Business Secretary Sajid Javid says cost of staying in EU outweigh any benefits
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-benefits.html
Business secretary Sajid Javid breaks ranks from cabinet by declaring the costs of staying in the EU outweigh its benefits
- The Cabinet Minister was in an online row with pro-EU group, Stronger In
- Most people believe there's no chance the PM will campaign for a Brexit
- Javid has now piled pressure on Cameron to secure concrete concessions
- Latest polls have 'Leave' ahead
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daily Mail
Business Secretary Sajid Javid has broken ranks with the Cabinet to declare that the costs of remaining in the European Union outweigh the benefits. The senior Cabinet Minister made his comments during an online row with pro-EU group, Stronger In.
Stronger In had tweeted: ‘The Business Secretary is clear: being in Europe means more trade for UK businesses, helping them create more jobs.’
It then quoted him saying: ‘If all the free trade agreements currently being negotiated by the UK and EU are agreed, they could boost UK exports by up to £40billion.’
Mr Javid immediately hit back to distance himself from the pro-EU camp and warn that the Government could yet opt to back leaving the EU. He said: ‘Actually, @StrongerIn, Business Sec IS clear: currently costs outweigh benefits. Unless we get major reform, nothing’s off the table.’ Mr Javid, one of the most Eurosceptic members of the Cabinet, last month suggested David Cameron could yet recommend quitting the EU if negotiations with Brussels go badly.
Most observers believe there is no chance of the Prime Minister wanting to campaign for a so-called Brexit. However, Mr Javid’s latest intervention will pile pressure on Mr Cameron to secure concrete concessions leading to treaty change before an in-out referendum is held. Most of the business ‘establishment’ is behind staying in the EU. Yesterday, however, the Eurosceptics received a major boost when former Tory treasurer Peter Cruddas gave the Vote Leave campaign £1million.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daily Mail
The donations arms race between both sides is accelerating ahead of the referendum. Mr Cruddas, an online trading tycoon, said he believed Vote Leave would spend close to £20million by the time voters went to the polls.
He told the Financial Times: ‘We are confident we will raise that. There are some big businesses, big business names that are with us, but they haven’t declared yet.’ The multi-millionaire said he was very hopeful his side would win: ‘I’ve bet £1million, although I’ll never get it back. If I was the politicians, I’d hang on to my hat.’ Mr Cruddas’s optimism came as the co-chairman of rival Eurosceptic group, Leave.EU, called for the two teams to come together. Insurance millionaire Arron Banks wrote to Vote Leave warning that the chances of a Brexit were being damaged by both campaign teams duplicating costs and efforts.
Latest poll that came out yesterday has Leave now ahead on 52% and Stay on 48%. Said before I really think we can do it. There's more members of the cabinet too who are prepared - unlike in 1975 - to campaign to leave and that'll reassure voters. Likes of IDS, May, Gove and Javid.
Even in the face of the ridiculous scaremongering that is going to be thrown at us. The Scotland referendum gave me hope in this as at the start of the campaign in Scotland the pro-independence campaign was only on 28% yet it grew to an eventual 45% despite every lying politician telling the Scots that if they dared vote the wrong way then the sky will fall in. Well in this instance with the EU campaign, we're already on a 50/50 split so that's a great start.
Thoughts?
