Three good reasons to vote IN

I'VE only been writing this column for a few weeks so please forgive me for returning to a subject I have already covered, but you will be reading this the day before, or on the day of, the European referendum. There will be no more important vote in our lifetime for the future of our country. I am firmly convinced we should vote to remain. Having held three public meetings, in Faringdon, Wantage and Didcot, three key issues have emerged.

The first is sovereignty. By voting to leave, would be we be "taking back control"? No. We already have control. Important decisions on our economy, health service, welfare state, schools and many others are all taken by us. It is our decision as a sovereign nation to hold this referendum. If we vote to leave, we would lose control to influence the big decisions in Europe, our biggest market. So a vote to leave would see us lose control, and lose sovereignty.

The second is the economy. Would voting to leave have an impact on our economy? Yes. Every analysis, whether you agree with the exact figures or not, shows that our economy – and jobs – would be hit hard. The impact would be immediate, with investors scared off, and companies delaying decisions. But it would impact long-term. Companies that have invested heavily in the UK would almost certainly decide to make their next big investment in Europe as opposed to the UK. Investment in our science base in Harwell would be hit as European Union investment went elsewhere. Other UK companies would find it harder to export, and to attract the skills they need to grow.

The third is immigration. It is said that we could control our borders if we left, but the majority of immigration to this country comes from outside the EU. Many of the people who come here do so in order to work and contribute to our economy, not to sponge off the state or use our health service. And there are millions of Brits living on the continent, either working, or enjoying a well-earned retirement in sunnier climes. How would they be affected?

My final point is our duty as a country. We are a great nation, and we have played a great role in international affairs. It would be a dereliction of that duty to walk away now from Europe, in the face of uncertain global economic conditions, and new and very real threats to our common security.

All our votes are equal in this Referendum. Please do use your vote, and please do consider the options carefully.