Economic

1. 
   
2. We would forfeit access to the single market.
   
3. We would lose access to the free market (single and free trade markets are not the same thing). It would take up to 10 years to renegotiate.
   
4. The EU has 53 bilateral trade deals. Each one would have to be re-negotiated if the UK left the EU.
   
5. UK's largest business group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), is determined to stay in the EU.
   
6. And at the same time, hundreds of smaller business also backed the campaign to stay. 81%, no less!
   
7. More generally, 81% of Northern Irish businesspeople want UK to stay in the EU.
   
8. Confederation of British Industry (CBI) estimates that the average British family gets £10 for every £1 put in.
   
9. The UK gets a special rebate - so we pay less than comparable countries (Germany and France).
   
10. The EU budget is smaller, than its previous budget. A good sign that we're moving in the right direction.
    
11. The UK's exports to the EU represent 12% of our GDP; EU exports to the UK account for 3% of its GDP.
    
12. EU membership doesn't stop Germany trading with China (for example) - which is three times as much as the UK.
    
13. US has ruled out a UK only trade deal.
    
14. A German poll identified the fact that 29% of firms would cut capacity.
    
15. EU budgets are regularly given a clean bill of rights.
    
16. Net contribution to the EU is 0.54% of the UK's total GDP. By contrast, the national government spends 49% of total GDP on running costs.
    
17. Half a billion people live in the EU: that's 503 million.
    
18. Of the 21 million companies which generated €12.89 trillion, the huge majority of money is spent within EU borders.
    
19. Significant efforts have been made to support milk producers.
    
20. Passporting system: EU law allows financial and insurance firms to carry out their services merely by establishing an office in the other Member State. This could not be the case if we were outside the EU; an eventuality which would be very damaging to our financial sector.
    
21. If London stops being integrated into the EU markets, it might lose its place as global financial hub.
    
22. London would certainly lose its place as the leading area for euro-denominated wholesale banking - because the ECB's control would be less, and there would be greater costs.
    
23. Administrative and compliance procedures for importing and exporting both goods and services are much simpler within the EU, enhancing efficiency and lowering costs.
    
24. The EU has removed the barriers to open public procurement within the internal market, opening up other EU government's contracts to UK business.
    
25. The EU deploys trade protection measures to protect UK business and agriculture from unfairly dumped or subsidised products being sold in the EU's single market such as aluminium foil (from Brazil), bikes (from China), rainbow trout (from Turkey) and a range of steel products (from China).
    
26. As set forth in the EU's Working Time Directive (2004/88/EC), all member countries are required to guarantee a limit to weekly working hours, which must not exceed 48 hours on average, including any overtime, and further limitations ensuring health and safety. All UK workers may "opt out" of the 48-hour week by individually signing an opt out form, but it has overall improved worker satisfaction.
    
27. The value of the UK to India is as an "entry point" to the EU, according to their Prime Minister, Modi.
    
28. President Xi of China, also stated that he saw Britain as having an important role in shaping the EU.
    
29. Northern Ireland and Wales (both net contributors) would likely pressure Westminster to divert enough money to make up loss of EU funds.
    
30. The EU is more successful than smaller economies at taking on multinationals - and every economy is smaller than the EU's - for example, when it comes to recouping tax.
    

Society and Immigration

30. 
    
31. Consumers enjoy up to 6% higher income per capita (circa £3,300 per annum) due to the single market.
    
32. Those expats residing in other European countries would be likely to be cut off from free health care at point of delivery.
    
33. Between 1.4 and 2.2 million British people live in other EU countries - many of whom would have needed visas had it not been for the EU. This is, of course, before we even mention the 60 million visits abroad per annum by UK residents.
    
34. There's plenty of space in the UK to accommodate growth: only 6.8% of UK land is built on.
    
35. Immigrants are net contributors to the UK economy.
    
36. The Schengen free-movement zone doesn't actually apply to the UK and never has: this means that there are still border checks at the border. No need to "reclaim" our borders then.
    
37. The grand total of child benefit that goes to EU migrants whose children live in another Member State is 0.26%.
    
38. 32% of EU migrants have university degrees, as opposed to 21% of the native population.
    
39. Net increase of jobs for UK natives between 1997 and 2013, thanks to EU migration, was 1.1 million.
    
40. EU citizens have the right to enter and reside for three months, but they have no right to social assistance
    
41. EU law establishes minimum rights for airline passengers.
    
42. Lowered airline fares by defining principles used to dictate the charges.
    
43. European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided £46 million for the new Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, according to Stephen Bridge, Chief Executive of Papworth Hospital.
    
44. Richard Howitt, MEP has noted that the EU provided £4 million for a rail bypass around Ely Station in Cambridgeshire.
    
