Brexit and all that Jazz

Here we go then, four months of mud-slinging and associated political nonsense in the lead up to what is a very significant decision. The outcome of the EU Referendum on 23 June is arguably far more important that last year's general election. So, right on cue, here I am with one of my infrequent, meandering and opinionated posts.

The EU certainly has its issues. It is a complex beast where only a select few have a clue how it all fits together and only the Parliament is directly elected. Much is made of Europe's lack of democratic accountability, but then Westminster is hardly a beacon of democratic perfection, is it? I live in a safe Labour constituency, but I don't vote Labour, so my vote has zero effect on the make up of the House of Commons. That's hardly democratic. Neither is the House of Lords, which I have supported in the past, but is now so stuffed to the gunwales that its validity is rapidly diminishing in my eyes. Yes, the EU could do with restructuring and more direct public accountability, but the thing that really irritates me is the British government's attitude towards Europe. In a group of supposedly equal states, having the UK Prime Minister threatening departure if he doesn't get his way is just childish an I imagine many Europeans are hugely frustrated by this. Agreements and treaties should be made to better all members of the club, I'm no fan of special rules for one or two members. We're in the EU, so why don't we spend the time trying to make it work better rather than throwing toys out and walking away. It is much like complaining about the standard of a Wikipedia article: if it's wrong, fix it.

Stepping away from a group like the EU seems to be entirely the wrong thing to do. As with any set of governance layers, it's all about putting the right powers at the right level - I would no sooner suggest my local council be in charge of international relations than I would put Brussels in charge of refuse collection. Getting the right powers at the right level and sorting out the EU structures and how they operate are the sorts of reforms I would like to see, not what was agreed on 20 February. Make it work better for all 28 members (and those to come), not special rules for the awkward squad.

Yes, there are significant areas of policy where I believe states should be able to abstain or delay membership until the conditions are right - Shengen and the Euro are two obvious examples. The key is getting everyone wanting to join these things, and to achieve that they need to work properly. As we have seen in the cases above, when the wind is right and the sun is shining brightly, all is (mostly) well. However, if the systems are put under pressure (i.e. the Syrian refugee crisis and the 2008 financial crisis) things start to unravel. Making these systems robust is one of the areas where the EU needs to focus efforts.

Dictation

It seems strange to me that certain members of the UK's political establishment are constantly banging on about being dictated to from Brussels, as if we have no say in the rules that originate there. To quote Boris, "This is a moment to be brave, to reach out - not to hug the skirts of Nurse in Brussels, and refer all decisions to someone else." Strange... is the UK not part of that decision-making process? Anyway, as someone who lives in the North East of England, I can scarcely see any difference between being dictated to from Brussels and being dictated to from London. Brussels may generate a lot of regulations, but Westminster is not shy in churning out new rules, with or without any sort of debate or scrutiny. (In 2015, 37 acts passed through the UK Parliament and over 2000 statutory instruments were signed off on the whim of ministers.) The quality of these rules and how they are made is crucial, not just reducing the word count.

What's your point?

You know, I'm not even sure what the reasoning behind the leavers' arguments is. Is it harping back to the so-called glory days of empire? Is it the belief that all our regulatory problems would go away if only London were in charge? If it's the former, then it's jingoistic nonsense that I want no part of; if it's the latter, then the hope is misplaced. London is more than capable of clogging up life with reams of rules and, if we still wanted to trade with the remaining members of the EU, we would still have to follow the rules without input into their creation. Of course the UK would motor on outside the EU and perhaps we could negotiate some fine trade agreements with some other countries, but isolationism is not my bag - I would much rather work closely with our neighbours, it feels like the right approach.

Wrap it up Dave, you're rambling

So yes, I am pro-EU and will be voting to stay. I like the fact that mobile phone roaming charges have been reduced; I like that (once I get to the continent) I can troop around without having to show my passport or change currency and if I get sick while I'm there I get access to healthcare; I like the fact that I get compensation if my airline delays my travel significantly; from a professional perspective, I like that product-related regulations are the same across the bloc; and I particularly like the fact that Western Europe hasn't dropped bombs on itself since 1945. The EU has done some spectacular things - but it's manned by humans and run by politicians, so it's flawed. Like every other organisation on the face of the planet. Including Westminster.

P.S. If we vote to leave, who is paying for my new passport? I'm certainly not - the thing is only 2 years old.
P.P.S. If we vote to leave, are we going to ban the metric system and return to £.s.d.?
P.P.P.S. If we vote to leave, can Scotland please crack on with independence so I can move 60 miles up the road and back into Europe?
P.P.P.P.S. Regardless of the outcome in June, can the European Parliament please stop moving between Brussels and Strasbourg every few weeks, it is utterly ridiculous. If you must move around, at least make the second site Kraków or somewhere in that general area.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Common Agricultural Policy. Yes, I know.