European Council

Bernard Jenkin Excerpts

Monday 19th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman, who has never wavered in his view that everything to do with the European Union is wrong and we need to get out of it—he has been pretty clear about that. I have been very consistent. He can read in our manifesto what we want to change in Europe, and that is exactly what our four points are all about.

[Mr Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend join me in commending one of our foremost business leaders, who has said that the idea that investment will flee the United Kingdom if we leave the EU is “scaremongering”, saying that the EU

“is an overinflated bureaucracy. There are too many unelected people…who are trying to get even more power”?

He also said:

“It’s not going to be a step change or somebody’s going to turn the lights out”,

and

“if you vote to come out in the referendum, you’re not going to suddenly find on the Monday morning I can’t do this, this and this.”

Does my right hon. Friend agree with Lord Rose, who is chairman of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign?

[The Prime Minister]

I certainly think that Lord Rose has said many sensible things about this issue, and he does not take a wildly hysterical view on either side. The truth is this: some people said that even having a referendum would lead to such uncertainty that people would not invest in Britain. We know that that is not the case. We are a massive recipient of inward investment. The only point I would make is that as we get closer to the debate on whether Britain can stay in a reformed European Union, those of us who want that outcome will be able to point clearly to what business gets from Britain being in the single market with a vote and a say, and those, like my hon. Friend, who might want to leave, will have to answer the question of what guarantees they can get on single market access and single market negotiation ability. I think that the business argument will increasingly concentrate on that very important point.