British withdrawal from the European Union: A guide to the case for

Book abstract:

According to the Industrial Systems Research team, Britain benefited from withdrawing from the EU's exchange rate mechanism and programme of economic and monetary union in 1992. This publication looks at how Britain could further benefit from total withdrawal from the European Union.

The report begins with an outline of the key economic and political arguments for withdrawal. These arguments are then tackled in turn over the following chapters. Chapter two challenges the claim that the British economy is dependent on EU membership while chapter three suggests that the costs of EU membership in fact outweigh the benefits. The political case for withdrawal is raised in chapter four with the key arguments focussing on the need to restore UK democracy and national independence coupled with the seemingly apparent lack of democracy in the EU institutions. Chapter five examines the free trade case for EU withdrawal suggesting that the number of trade benefits for Britain are diminishing with the completion of the internal market and that there are many alternative trade organisations to which Britain could belong rather than the EU. Chapter six continues in a similar vein analysing the business-economic costs of EU regulations. The benefits of monetary and economic policy independence are cited in chapter seven to strengthen the argument for Britain's withdrawal from the EU with suggestions that Britain prospers outside the euro-zone and benefits from flexible interest and exchange rates. The final chapter examines the case for fiscal independence, arguing that Britain's contribution to the EU budget is costly and that the budget itself is subject to fraud and mismanagement.

The report presents a clear and thorough argument for British withdrawal from the EU examining many of the key aspects of EU membership. Students of European business or politics will find this guide useful. It also makes interesting reading for those who believe that the European Union is a good thing for Britain.