My reasons (or some of them) for wanting to REMAIN (in no particular order) -:

1. Membership of a Customs Union removing all tariffs and trade barriers as well as expensive border paperwork within a marketplace of over 500 million people.

2. The Single Market concept and the level playing field it tries to create although it needs completion and to do that we have to be in to influence it.

3. Freedom of Movement enjoyed by 2.3 million Brits and a few less EU migrants living and working in the UK where all the evidence shows they overwhelmingly contribute. Also allowing easier and cheaper holidays

4. Workers’ Rights protected across the Union in a way they would never be in the UK alone

5. Environmental protections across the board

6. Support of Science including massive investment and EU funded collaborative schemes in the UK

7. Support for Academia including educational exchanges through schemes like Erasmus

8. Democratic controls – controversial in some quarters as I know only too well but the EU does have the appropriate checks and balances and we are hardly democratic ourselves with a government holding a majority but elected by less than 50% of the votes cast AND with an unelected 2nd chamber

9. The ability to make better deals for trade around the world as part of the larger trading block

10. The fact that the EU and its predecessor organisations has contributed positively to peace in Europe. Some will say that is NATO but they would be wrong as that organisation is only concerned with external defense.

11. The ability to trade with the rest of the world as well as the EU with a common set of agreed rules.

12. Leaving is far more complex than the quitters think http://www.theguardian.com/…/brexit-would-affect-lives-of-m…

13. Leaving the EU could lead to the break-up of the UK

14. The peace process in Northern Ireland is at risk if controls have to be reintroduced on the Irish Land Boundary and even more so if the Common Travel Area is abrogated.

15. Leaving the EU is a gamble as nobody knows what will happen but extracting ourselves and negotiating new trade arrangements will take years (some experts say 10 or more) during which time our economy could implode. It is incumbent on the Brexiters to paint a positive and fact based picture of a post-Brexit UK – they wont of course as they cannot.

There is more (a lot more!) but let’s see how you get on with those.

Stuart Wilson, a member of the Say Yes 2 Europe – Remain in the EU.