The Future of Britain

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POLITICS Is it time to abandon the EU? Tim Foster The question of whether the UK should remain part of the EU has, for better or worse, dominated UK politics. British citizens have increasingly begun to question whether being members of the EU is in the national interest, and if not, then the second question concerning leaving the EU naturally follows. In order to see how central this debate has become, one need not look further than the UK’s political party system, which has changed to such an extent that, in the words of many journalists, ‘three has become four’. The Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties are now seen to have a fourth major rival: UKIP. This party seeks to represent the Eurosceptic feelings that many people in the UK now have, as demonstrated by the recent European elections, in which only UKIP can claim to be the winner. UKIP, alongside many other Eurosceptic organisations, have advanced various arguments in favour of abandoning the EU. It is my opinion, however, that these arguments are fundamentally flawed. Whilst the EU clearly has its problems and needs reforming, the UK needs to be part of this process, and react by expelling most if not all British citizens back to the UK, causing a massive influx of people coming into our country (exactly what the Eurosceptic wants!). On top of this, immigration horror stories are almost entirely mythological in nature. For instance, it is a lie that immigrants are mostly living off benefits: European immigrants are half as likely as natives to receive state benefits or tax credits, according to a study by academics at UCL. Other fantasies about EU immigrants are similarly rebuked by facts: most are young and skilled. They come here mainly to work. Their so-called ‘nonactivity’ rate, which covers pensioners, students and stay-at-home parents as well as the unemployed, is thirty percent. The rate for the UK population as a whole is forty-three percent. Meanwhile, thirty-two percent of recent arrivals have university degrees compared with twenty-one percent of the native population. The average age of the European immigrant population in Britain was thirty-four in 2011, compared with forty-one for the native population. We do not pay much for the immigrants’ education since most arrive already educated. As most EU immigrants are of working age, we do not pay much for their pensions or healthcare either. Many return home after a few years. Finally, consider the cultural impact: immigrants import different foods, languages beliefs, ideas, etc., all of which are worth celebrating. The more ingredients a stew gets, the better it tastes. Immigration is and has always been a powerful tool for the enrichment of mankind. Ultimately, EU immigrants are largely a force for good, not evil, and so leaving the EU because of immigration would be a massive mistake. In fact, leaving the EU at all would be a massive mistake. No matter how you look at it, be it economically, culturally or internationally, all sides stand to lose if the UK abandons the EU. The arguments put forward by Eurosceptics are at best mistaken and at worst purely emotional and without rational grounding. This is not to say that the EU does not have problems; it does indeed have huge ones. The solution, however, is not for the UK to leave a sinking ship, but to help navigate it towards reform, and in doing so, help to steer Europe towards prosperity. ƒ In support of a spoilt ballot Will Cowie 2015 dawns fast upon us. For the majority of the team here at the Ricardian, it is a landmark date – not just a general election, but the general election – the first one; the first time that we have been considered old or wise enough to vote by the leaders of our country. Finally we have a voice and are able to enter into that shared right of the great civilisations of human history – the right to vote. Like the Athenians and Romans before us we have a chance to live “the good life” of politics and to let our voices be heard. So it may surprise you that, come Polling Day, with your list of party candidates before you, I suggest that we spoil our ballots. This may seem stupid, a waste of a useful vote, it may seem like a refusal to accept society as it is and instead seek a perfect political system. Spoiling the ballot may seem the equivalent to entering that weighty and historical theatre (the polling box) and resoundingly, defiantly, raising two fingers. I would argue that this is not the case. It’s not just that as young people we are utterly unrepresented by political parties today – and we certainly are as parties seek out the vote of an ageing population, scared to significantly raise the retirement age but perfectly happy to hand out £27,000 of crippling debt upon all young people who seek higher education. It’s not just the centralisation of political power – as the safe seat becomes more and more common in various regions, the leaders of are country are determined by a shrinking number of swing seats, to the extent that, living in Surrey, the votes of anyone who does not support the Conservatives are wasted. It’s not just the corrupt, expense-claiming politicians who do not care for the concerns of their local constituents