Myth:
The EU will not affect me personally
Think again. The EU's "corpus juris" programme aims at a common law and judicial system for the whole of Europe. The law of most of EU countris is based on the Code Napoleon - our common law system is unique. Guess who's legal system is likely to be selected for the EU? Not ours. Habeas corpus, the right not to be imprisoned without trial, is not part of Continental systems. For example, the suspects in the Meredith Kirchner case in Italy are likely to be in prison for a year before their case comes to trial. Whatever you think of the case, it is a chilling prospect.
Myth:
We will have to Join the Euro Eventually
The Euro is not inevitable for Britain. Trade with the EU affects only 15% of our economy. The Euro can be just another foreign currency for us - we already do much of our trade in dollars.
Switzerland does more of its trade in euros than we do, but they will keep the Swiss franc.
Myth:
Only Little Englanders Oppose The Euro
It is the euro-enthusiasts who want to focus narrowly on Europe alone. The idea of regional trading blocs and regional power blocs is outdated. We need to focus on our global markets. Britain has had trading interests all over the world for centuries. Our companies invest much more in global markets outside the EU than in the much-vaunted EU single market.
Myth:
Three Million Jobs Depend on EU Membership
"Britain in Europe", the pro-EU campaign which eventually folded for lack of support, claimed that three million jobs depend on EU membership, based on research they commissioned. The scientist who led the research publicly disowned this claim. His report said that few, if any, jobs would be lost if we left, because trade with Europe would continue.
The National Institute for Economic and Social Research supported this view. It says that 3.5 million jobs are linked with EU trade, but if Britain leaves, few if any of those jobs would disappear. Indeed, unconstrained by EU red tape, our businesses would be free to create more jobs. We would continue trading with the EU under a Free Trade Agreement, just as Switzerland, Egypt, Mexico and about 20 other countries do, with about 70 more negotiating their own FTA. The World Trade Organization says so; the European Commission agrees. The rest of the world trades successfully with the EU from outside - why couldn't we?
EU countries need to trade with us - in or out of the euro. Four million jobs in the EU depend on trade with the UK, and the balance of trade is strongly in their favour. They would be mad to try to cut off trade with us.
Myth:
The Euro will be Big Enough to Stand Against the Dollar
There is no connection between the size of an economy and its strength - the Swiss franc is one of the strongest currencies in the world.
Myth:
Joining the Euro will Avoid Foreign Exchange Costs and Risks
More than half of our trade would still be in currencies other than the euro - much of it in dollars. The saving on exchange costs would be much too small to compensate for the huge changeover cost (estimated at £36 billion), the risks involved in joining, and the loss of independence
Myth:
The Euro Won't Affect Britain's Independence
EU leaders have consistently and openly said that they see EMU as a major step towards EU political union. Only British politicians pretend otherwise.
Economic and Monetary Union cannot work unless economic policies are centrally controlled - EU leaders have long been pressing for tax harmonisation
Myth: Business and the City Want the Euro
The CBI stopped campaigning for the euro some time ago. The Institute of Directors is against the euro. Small businesses, which provide most of our jobs, are overwhelmingly against the euro - the Federation of Small Businesses voted to leave the EU.
In October 2006, an ICM poll of 1000 UK companies showed that 52% of chief executives think that the EU itself is failing, 60% believe that the UK should renegotiate its involvement with the EU to free trade only, and 54% say that over-regulation by the EU is outweighing the benefits of the single market
The Governor of the Bank of England once said that the UK in the euro would be "the elephant in the rowing boat" - destabilising the currency.
Myth:
A Single Currency is needed to Complete the Single Market
There is no necessary connection between a single currency and a single market. No other trading block has a single currency.
Myth:
Outside the Euro we will lose out because we cannot influence EU Policies
We trade successfully with countries all over the world without any influence over their commercial policies or how they manage their currencies. Why should the EU be any different?
Dozens of countries, as diverse as the US, Norway, Japan and India, trade successfully with the EU, with no say in their policies. One vote in 27 gives us hardly any influence over EU policy, which is in effect usually decided by France and Germany.
In a University of Gothenburg poll of EU diplomats and negotiators, Britain and Sweden, both outside the Euro, were voted third and fourth most influential countries.
Myth:
The EU has solved the problem of war in Europe
The causes of peace in Europe were the spread of democracies (historically, democracies do not fight one another), the demise of international ideologies (Fascism, Communism) and the mutual guarantee of the NATO alliance.
Myth:
The EU is so successful that everyone wants to join
The three richest countries in Europe - Norway, Iceland and Switzerland - have all voted against joining.
Don't Believe the Myths
We will Leave the European Union - when we see it for what it is.
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