On Thursday 23rd June this year, a referendum will be held to decide whether Britain should remain part of the European Union or not. The vote is taking place because Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold one if he won the general election in 2015. This came in response to increasing numbers of Conservative MP’s and the UK Independence Party who argue Britain had not had a say since 1975, when it voted to stay in the EU in a referendum. The EU has changed a lot since then gaining more control over our daily lives. Mr Cameron said:
“It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time to settle this European question in British politics.”
The EU is an economic and political partnership involving 28 countries which began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation with the idea that countries that trade together are less likely to go to war with each other. It also has a single currency (the Euro which is used by 19 member countries, its own parliament and now sets rules on a range of areas including the environment, transport, consumer rights and even things like mobile phone charges.
British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over 18 who are resident in the UK will be able to vote. Along with UK nationals living abroad who have been on the electoral register in the UK in the past 15 years. Members of the House of Lords and Commonwealth citizens in Gibraltar will also be eligible.
According to a poll by the Daily Telegraph which took place from 20th-24th April:
– 51% of those surveyed would vote to remain in the EU, whereas 43% would vote to leave. 6% still don’t know how they will vote.
– 51% of definite voters will vote to remain, 46% would vote to leave, and 3% are undecided.
According to a survey of young voters by Opinium, the Leave side would have 43% of the vote, this is four points ahead of the remain camp who have 39%. 18% of voters said they were undecided, while 1% refused to say.
Many disabled people have come forward to argue that a decision to quit the European Union (EU) would harm disability rights in the UK.
“Britain’s exit from the EU would have dire consequences for disabled people”. That’s according to Miro Griffiths who is a former Government advisor and project officer for the European Network on Independent Living.
Disabled crossbench peer Lord Low said he had “no doubt that leaving the EU would be harmful to disabled people’s interests”.
A steering group for disabled people has so far voted 2 to one in favour of Britain staying in the EU.
Steering group member Debbie Jolly said,
“Disabled people and European non-governmental organisations are the ones that fight for disability rights, but being in the EU can help extend those rights and also help fund our battles.
“While we in the UK may know we have a significant battle, other countries have significant battles too in terms of access, attitudes, being part of the community, and poor financial support for the extra costs of disability – pulling out of the EU means rejecting our disabled European friends and significantly weakening our own fight too.”
Another steering group member Ellen Clifford said,
“Key successes in the fight against disabled people’s oppression have not been handed down from EU bodies but won by grassroots disabled people and our allies.
“The independent living movement was formed by disabled people breaking out of residential care; the social model of disability was developed by disabled socialists; Atos was driven out of the contract running the work capability assessment by disabled campaigners.”
Caroline Richardson, from the Spartacus online campaigning network, was another disabled activist to speak out against Brexit this week.
She said: “Those supporting Brexit are overwhelmingly MPs and ministers who have supported and designed swingeing cuts to disability and sickness benefits [including former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith and employment minister Priti Patel], and hence disabled people are totally justified in not wishing to follow their guidance in voting out.
“Of course there are huge concerns about human rights issues, and many sick and disabled people feel that Europe, the EU and the UN combined give them more protection against retrogressive policies and protect their individual rights.”
If you’d like more information on the issues surrounding the UK’s EU referendum please visit:
http://www.theweek.co.uk/eu-referendum
http://www.debatingeurope.eu/focus/infobox-arguments-for-and-against-eu-referendums/#.VyHWy_krLos
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35632046
