It’s understandable if you’re still struggling to decide, given all the spurious facts and political in-fighting. But for many of us, one overriding fact or issue will have emerged that might ultimately determine our vote.

What’s the big argument for staying? One word: peace. The referendum coincides with the centenaries of the battles of Verdun and the Somme in the first world war. The people who died in those battles serve as a poignant reminder of the genuine dangers when European nation states choose combat over compromise, and chauvinism over diplomacy.

Today we take peace for granted. It’s easy to forget that until 1945, European history was one long, repetitive stream of spilled blood and internecine fighting every couple of generations. It’s vital that we continue to build on the trade, cooperation and relationship-building that have been brokered, peacefully, since 1945. For the UK, 42 of the 71 post-war years have been within the EU, and during that time we can be proud of Britain’s role in achieving widespread improvements in European wellbeing – from the integration of former dictatorships, through the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the welcoming of former Soviet bloc countries into the club, to the rise of the digital global economy. The EU has been a force for good in all these developments.

Which begs the question: why allow Brexit to mess things up? Especially with a referendum that, like all referendums, will be influenced more by short-term populism and emotions (anti-immigrant, anti-Cameron, anti-Corbyn, anti-bureaucracy etc) rather than any reflective, rational decision-making on the nation’s mid- to long-term future.

What do you think? 

BREXIT OR BREMAIN