Safer In

A dossier of murders and rapes committed by fifty EU criminals in Britain has been published by Vote Leave. This is dark and scary. What are we supposed to think and to what human characteristics does this tactic appeal? The dossier plays on voters’ fears.  Yet, I expect some of our own bad guys are commiting crimes in Europe to balance all this.  The dossier is published amid a series of high-profile interventions about Brexit’s negative impact on energy, farming and the NHS.

Damian Green, the former Conservative immigration minister, said Vote Leave’s argument “makes no sense” and was “a mix of chaos and confusion”. He added “We are able to stop suspects from travelling to the UK and since 2010 we have refused entry to almost 6,000 EU nationals'

Chuka Umunna, Labour MP, said one of the terrorists involved in the July 2005 attacks in London had been returned to face justice through the European arrest warrant. “

Sir Hugh Orde, former president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, added that membership of the EU was vital to Britain’s security. “Using the European arrest warrant we have deported 7,000 suspects from the UK and brought hundreds back to face justice on British soil, and working together through Europol we share intelligence in real time on violent criminals across the EU. Leaving would put this all at risk.” 

Healthier In the EU

The National Health Service will face budget cuts, falling standards and an exodus of overseas doctors and nurses if the UK leaves the European Union, according to the health secretary Jeremy Hunt.  This rare lucid monent from the the health secretary is very welcome and backed by Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat MP and previous health minister.  

My Mum's main nurses were from the EU, lovely Irish and Spanish girls who cared for her in our local acute trust during the diagnosis of her final illness.  They made everything so much more bearable for her.  

Leaving the EU will create risks which could trigger a loss of key staff.  The struggling NHS needs a strong economy and most of us realise that Brexit will be highly destabilising.  The CBI, the London School of Economics and Oxford Economics, have all published surveys indicating an adverse impact on the UK economy and the government’s ability to stick to high levels of funding for public services.

McKee and Galsworth writing in the Journal of Public Health recently argued convincingly that Brexit threatens public health.  They point out that contrary to popular belief EU laws are made jointly by democratically elected national governments, in the Council of Ministers, and the directly elected Members of the European Parliament.  They add that EU legislation has protected our physical enviroment in a variety of ways.  These include establishing limits on the sulphur content of fuels and also the quantity of sulphur emissions from power plants and industrial sites, which led to an 80% fall in emissions.  In addition concerns about the health effects of airborne particulate matter led the EU to act on vehicle engine standards and, by 2005, it was estimated that total emissions from road traffic were 63% lower than they would have been in the absence of EU standards.  Furthermore, EU directives have also addressed water quality, both for drinking and bathing, including the now well-known Blue Flag system for beaches.  The EU has been especially active against tobacco, which is among the leading causes of premature death among Europeans. Despite sustained challenges from national governments including, for many years, the UK, it has banned advertising in all those settings. Another example is road safety.  In 2001, the EU set a target of halving the yearly number of road deaths by 2010, the resulting interventions are viewed as contributing to the 43% decline in road traffic deaths that has been achieved.  There would be huge pressures to engage in removal of public health protections in an economically struggling post-Brexit world.

Research will also suffer.  The current 7-year EU science programme, Horizon 2020, disburses €80 billion and facilitates collaborations worldwide. The UK is, for now, at the epicentre of this global collaborative hub and participates in more projects than any other member state. Post-Brexit, the UK might be able to participate, as do Switzerland, Norway and Israel, among others, by buying into the programme but it would have no input to policy. Moreover, its participation would depend on what the EU would allow. When Switzerland recently took measures to reduce immigration from the EU its involvement was reduced by 40%. 

There are also structural benefits in the form of health-related EU institutions. British public health specialists have played important roles in the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention which compiles surveillance data from across Europe, develops shared methodologies and standards, and co-ordinates emergency responses. The European Medicines Agency, based in London, has a streamlined approach which avoids the need for national approvals of medicines in all 28 member states.

I conclude that the threats to our health are clear.  The rest of the debate csn seem confusing and both sides can give convincing but opposing arguments.  But it also boils down to ideology.  

Do we want to be isolated from Europe psychologically and practically or do we want to be part of it for better (usually) or for worse (sometimes, but we will have a voice to influence things)? Right now Europe is opening it's eyes to the need to work together for our peace and security. We must be part of this. 

References 

Martin McKee and

 

Michael J. Galsworthy 

Brexit: a confused concept that threatens public health J Public Health (2016) 38 (1): 3-5 doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdv205

I am worried about Brexit

If the governor of the Bank of England is worried about Brexit, then we should be.  Today Mark Carney warns of Brexit risk to financial stability.  In the event of a vote for Brexit, Mr Carney said the Bank "will do everything in our power to discharge our responsibility to achieve monetary stability and financial stability".  But he added that he could not "provide a blanket assurance that there would not be issues in the short term with respect to financial stability and that potential reduction in financial stability could be associated - and normally would be associated - with poor economic outcomes, as we have seen in the past".   The scale of the impact of Brexit on the financial sector would depend largely on the relationship negotiated following a vote for UK withdrawal, said Mr Carney.   This negotiation could be protracted.  In fact, it is likely to be with twenty seven other countries involved. Ministers are warning of at least 10 years of "uncertainty" if the UK votes to leave the European Union. A government analysis says the economy, financial markets and the rights of Britons living overseas could be affected during a complex negotiation to "unravel" the UK's membership.

The Leave campaign cannot explain what would happen if it wins the referendum.  

Freedom to travel in Europe as an EU citizen

I have just returned from Spain and I feel ready to blog for Europe with renewed conviction.  I took one of the many low cost flights to Madrid and travelled around on the wonderful, super efficient and fantastically priced rail network complete with my Tarjeta Dorada.  This card for over sixties cost a princely six euros and gives me a third off for a whole year.   How wonderful to be European.  Europe is the best continent in the world.  I don't even feel the need to justify that statement. So why would we want to distance ourselves from it?  

Let's consider ease of travel as a benefit of EU membership.

Firstly, easyJet.  The chief executive, Carolyn McCall, has suggested that Brexit could herald a return to the days when flying was “reserved for the elite”.  If you are my age you will remember those days.  European holidays were for the rich.  We went to North Wales in the car.  There's nothing wrong with North Wales of course, but more choice would have broadened the mind.  I remember too that people needed visas for most countries and there were restrictions on how much money you could take out of the country.  

Writing in the Sunday Times, McCall said: “The EU has brought huge benefits for UK travellers and businesses. Staying in the EU will ensure that they, and all of us, continue to receive them.'

McCall argued that before the EU overhauled aviation in the 1990s, flying was reserved for the elite who travelled on “government-owned airlines between state-controlled airports”.  

“As a result of Britain’s membership, the costs of flights have plummeted, while the range of destinations has soared. That’s why easyJet believes the benefits far outweigh the frustrations – and why the UK is better off as part of the EU,” she said.  

Secondly, Spain. 

Here I am in Cáceres, Extremadura.  I love Spain and can go there whenever I want, (If I have momey in the bank) thanks to my rights as an EU citizen. 

No one talks about emigration!  An estimated 5.5m British people live permanently abroad – almost one in 10 of the UK population.  760,000 of these live in Spain.  Lucky them!  I would like to live in Spain and if I decide to, as an EU citizen, no one can stop me.  However, if we vote to leave,  the Brits in Spain could lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services that are only guaranteed because of EU law.  Anyone who has lived abroad for less than 15 years, can vote in the referendum on 23 June.  To not vote to stay in would be foolhardy in the extreme.