VOTE REMAIN WINS REFERENDUM DEBATE
A passionate plea for us all to be aware of the threat to UK Sovereignty that continued membership of the EU will bring about, blasted off The Wilbrahams’ referendum debate on Friday June 3rd. 
It came from Colin Barker, local farmer and Vote Leave Activist, who illustrated his argument using Great Wilbraham Parish Council as an example of good ‘small’ Governance. He said we should not allow the power of our own Parliament to be weakened by a higher authority.
Vicky Ford, our local MEP countered his fears by explaining 
that no country of any influence in the world can operate in isolation. The UK, for example, is already a member of the United Nations (UN) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). By definition, membership of these bodies means that we have delegated some of our sovereignty. In her view the digital age made the need for co-operation and unified regulation even more important for national and personal security.
About 80 people attended the debate, including an encouraging number of young people, whose futures we shall all be gambling with on June 23rd. 
Stephen Bartlett, Chairman, Great Wilbraham Parish Council, chaired the meeting and selected questions from a healthy heap of some two dozen written questions, submitted during the run up to the start of the debate. Although there was not nearly enough time to deal with all of them directly, most of the topics were covered by the speakers during the proceedings.
Topics ranged from worries about the fragility of the agreement David Cameron made with the EU as a condition of his support for our staying in; to workers rights if we leave.
Vicky Ford was confident that Cameron’s agreement was legally secure and that ratification by all Member States was a legally locked formality provided we vote to remain on June 23rd. By inference, we can presume that voting leave would make that and all other agreements null and void.
Colin was equally confident that should we leave, workers rights would be fully protected; seemingly the only issue both speakers agreed upon.
As well as immigration from outside and inside the EU, the importance of EU trade and what sort of agreements we might secure should we leave were two further popular questions. Vicky Ford was quite clear that any trade agreements we make with the EU should we choose to leave would have to include free movement of people. In other words – no change apart from no say.
Our local MP, Lucy Frazer was in the audience and made an important contribution based on her previous career as a barrister when involved with a dispute between Iceland and the EU. Iceland is not a member, but was still required to pay into the union and accept free movement of people if they wished to continue trading.
A show of hands at the end of the debate by a substantial number of the audience indicated a 2:1 vote in favour of remaining in the EU. A minority abstained.
Jackie Beadsmoore
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