In response to an article by no NO2EU society, Francesca Hannay of LSU Labour Students gives her thoughts on the why British students should want to remain in the EU.
Is Britain really ready to leave the EU? As one of the most important decisions Britain faces today, do we know what we risk by leaving the EU? Students benefit significantly from EU membership, the Erasmus programme helps students travel all over Europe, developing new skills and having new experiences. Having lived in Germany I fully understand how important it is to live and work abroad and how much this can help you. Leaving the European Union would stop many people having these experiences. I also believe that the EU is integral for our economy, being an English speaking country in the EU is very attractive to American companies which have their European headquarters in the UK bringing lots of jobs. England is no longer the great power we used to be in order to stay relevant we have to make sure that we have strong links with other countries.
The referendum itself also needs to be considered carefully, when we have the referendum we need to make sure we pose the right question to the public and ensure that it is conducted fairly. We need to make sure the decision the public comes to is undisputable. We need to do this so we can finally move on from the constant attention on the EU. This means we can concentrate on more pressing matters. Once we have had the EU referendum we then need to concentrate on the real reasons behind the rise of parties like UKIP. People are generally dissatisfied with the government and want a change in the way things are run.
I will admit that the EU does need reform. However our position in the EU is stronger than out of it. The reforms Cameron is seeking are important for making the EU work for us, however if we don’t receive them instead of leaving we need to accept that if we want the EU to work we need to stop having one foot out of the door and fully commit.
Francesca Hannay, Member of LSU Labour Students