45. The latest research shows that close to 14% of UK jobs are supported by EU investment.
    
46. Only 5% of UK's total workforce comes from the EU.
    
47. Leaving the EU threatens social unity with Scotland.
    
48. It also threatens Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland relations: the 1998 Good Friday agreement relied on open borders, which was achieved only through EU law.
    

Environment and Energy

48. 
    
49. The EU is an important part of the UK's fishing industry. UK fishing industry profits are going up.
    
50. Only 10% of farmers would be able to survive without EU subsidies which make up between 35 and 50% of farmers gross income.
    
51. The EU introduced rules that ban petrol with lead and limit the amount of sulphur in diesel fuels in order to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    
52. The EU Bathing Water Directive of 2006 contributed to the UK no longer dumping sewage water into the beach.
    
53. Before the Nature Directive, the UK was losing 15% of its protected sites every year. Today, that figure is 1%.
    
54. A positive influence on air quality.
    
55. Climate change package, which was extremely thorough, made waves when it was introduced.
    
56. The EU plays a vital role in making steps forward in environmental protection at the international level.
    
57. Conservationists say that British wildlife will be threatened if Britain leaves "some of the strongest wildlife protection measures in the world" behind should we vote for Brexit.
    
58. The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management found that 93% of the 841 respondents upheld the view that the EU has had a beneficial impact on Britain's ecology and environment.
    
59. EU has established a series of high level protection measures for food security: including the European Food Safety Authority.
    
60. British travellers can have their healthcare costs covered for free, or at a reduced cost, by way of the European Health Insurance Card.
    
61. EU law also gives the NHS the ability to seek reimbursement from other EU countries for the cost of healthcare provided in the UK to visitors or state pensioners from other EU member states.
    
62. As well as knowing that UK workers are protected wherever they work in the EU, British businesses also know that their EU trading partners are operating to the same standards of workers' rights.
    
63. EU law protects workers against discrimination based on sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief.
    
64. EU law protects employees' terms and conditions when the businesses for which they work are restructured or reconfigured.
    
65. The UK is being forced to stick to air pollution targets, through EU directive (2008/50/EC): it had previously ignored a Supreme Court ruling that it had breached its own targets four years running.
    
66. CBI estimates that with support offered by the EU, green business could add a further £20 billion to the UK economy.
    
67. The Roadmap 2050 report by the EFC (European Climate Foundation), finds that a fully integrated Internal Energy Market (given the UK's energy importation dependence (2014 saw imports of 46%), being in a common energy market lowers prices) in combination with a functioning Emissions Trading System can lead to potential savings of up to £70bn per year towards 2030.
    
68. The Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research is a leading partner in the EU's Carbon CAP project researching ways of reducing the carbon footprint of the entire European Union.
    
69. After adopting REACH (regulation on evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals) in 2007, over 9000 chemicals have been evaluated and according to an estimate by UCL (University College London), the savings due to the regulation reach will amount to €284 billion over 30 years.
    

Democracy

69. 
    
70. The UK has been on the winning side in 97.4% of votes in the Council of Ministers between 2004 and 2009 (consider the % which is achieved by political parties for their supporters in this country, by contrast). Between 2009 and 2015 this 'dropped' to 86.7%.
    
71. Consistency between domestic policy and EU policy is fourth highest between UK and the EU of any country in the EU; on highly salient issues it is second highest.
    
72. European Council is constituted by heads of government Member States: no democratic deficit here.
    
73. The Council of the European Union is constituted by the most relevant government minister: no democratic deficit here either.
    
74. Members of European Parliament are directly elected by the Member State's electorate.
    
75. If you aren't represented, it is because the UK barely votes: only 33%, amongst the lowest of all EU countries. In fact, more people voted in the third series of Big Brother (2002) (22 million) than voted for the 2003 European Elections (half - 11 million).
    
76. Alternatively, it could be because UK MEPs often don't bother to attend the Parliament to vote… Looking at you UKIP.
    
77. While it is true that the Commission isn't elected, the commissioner for each country are directly selected by the directly elected government of that country. In addition the Commission can only propose legislation, not actually adopt it.
    
78. Parliament decided to give competencies to the EU in the European Communities Act 1972 Act. There is no loss of sovereignty.
    
79. The EU is made out of democracies and promotes democratic discussion between European countries: withdrawing sends a message on how the UK really feels about European democracy.
    
80. Renationalisation is still possible: it is explicitly referenced.
    
81. EU reform is already happening, despite claims to the contrary.
    
82. Law making is becoming better. A clear example is the Better Regulation programme.
    
83. And the EU Commission created a Regulatory Fitness (REFIT) Platform, which examines old legislation to see whether it is fit for purpose or whether it should be repealed and simplified.
    
