Brexit

[Muddy Retriever]

And so I see a bigger picture of a deranged Bear in the East who would like nothing more than a destabilized Europe in order to further his expansionist aims. And I realise that this is not the time to destabilise Europe with a self interested vote.

I can understand your concerns but I think the question to ask would be if not now then when? It's 41 years since the people of this country were last allowed a say on their future in Europe and let's be honest, it will be a long long time before the establishment risks asking us again.

There are some in the EU who welcome a Brexit anyway since it would allow them to more closely integrate. If that is what they wish then they can do so without the British dissenting voice impeding them. An inner core may do so and perhaps other countries on the periphery such as the Scandinavian nations may in time join us in a much looser arrangement.

There is nothing at all to prevent us from cooperating with our European allies in the face of Russian aggression following Brexit. In fact why wouldn't we? We still have NATO after all.

We don't need to be in a political union to cooperate with fellow democratic countries. We have NATO as I mentioned plus the UK and France already cooperate bilaterally on military matters independently of the EU. On security issues our closest alliance is the "Five Eyes" agreement with the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. None of the other four are in the EU but we quite happily share intelligence information with them.

The EU started out as a noble idea in the post war world as a means to bring former enemies together but it is now well past its sell by date. Don't you think it is telling that no group of countries anywhere in the world wishes to copy the EU?

Have I done enough to persuade you back again?