GRM’s guide to the EU Referendum

The EU Referendum is coming to a polling station near you TOMORROW.

All over the nation, British people will be asked the question “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”

It will be a simple Yes or No vote. But the consequences of the vote are far from simple. This is GRM’s breakdown of the massively significant referendum.

If the people vote Yes

If Britain votes Yes, things will stay more or less as they are now, as we are already a member of the European Union. David Cameron has negotiated some small changes, like making it possible in some circumstances for the government to stop giving in-work benefits to migrants when they first arrive in Britain, but overall, there will be little significant change.

Why vote Yes?

Being in the EU means trade is easy with Europe, as there is free trade across European borders. Without this trade agreement, businesses based in Britain would struggle. This is why big companies like Shell and BT want to stay in. For this reason, many see EU membership as crucial to a strong economy.

Being in the EU makes us more powerful on a world stage as it makes us part of the world’s largest economy, meaning we have more of a say in global negotiations. This was helpful recently when the EU sanctioned Vladimir Putin’s Russia for their aggression in the Ukraine. The UK would have had no say in these sanctions in the case of a Brexit. Britain is essentially JME, good independently, but far stronger in a clash with the BBK / EU crew.

Staying in Europe makes it easier for British people to travel and live in other EU nations.

If we leave, then EU nations are likely to take it badly, meaning Britain may get a poor trade deal with them if we vote No. It has the potential to be a messy and drawn out divorce.

People may also vote Yes as it will mean no drastic change to how we live. If we vote No, however, there will be an element of the unknown, which some find worrying.

If the people vote No

Consequences are a bit less clear if Britain votes No, and no-one can be absolutely certain how a No vote will affect Britain. (Just to clarify, though, it will definitely not mean that Ozil has to go back to Germany). Here are some of the main reasons that blabbering Boris and his fellow ‘Brexit’ campaigners have given for leaving the EU.

Why vote No?

Britain will be able to control the number of immigrants coming into the country from European countries. For many, this is the main reason to leave. Nigel Farage and others claim that immigrants take jobs and government resources that should be for British people.

We pay a lot of money to the European Union, somewhere around the £9 billion mark per year. Some question whether the benefits of EU membership outweigh this price tag.

Leaving the EU will mean that it has no influence over our laws. At the moment, some of our laws, relating to employment, and trade, are made by the EU.

People in the ‘Brexit’ campaign have repeatedly claimed that leaving the EU will not damage our European trade, and make it easier to do business with the rest of the world. This is probably the most contentious factor, because as much as politicians might claim, no-one, not even Dynamo, can give a prediction with any degree of certainty of what would happen to the UK economy. What we do know is that it would take a long time to negotiate new trade deals, which is perhaps the reason why 90% of economists want to stay in the organisation.

So, what do you do?

You’ve probably seen David Cameron pleading with Brits to stay, while his old Etonian buddy Borris attempts to pull voters in the opposite direction.

But at the end of the day, it will be the people who decide. Here’s a couple of other voices you may or may not care about, who’ve made up their minds.

I’m passionate about my country and whatever the result of Thursday’s referendum, we will always be Great. Each side has the right to their opinion and that should always be respected whatever the outcome of the European Referendum. I played my best years at my boyhood club, Manchester United. I grew up with a core group of young British players that included Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville Brothers. Added to that was an experienced group of older British players such as Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce and Paul Ince. Now that team might have gone on to win trophies but we were a better and more successful team because of a Danish goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, the leadership of an Irishman Roy Keane and the skill of a Frenchman in Eric Cantona. I was also privileged to play and live in Madrid, Milan and Paris with teammates from all around Europe and the world. Those great European cities and their passionate fans welcomed me and my family and gave us the opportunity to enjoy their unique and inspiring cultures and people. We live in a vibrant and connected world where together as a people we are strong. For our children and their children we should be facing the problems of the world together and not alone. For these reasons I am voting to Remain

A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on Jun 21, 2016 at 12:15am PDT

https://twitter.com/KTHopkins/status/745201968759570432

https://twitter.com/LethalBizzle/status/745166887277912064

https://twitter.com/BBCr4today/status/690445802141954048

https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/745550491946520576

I’m #IN I’m not playing Russian Roulette with my future. •We want to help protect 3.5 million jobs •We want equal pay and non-discrimination •We want peace, democracy and progress #voteremain #strongerin #thefutureisEU ????

A video posted by GHETTS (@therealghetts) on Jun 19, 2016 at 3:51am PDT

Lastly – MAKE SURE YOU VOTE. This is a big deal, far bigger than a general election. This isn’t for the next five years, this is for the generations of the future. So make sure your voice is heard.

Words: @sjriptweets