84. Europe has been free for war for 68 years: whilst NATO has contributed, NATO also lead to the Cold War. The EU has not.
    
85. EU law would always apply where a good or service went into a territory governed by EU law: by leaving the EU, the UK would simply forfeit any ability to influence that law.
    
86. The UK can, and does, obtain opt outs to pieces of EU legislation with which it does not agree - Protocol 20 to TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) was the opt-out for the prohibition of internal border controls, Protocol 15 to TFEU was the opt-out for the single currency.
    
87. The UK played a leading role in external policy shaping of the EU: for example, the measures against Islamic State.
    
88. In fact, a recent study shows that the UK wields the most influence in the EU council.
    
89. Unlike the UK's democracy, the European Parliament almost never suffers from 'party politics'; no cheap political points being scored against another party instead of concentrating on policies which actually benefit people's lives.
    

Law and Security

89. 
    
90. Properly construed, only 13.2% of laws are made in Brussels.
    
91. We would leave the protection of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.
    
92. British individuals and businesses would be open to discrimination: we would no longer be protected by the rules which prevent Member States of the EU not being protectionist in favour of their own domestic businesses.
    
93. It took 143 days to process DNA of a suspect, and compare it to databases from other EU countries before the EU. Now it takes 15 minutes.
    
94. A top US general has argued that 'Brexit' could upset the NATO alliance.
    
95. The UK would miss out on having input on a possible EU wide copyright protection.
    
96. European Working Time Directive stops exploitation of those who might be pressured into working longer hours. But you can still opt-out.
    
97. European Arrest Warrant is a powerful tool combatting crime.
    
98. Extradition takes three months through the EAW, as opposed to 10 months with non-EU states
    
99. The EU has adopted a general set of rules for prison management.
    
100. The UK does lose quite a few cases brought before to the European Court of Justice - but still does much better than comparable countries, for example France.
     
101. 40 different pieces of legislation were replaced with the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals in 2007: effectively strengthening overview of chemicals.
     
102. EU has significantly reduced the cost of mobile phone roaming prices.
     
103. 28 children rescued as part of a joint operation of the UK Met Police and Europol, part of Operation Golf.
     
104. And the head of Europol (a Brit) has stated that leaving the EU "will make Britain's job harder to fight crime and terrorism because it will not have the same access to very well-developed European cooperation mechanisms that it currently has today." Even if cooperation continues, Mr. Wainwright stated, the cost would be high.
     
105. Thanks to Eurobail, a UK citizen can contest criminal proceedings against them in other EU states.
     
106. A restraining order issued in the UK is recognised throughout the EU: if you are being harassed English law will protect you throughout the EU.
     
107. EU prudential regulation has been heavily influenced by the UK: this is just one example of the influence the UK has.
     
108. The UK's health security is improved by being in the EU with its well-established system for the surveillance and early warning of infectious diseases which the UK has often called upon to deal with threats to the health of its population.
     
109. The H1N1 Bird flu pandemic was safely contained partly thanks to the EU's early warning health response system.
     

Education

109. 
     
110. 200,000 UK students have used the Erasmus programme; there are 125,000 EU students currently studying at UK universities.
     
111. Those who undertake Erasmus programme are 50% more likely to avoid long-term unemployment.
     
112. UK received €6.9bn of European funding under FP7 (18% of the total), resulting in the region of 100,000 collaborative links.
     
113. 'ANTicipating the Global Onset of New Epidemics' (ANTIGONE): a program of 14 partners (including the University of Cambridge - our alma mater) was established thanks to €12 million given by the EU over five years. It is the leading project on understanding the movement of diseases.
     
114. UK receives €1.3bn of funding under H2020.
     
115. The UK hosts 22% of all European Research Council grants - the highest number of grants of any member country.
     
116. A harmonised series of procedures and commercialisation of research helps the development of research.
     
117. The UK is the largest beneficiary of EU funding for health research (over £466 million) from 2007-2012.
     

These are 116 reasons to vote IN on June 23rd. Sadly, unlike Mr. Hargreaves, we do not have millions of pounds to spend on spamming the nation with our voice, but we hope it will not go unnoticed all the same. The youth voice in politics is often ignored or forgotten, but please remember when you vote on June 23^rd that it is our generation who will have to live longest and hardest with your choice.



Finally to vote out, you have to be absolutely sure that the grass is greener on the other side. You have to be certain that you aren't jeopardising the fate of all the thousands who depend on the EU, whether through funding or through work opportunities just because of the political rhetoric of a few deeply biased individuals.



We are voting IN on the 23^rd and we know why. Do you?



This piece was authored by Damiano Sogaro, Alice Anders and Ben Gallant - All students at the University of Cambridge who will be voting IN on 23^rd June.