readers will think of their children and grandchildren before deciding how to vote.

John Wilton

York Road

Chichester