but instead try to climb the ranks of power as suits them. It’s not just the erosion of local politics – with power taken increasingly away from local authorities into the hands of central government our say about our local area is removed. It’s not just the increasing celebrity culture of political leaders – where the vote of the country is based upon not the policies represented by political parties, but whether Nigel Farage likes to have a fag and a pint, or what dress Samantha Cameron was wearing at the latest social function. And it’s not just the increasing impotency of our government – held to ransom by multi-national corporations. Yes, it’s all that. But most important is the real erosion of the true sense of democracy – the true sense of the Athenian “good life”. We are fast losing all sense of debate in our political system and this is very worrying. We see on the one hand apathy (as voter turnouts fast shrink) and on the other, blind willingness to follow the ideas of a political party – we accept or reject the ideas of the government in power based not on the merit of those ideas but instead upon whether the party we like suggested them. Spoiling the ballot sends a clear message – we want to be involved in this democratic system but first there needs to be change. For at the moment, change does not appear to be on the horizon. Maybe, this way, we can alter that. ƒ The problem with UKIP Eddie Mitchell If you have not noticed the rapid rise of UKIP, you must have been living under a rock. To many people, this rise to prominence came as something of a surprise. Certainly none of the main, established, parties seems to have anticipated it. Remember that this was the party that the Prime Minister once described as “a Bunch of Fruitcakes, Loonies and Closet Racists”. Now the party so rudely dismissed by David Cameron has stormed to victory in the recent European Elections. So how and why has the rise of UKIP been so spectacular? To answer this question I believe you have to take account of the economic conditions over the last few years and the effect of austerity measures. Many people in the UK are feeling the effects and are disillusioned and angry. Since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008, thousands of people have lost their jobs, or have suffered pay freezes or reductions. At one point, in 2011, nearly 2.7 million people - some 8% of the UK’s working population - were unemployed. The cycle of ‘Boom and Bust’, which Gordon Brown so triumphantly announced had ended in 2008, was clearly still in rude health. Of course, the recession was not limited to the UK. It hit most countries and the cause cannot reasonably be attributed to the UK politicians. Whatever Gordon Brown said in 2008, there was probably little he could have done to prevent the UKs slide into recession. Unfortunately, it seems to be human nature to look for a scapegoat. Most people want someone or something tangible to blame for why they aren’t able to adequately to feed their families. You don’t have to look too far back in history to see this effect in action - most evidently in Germany between the World wars, when the cruel Versailles powers and weak Weimar leaders were deemed responsible for all Germany’s ills. With the assistance of some of the tabloid Press, UKIP targets a convenient scapegoat - immigrants - specifically those from other parts of Europe. Immigrants taking jobs that UKIP suggest should be given to ‘British citizens’ is something tangible and 6 7
POLITICS easily understood. Such rhetoric feeds the prejudices of the desperate and focuses their anger. Immigration damaging the economy is one of those convenient lies which seem almost universally to be accepted, yet this evidently isn’t true. Far from being damaging to the economy, immigration is a solution to many problems that would face this country if it were further curtailed. On balance, recent immigrants make a substantial net contribution to the wealth of the UK and many take jobs that would be hard to fill otherwise. These are the conclusions reached by researchers at UCL in 2013. “Immigration is a solution to many problems that we shall be facing” UKIP’s main thrust is, of course, to oppose the UK’s membership of the EU. The European Union and its Members are blamed for holding back the UK’s prospects and thus causing hardship. In fact, it’s probably true to say that the majority of the electorate (myself included) simply does not have enough information to make any rational decision on the state of Britain and the effect of its membership of the EU. UKIP is cashing in on that lack of understanding. Another aspect of UKIP’s popularity which cannot be ignored stems from the personality of its leader Nigel Farage, who is for all intents and purposes, the face of the party. Farage is a man with whom people feel they can identify – a rare trait at a time when trust in politicians is at an all-time low. Personal charisma is not in itself a bad thing, but problems can arise when the electorate trust policies simply because they like the character of the man delivering them. Nigel Farage is always keen to show off his alternative approach to politics. UKIP now has to be seen as a significant player in the forthcoming general election next year, but it