Tuesday marked 100 days until UK's referendum on European Union membership. As fierce debate continues in Britain, with seemingly daily stories of scandals and political bust-ups, many experts remain undecided on whether Britons will remain in the bloc, or break ties with Brussels and push for a Brexit.
The Daily Telegraph reported that according to their recent poll, it has been revealed that supporters of Brexit are more likely to vote in the forthcoming referendum, which could give the Leave campaign a decisive edge. Urging the Commonwealth citizens, Priti Patel MP, the Employment Minister and PM's Champion of Indian Diaspora, who is one of the key leaders for Vote Leave campaign, told Asian Voice, “The EU Referendum is a time where we have a chance to rejoin the rest of the world and in particular the Commonwealth countries with which we are so strongly culturally and historically tied. But membership of the EU acts as a barrier to us strengthening those links with our friends in the Commonwealth.”
“Whilst we remain in the EU we will continue to hand over our money to Brussels rather than investing in our communities and priorities. Whilst we remain we are risking the safety and prosperity of our children, and our children’s children, because we simply have no control of our future.”
“Voting to leave is the better, safer choice. We need to take back control over the destiny of our country and provide a positive vision for the future. We have one chance to do this. We have one vote to decide this. And we have one very clear option: Voting to leave the EU on 23rd June and make our great country greater still.”
A cornerstone of the Brexit argument is resting on border control. Skeptics, in the light of current situation have claimed that UK will not be able to properly control its own borders unless it cuts ties with the EU and its freedom of movement principle. Pro-EU campaigners however have rejected such claims, arguing that leaving the EU would damage existing immigration cooperation agreements that the UK enjoys with countries such as France and would subsequently leave the country isolated on border protection issues.
At the Vote Leave cocktail reception on Monday to celebrate Commonwealth day, Patel also insisted that exiting EU will ease access for Indians/commonwealth citizens in Britain. But pro-EU campaigners have rejected that claim, stating border laws for non-EU immigrants in Britain remain unaffected by EU laws.
While Downing Street and the campaign to stay in Europe are attempting to kill of BBC's Wembley Arena Referendum, amid fears it will descend into a 'circus', the Queen has been drawn into a row over the EU Referendum after it was claimed she has allegedly expressed concerns about the direction of Europe during private conversations. It was reported that the Queen allegedly made critical remarks about the EU during a lunch attended by former Deputy PM Nick Clegg. Fears that Eurosceptics may use this to their benefit has spread like fire. However Buckingham Palace insisted that the Queen is 'politically neutral'.
David Cameron according to The Times, has accused Brexit campaigners of viewing potential job losses and damage to businesses as a 'price worth paying' for Britain quitting the EU. He argued that the economic consequences of Brexit will be highly damaging.
Boris Johnson describing Cameron and his allies as a 'merchant of gloom' set our his vision of Britain as 'very very bright' outside EU, proposing a Canadian style free trade agreement. But later Mr Cameron said that the model Johnson has proposed was “too good to be true.”
