Why I shall vote to leave the EU

I don't particularly have any feeling for being part of a nation state or of patriotism. My objection to the EU is on grounds of democracy. The EU project is a political one designed to bring about a European superstate with an entrenched neo-liberal economy that cannot be altered through the democratic process. To facilitate this, we have the unelected EU commission who are completely adverse to any expression of democratic will by the people of Europe. The Trade Commissioner negotiating the current secretive trade deal with the US, can state without any shame that she takes no mandate from the people of Europe in these talks.

Now the referendum is imminent there is no longer any discussion of what Cameron negiotated. So we cannot tell how strong the safeguards, for the UK for not being part of closer EU integration, actually are. The future of the single currrency is in doubt without closer integration and harmonisation of taxes between member states. Is the UK's position in the slow lane of EU integration, and non-participation in the Euro, really tenable in the longer term? The ultimate truth of the concessions given to Cameron is that the EU cannot be reformed.

There has been much talk of worker's rights, and that British workers stand to lose annual leave and other rights. This in some way reflects the defeatist mindset of the TUC and Trade Union leaderships that they cannot stand up to demand the retention of these rights. Events in Spain, Greece and Ireland have shown that the era of "Social Europe" is well and truly passed. In those countries, as part of the bailouts to shore up the single currency, collective bargaining with trade unions was suspended. Furthermore, in its attempts to raise European productivity, the EU is promoting zero-hours contracts, casualisation and poverty pay.

I am concerned that there may be economic turbulence and job losses after a vote to leave the EU. However, both are recurring features of the global capitalist system. You only have to look at the UK steel industry to see this. I believe that the UK can build new trading relationships with Europe and the rest of the world. I note that the Dutch and Czechs are now starting to demand their own referendums on EU membership.

One of the the Remain campaign taunts is that the Leave campaign cannot give a description of what "Brexit" will look like. But their argument can be turned on its head, what will the further development of the Superstate mean for the people of Europe? The single currency which underpins the whole EU concept, is a political project rather than an economic one. Will the single currency require the permanent operation of austerity policies to sustain itself?

There is a clear choice in the referendum, do you trust a system that is run by unaccountable bureaucrats an which cannot be democratically reformed or to have the chance to build a different country in which the will of the people must be heard?