is hard to see that they are going to be around for the long run. Their party is so thin on policy (aside from the desire for the UK to be ‘independent’ of the EU) and so dependent on one man - its leader - that in my opinion, it will soon disappear and with it the bitter and divisive policies it espouses. ________________________________ BRITAIN UNDER NIGEL FARAGE - Immigration would become pointsbased. Nigel Farage’s favourite country, Australia, would be the model. - Question Time and the PMQ’s would be instantly elevated to absolute hilarity due to the prescence of such characters as Godfrey Bloom. - The government would be run like the city - caffiene and cocaine in, women and poor people out. 2015 Election: party leader profiles Calvin Ngwena DAVID CAMERON The Prime Minister. The ‘big-cheese’. Whatever adjective you want to use there is no denying that Mr Cameron has dominated the political arena for the past few years. From his often criticised austerity measures to his controversial attempt to intervene in Syria, he has been at the centre of political agenda. Some would identify a need to address the concerning rise of UKIP who are seen to be drawing away traditional voters from the Tory Party. Maybe this is why Cameron recently gave a speech about upholding British values and possibly the reason behind Education Secretary Michael Gove’s reform of our educational system to teach our youth more about the work of British men and women. By prioritising these polices, it may be seen as a way of keeping those voters who feel that national values are being lost at the expense of a tolerance of a wide range of cultures. Only time will tell whether this potential method will continue and even reward the party and Mr Cameron with a majority win in the next general election. NICK CLEGG It seems as if nothing can go right for the leader of the Third Party. Four years ago people were backing the Lib Dems, hoping for an alternative to the manifestos of the two main parties. The leader of the party, however, is perceived to have no integrity as he backtracked on his objection to a rise in tuition fees, a decision which alienated the majority of Lib Dems supporters. That is not to say Nick Clegg has not tried to improve our political system. A valiant attempt to reform the House of Lords by making peers elected and more accountable was rejected by Tories - a defeat which caused the Lib Dem leader even more heartache. Nevertheless, the true low points came at both the EU debates with Farage and the lacklustre, uninspiring performance in the European election which saw party support fall to record levels. This accumulatied in the botched attempt by Lord Oakeshott to dethrone Clegg as the party leader, making for an uneasy period. One must wait to see if better prospects are on the horizon for the Mr Clegg. ED MILIBAND Some could say it has been a rather passive performance from Mr Miliband since 2010. With the current Tory party’s ‘Long term economic plan’ coming to fruition with annual GDP growth for 2014 being forecast at 2.9%, hard times lie ahead for the Labour Leader who must convince voters that there is an alternative option. But is there really? Reportedly the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls even realises that the path of austerity is a necessary policy in order to keep the economy on track, making it even harder for the party to distinguish itself from the supposed dark (blue) side. So what can Mr Miliband do now? In the fall of 2013 it appeared that the ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ was going to be the main driver of their new manifesto. It embodied key principles of placing priority with the vulnerable and forcing the elite rich to pay back their fair share to society. Nevertheless reports of a ‘cost of living crisis’ have been diminishing as real wage growth has overtaken CPI Inflation for the first time since 2008. The Labour Leader needs to find another manifesto pledge to cling onto before it’s too late. NIGEL FARAGE From left: Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, David Cameron. The ‘political earthquake’ predicted by Mr Farage may actually be coming to fruition. After an impressive display against Nick Clegg on the debate on EU membership and a historic win in the recent European election, it sparks the possible demise of the two- party dominance which the Conservative and Labour Party have held for over 100 years. So what’s next for the new star of UK politics? Reports claim that he is planning to secure up to a dozen seats in the next general election, a plan which will unfortunately gain the party no significant power due to the harsh reality of the First Past the Post electoral system but will aim to push the party in the right direction. Although there have been damaging events which have threatened to de-rail Mr Farage’s political ambition including his recent remarks concerning Romanians, no one can deny the impact he has made in the recent months on both voter opinion and rival party leaders. If nothing else, he’s a master at pandering to the populist antipolitics vote. This just might be a string to his bow. ƒ 8 9
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The Future of Britain

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