Letters to the editor
EU membership
[Re: Britain is bound to a Single Market at the expense of freedom to trade, Friday]
This is a good article, and it’s encouraging to hear that Britain could thrive outside the EU. I can’t understand why so many politicians are so committed. Recent unrest in the southern Mediterranean and German economic stagnation just highlight how fundamentally dysfunctional the EU has become.
Helena Pigott
Although Britain shouldn’t aim to become like Switzerland – tame, quiet and undynamic – Dan Hannan’s analysis is convincing. There is an alternative to EU membership, built on the freedom to trade, and the lack of political ties to countries that have little in common with our own. I’ll be interested to hear what David Cameron comes out with in his speech later in the month. Anything less than a sign that he’s committed to a thorough reevaluation of the costs and benefits of our EU membership would be a lost opportunity.
Matthew Dube
Surely, rather than a call to leave the EU, Hannan is asking for fundamental reform – namely, the return of Britain’s ability to make its own trade agreements with the rest of the world. This seems a strange reason to support a British exit. Is there any evidence that we’re economically worse off because of current trade policies?
Richard Bandar
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