In an article for the Evening Standard, the former UK PM observes that along with the City of London, the UK's global allies are incredulous that the anti-EC lobby is so politically naïve.
Let me as someone who believes with passion that Britain should remain in the EU first show some understanding of the case in favour of leaving. To start, we should be clear: of course Britain could both survive and maintain its economy outside of the EU. Of course we could still form alliances, play a role in the world and would retain — at least for a time — our permanent status in the UN Security Council. And by leaving there would be certain additional flexibilities, especially around legislation, that we would gain.
What is more, it is absolutely true that after the euro crisis there will inevitably be closer cooperation between the members of the single currency, from which we will be excluded because we’re not members. So a two-speed Europe — with differentiation between the euro and non-euro members — will to some extent come into being. Thus there is an argument that we will be in a different club in any event.
All of this is true. None of it, however, remotely carries the weight necessary to overwhelm the huge and equally incontrovertible downside of leaving. When people say it is debatable whether leaving would mean that Britain had less influence in the world, it really isn’t. Anyone who has held the office of Prime Minister knows that our position within the EU is absolutely central to our position in the world.
The idea that we would form equal relationships with new powers like China and India with an identity separate from the EU is so unrealistic as to be risible to anyone who has seen how big power politics works. On areas such as trade, EU membership gives us huge commercial advantages. And in the political arenas like the G8 and G20, Britain has far greater heft because we are alongside other EU nations.
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© Evening Standard
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