Why I am voting #Remain - my positive case

I think more than enough vile and false information has been splashed about with regards to issues around immigration in this campaign and anybody who has believed some of the the most horrible rhetoric is not going to be swayed in any way by me so I'm not going there. Instead I have decided to lay out MY POSITIVE REASONS for voting to REMAIN A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. 

We have all benefited from some aspect of EU membership over the years

Business and jobs from free trade – Just in our little business I would say about 1.5 of the 12 full time jobs our business supports is down to the turnover and PROFIT from our sales into the EU. We do not concentrate on export but nevertheless it has become a valuable income stream and is growing. If the terms of trading into the EU change and it affects profitability of this business we would be left with no choice but to make some changes to protect our core business activities. Or put it another way have been able to create 1.5 more jobs than we would have done otherwise thanks to our EU sales. 

EU funding of social/ cultural/community projects – Lots of parts of the UK have amazing resources thanks to EU funding.  Parts of Wales have really benefited from this and I believe Wales is a net beneficiary.

Infrastructure that would not otherwise be built due to limited resources from Westminster/local authorities – see my last point

It is easy for every single one of us as EU citizens to travel study work and invest throughout the EU and this has broadened minds & enhanced cultural and employment opportunities for young and old alike.

EU structures have enabled more funding and more importantly information sharing and cooperation in the vital areas of science, the environment and security.

Consumer protections and employment protections have been enhanced for each and every one of us. Whether you buy a product in Britain or France or Germany you have the same consumer legislation to protect you. For example I have to give exactly the same returns rights to our British French German or Spanish customers.  Vice verse if you buy from a French retailer. 

Yes regulations can be a pain and there should be a constant revision of removal of regulation that has not achieved the intended aim (apparently this does actually happen in the EU)  but in the main the original intentions are to help EU citizens. Do you really particularly want to choose to buy a hoover with an inefficient motor or would you prefer there is legislation which ensures that manufacturers continue to invest in the technology which drives their designs forward and makes their products more efficient and effective? Maybe some of those regulations are a means to getting us in the right travel of direction towards a worthy goal.

On a final and  personal note re regulation, people (both politicians and other folk)  who have never in their lives run a business or created ONE single job have spent the last few weeks telling me solemnly that small business in particular is hampered by EU regulation.  I have been running a small business for 26 years and we have created an amount of employment over the years which has generated much tax income for the UK that I think we can be quietly proud of.  I can say hand on heart I have never had any EU regulation hamper my business activities noticeably and any business problems we have experienced over the years have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with EU regulations and more to do with how well the economy is doing combined with our decisions.  I cannot speak for others in business but in my company we believe in taking responsibility for the quality of our own work, decisions and judgement.  We try and deal with trading conditions as they are presented to us we do our best we don’t always get it right but we won’t blame anybody or anything else when we get it wrong.  

So that's where I am - that's why I sent my postal vote in a week ago and proudly voted to #remain.  I hope you find something useful  in my humble opinions.