My View, Nadeem Murtuja: Too many people being fed a rosy picture

The EU referendum will soon reach fever pitch, with both sides locking horns and telling us stories in such a dramatic fashion that it will make Hitchcock's Psycho feel like a Little House on the Prairie.
Readers have their say on the upcoming EU referendum in June.Readers have their say on the upcoming EU referendum in June.
Readers have their say on the upcoming EU referendum in June.

The real story, that confirmed my fears, is the report by the independent Institute of Fiscal Studies which warned that if we left the EU we will be subject to at least another two years of austerity and recession.

My biggest fear is that there are too many people in Doncaster who are still not mobilised in this debate and are being fed a rosy picture of the UK in 1975 when we decided to join the EU Common Market, rather than the reality of the 31 years since. For politicians to tell us that they can somehow reverse this time is like trying to strike a deal with, let’s say, Tony Blair – “I promise you they’ve got weapons of mass destruction”.

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The fact is that the picture of doom that Blair once painted is as untrue as many of the promises and predictions that the leave side are making to secure our votes.

So much of this debate is based on predictions - where is Mystic Meg when you need her the most?

The challenge Ed Milliband made on Question Time was absolutely spot on when he asked the leave side to name one country that we will be like if we left the EU, and for them to not have an answer is deeply worrying.

What I can tell you, as a matter of fact, is if I wanted to sell my kettle to the EU I can do that with minimum regulation.

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Yes “regulation,” that thing the leave side want us to have less of, though if we did leave the EU and I wanted to sell my kettle then I will have to comply with EU regulations. Does that make sense?

The issue that I have with the EU referendum is that I believe the vote should have been split three ways: Leave, Remain and Reform – with an option for people to tick what kind of reforms we needed. Wouldn’t that have been more democratic and inclusive?

I have to say it has been amusing to observe the trusted “we are all in this together” Tories in-fighting during this debate, jockeying to take over as the next leader or even the Prime Minister of the country, while on the outside trying to portray a picture of unity and promising us an eternal spring.

It’s as believable as Corbyn and Cameron being on the same side – oh, sugar, they are.

n What do you think? You can email us your views on this column or any other topic via [email protected]