A Eurosceptic’s guide to the referendum

We have been promised a referendum on whether the UK should remain part of the European Union. That is all well and good, but how will electors be able to access the data that will enable them to make an informed decision?

There are a whole range of issues to consider.

There are philosophical arguments (should the UK’s sovereignty be pooled, or should we reassert the UK’s status as an independent sovereign state?), constitutional arguments (is the Westminster parliament to make our laws, or should their deliberations be subject to EU approval?), arguments about the democratic nature, or otherwise, of the EU institutions (the big players are appointed rather than elected and the EU “parliament” has no power to initiate or repeal legislation), arguments about the nature of our society (should entitlement to come and live in the UK be determined by the EU or the UK Government?), economic arguments (would the UK be better off financially inside or outside the EU?), security arguments (does the peace of the UK depend on being a member of the EU, or on being a member of NATO?), democratic arguments (are our hard-won freedoms over the 800 years since Magna Carta was signed enhanced or imperiled by continued membership of the EU) and business arguments (are profits enhanced by the ability to employ people from anywhere in the EU, thus increasing the supply of labour in the UK and consequently depressing the level of wages for British workers?)

On the face of it, you might think it eminently reasonable that an informed British electorate should have the opportunity to vote on the path that their country should take in the future. But will we be allowed to consider the issues rationally and come to a considered conclusion?

The omens so far are that we will be subjected to a torrent of information and misinformation, much of it coming from vested interests and those who may personally profit from a particular outcome even if that is detrimental to the interests of ordinary British people. How will the electorate glean the information to enable them to decide whether to vote Yes or No?

The Government, led by David Cameron seems already to have decided that come what may, they will push for a Yes vote in the referendum when it comes. They will of course have all the government’s public relations and publicity resources at their disposal. Of the other parties, only UKIP are unequivocally in favour of withdrawal. So far as the press are concerned, the Daily Express is unashamedly Eurosceptic, and in recent weeks the Daily Telegraph has been making some notably eurosceptic observations, but the rest seem content to acquiesce with the status quo. The BBC (which receives significant funding from EU sources) tends to make regular pro-EU noises.

The EU itself, far from regarding the UK’s continued membership as a matter for UK citizens, has a budget of over £500m to “inform people about its policies”. Official documents show Brussels is funding think tanks and trade unions to hold high-level seminars, publish reports and place opinion pieces in newspapers in order to promote a “greater affinity” for the EU.

Liam Fox, the MP and former Defence Secretary, said this amounts to lobbying British decision makers by stealth. “While the citizens of Europe are undergoing programmes of austerity”, he said, “the EU’s Directorate General for Communication is blowing millions on propaganda.” Needless to say, a Commission spokesman denied that these activities amounted to “propaganda” or “lobbying”. The question we should ask is whether Mr Average or Ms Average will be able to discern the hard facts from the torrent of information that the media will shower upon them?

About the author

Gerry O’Brien represented the Diocese of Canterbury as a lay member of the Church of England’s General Synod. He is seeking re-election to the General Synod in November 2015. In May 2015 he stood as the UKIP Candidate for Ashford in the General Election. Gerry has lived in Kent for 20 years and works as the director of communications for a charity.