Have the courage to throw off the EU shackles
THE referendum campaign has been dominated by an allout war between vested interests. I feel compelled to speak out after witnessing Baroness Warsi, with a smirk on her face, making inflammatory and divisive comments about those supporting Brexit. This slur on anyone wishing to exercise their democratic right is offensive and only causes friction. I have been struck by the varying views of young people: one 18yearold told me he is voting Leave in order to see Britain great again; two young women said they want to Remain, one because she feels safer doing so and the other because she is riskaverse. I am not sure where the safety lies in laws that decree it impossible to deport dangerous criminals. Courage seems to be diminishing in our society, with so many rules and regulations for teachers, businesses, the NHS, councils and the legal system seeping into every area of our lives with stupefying results. When it comes to the referendum, some might wish to cling to the familiar, and others will relish the freedom that accompanies change. Jonathan Aitken writes of the ‘longsuppressed discontent on issues’ relating to the authority the EU has over us (Mail). He deduces that people will vote Leave if they feel affected by this. But some might not vote, or decide to vote Remain, because they have no vision of a future without the undemocratic EU and its hold over Britain. The socalled ‘union’ belies a myth that we are ‘all in it together’. We risk being reduced to an insignificant nation in which not only the people, but our elected leaders, have no sway or voice. There certainly is a divide between multinational corporations lobbying to Remain — most likely so they can stifle competition — and entrepreneurs, who have taken many risks to create a business and want to be unshackled from the restrictive powers of Brussels. I fear democracy and freedom, won so dearly, could slip away as the bureaucracy beyond our shores continues to seize control, to the extent it is difficult to see all the strings of the puppeteer. I hope for a better future, but cannot equate this if Britain stays in the EU. Many will vote with their hearts, as their instincts might be less to do with economic forecasting and more to do with pressing worries, which include overregulation and uncontrolled immigration. Thankfully, Britain has always been a sanctuary for refugees, including my father, who, after being injured and losing contact with his relatives in World War II, came to this country, which became his home and a safe place to raise his family. But the conglomerate that is the EU has led to a crisis that cannot be curtailed by our Government. It doesn’t make sense to stay with the status quo when it isn’t serving to protect or help people thrive.
MARUSJA HARASYMIW, Belper, Derbys.