10/07/2014
Potentially the longest part of
Flexcit will be Chapter 9, dealing with the continuation of EU programmes. Already since the last version it has grown substantially, and I am just about to add another section, this one on
maritime surveillance.
And then there is
this - the EU's Erasmus scheme, sending students abroad to study, as part of their overall education. A programme existed before the EU, but it has been taken over by Brussels and institutionalised, funded out of the EU budget, with match-funding from a variety of sources.
The scheme is an intrinsic good, and if we just scrapped it, there would be an awful lot of disappointed mums and dads, and students. It would weigh heavily in any referendum campaign, as an example of what we would lose by leaving. The Commission already milks it, and one would expect to see the propaganda stepped up.
Thus, we would either have to do a deal with Brussels, to stay in the scheme (as do EFTA countries), we would have to develop our own scheme, or we could think about whether there should be a better, wider scheme divorced from the EU to cover not just the EU but the whole of Europe and the wider world.
What we cannot do is ignore it. The problem we have with the EU is that we have developed a huge range of co-operative ventures, all under the ring of stars banner. They run into many hundreds â some are good, some are very good, and should be continued. Some are rubbish and should be scrapped or improved.
Rightly, therefore, they have to come within the ambit of an exit plan. One can imagine the scenario, for instance, in a referendum campaign, when in a crowded public meeting, someone in the audience stands up and asks: "what do we do about Erasmus?" My son/daughter, they will say â¦
So, what about Erasmus? What about the hundreds of co-operative schemes? How do we handle them? And then, since we may have hundreds of links, in order to deal with all these schemes, wouldn't it be better just to have an overarching agreement, sort of like the European Union, that we could all be part of?
Once you get there, we are in dangerous territory. I could so easily make the case for
not leaving the EU, far better than most Europhiles are doing. Perhaps, for a fee, I should consider changing sides.
On the other hand, there are valid points emerging. I don't think they should be ignored, and I don't accept that they should be glossed over for fear of frightening the horses, of because discussion would give the Europhiles ammunition. There is a debate to be had, and we should have it, to thrash these issues out.
Alternatively, if we cannot make a good case for leaving, and deal with the complications, then we should wonder whether we are at all equipped to fight and win a referendum campaign. Occasionally, I have my very serious doubts.
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