Cameron warns of ‘lost decade’ after EU out vote

Brexit ‘disastrous’ for EU global role, says analysts

AFP, LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron warned Sunday that Britain would face a “lost decade” if it voted to leave the European Union as Brexit negotiations gummed up the political system.
Cameron is facing a tough fight to keep Britain in the EU in a June 23 referendum. With under two weeks to go, recent opinion polls suggest growing momentum for the “Leave” camp.
In the latest of a string of TV appearances designed to persuade wavering voters to back “Remain”, the premier told the BBC that there could be a “lost decade for Britain” if it votes to leave the European bloc.
“You’ve got to negotiate your exit,” he said. “You’ve got to negotiate a trade deal with the EU.”
“I think we’d be looking at a decade of uncertainty,” he added. “It would suck the energy out of our government and our country.”
A Sunday Times/YouGov online poll found that Cameron’s “Remain” campaign is currently lagging the “Leave” side by 42 percent to 43 percent.
A further 11 percent of people surveyed said they did not know how they would vote and four percent said they would not take part in the ballot.
Averaging out the last six opinion polls, both sides are tied on 50 percent, according to academics at the What UK Thinks project. Their average excludes undecided voters.
“Nobody knows what these polls are saying,” Cameron admitted to the BBC, while stressing he was optimistic of victory.
Meanwhile, the leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party Nigel Farage told the BBC that the polls showed people were putting “two fingers up” to the establishment.
“Let me just say this: there has been a shift in the last fortnight, there has been a change in this debate,” he said.
“People have had enough of being threatened by the prime minister and the chancellor and I think collectively people are beginning to put two fingers up to the political class.”
While Cameron has stressed the economic argument for Britain staying in the EU, the “Leave” camp has repeatedly focused on concerns about the levels of immigration from the EU to Britain.
The possibility of Turkey joining the EU, opening the door to a massive wave of new arrivals, has been a recurring theme. But Cameron dismissed this as a “complete red herring” in Sunday’s BBC interview, insisting: “There’s no prospect of Turkey joining the EU in decades”.
He added: “At the current rate of progress, they will get there in the year 3000”.
Ministers have denied a story in this week’s Sunday Times that British diplomats had considered letting up to 1.5 million Turkish citizens have visa-free travel to Britain.
The paper published details of five diplomatic documents which it said could mean a planned deal giving Turkish citizens easier access to the EU’s Schengen area being extended to Britain.
The EU agreed in March to offer Turkey visa-free access, increased aid and speeded up accession talks in return for Ankara controlling the flood of migrants crossing into Greece.
But in a joint statement, Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said “selectively leaked quotes” had been used “to give a completely false impression that the UK is considering granting visa liberalisation to some Turkish citizens”.
“That is completely untrue,” they added.
Meanwhile, Britain leaving the European Union would strip the bloc of a nuclear-armed global player and prove “disastrous” for its presence on the world stage, analysts say.
The timing could hardly be worse, as the EU struggles with its biggest migration crisis since World War II and the continent facing a growing threat from terrorism fuelled by conflict in the Middle East.
Analysts said any such division within the bloc would likely be seized upon by Russia, whose ties with the EU have been badly damaged by the Ukraine conflict.
“Great powers like the United States, China and India will see an EU weakened politically and geopolitically if there is Brexit,” Vivien Pertusot, Brussels-based analyst with the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), told AFP.
The EU has been keen to increase its influence around the world in recent years.
The bloc helped negotiate the landmark nuclear accord with Iran, and has worked closely with Washington and Moscow in an effort to revive stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Cameron warns of lost decade after EU out vote

Brexit disastrous for EU global role, says analysts

AFP, LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron warned Sunday that Britain would face a lost decade if it voted to leave the European Union as Brexit negotiations gummed up the political system. Cameron is facing a tough fight to keep Britain in the EU in a June 23 referendum. With under two weeks to go, recent opinion polls suggest growing momentum for the Leave camp. In the latest of a string of TV appearances designed to persuade wavering voters to back Remain, the premier told the BBC that there could be a lost decade for Britain if it votes to leave the European bloc. Youve got to negotiate your exit, he said. Youve got to negotiate a trade deal with the EU. I think wed be looking at a decade of uncertainty, he added. It would suck the energy out of our government and our country. A Sunday Times/YouGov online poll found that Camerons Remain campaign is currently lagging the Leave side by 42 percent to 43 percent. A further 11 percent of people surveyed said they did not know how they would vote and four percent said they would not take part in the ballot. Averaging out the last six opinion polls, both sides are tied on 50 percent, according to academics at the What UK Thinks project. Their average excludes undecided voters. Nobody knows what these polls are saying, Cameron admitted to the BBC, while stressing he was optimistic of victory. Meanwhile, the leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party Nigel Farage told the BBC that the polls showed people were putting two fingers up to the establishment. Let me just say this: there has been a shift in the last fortnight, there has been a change in this debate, he said. People have had enough of being threatened by the prime minister and the chancellor and I think collectively people are beginning to put two fingers up to the political class. While Cameron has stressed the economic argument for Britain staying in the EU, the Leave camp has repeatedly focused on concerns about the levels of immigration from the EU to Britain. The possibility of Turkey joining the EU, opening the door to a massive wave of new arrivals, has been a recurring theme. But Cameron dismissed this as a complete red herring in Sundays BBC interview, insisting: Theres no prospect of Turkey joining the EU in decades. He added: At the current rate of progress, they will get there in the year 3000. Ministers have denied a story in this weeks Sunday Times that British diplomats had considered letting up to 1.5 million Turkish citizens have visa-free travel to Britain. The paper published details of five diplomatic documents which it said could mean a planned deal giving Turkish citizens easier access to the EUs Schengen area being extended to Britain. The EU agreed in March to offer Turkey visa-free access, increased aid and speeded up accession talks in return for Ankara controlling the flood of migrants crossing into Greece. But in a joint statement, Britains Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said selectively leaked quotes had been used to give a completely false impression that the UK is considering granting visa liberalisation to some Turkish citizens. That is completely untrue, they added. Meanwhile, Britain leaving the European Union would strip the bloc of a nuclear-armed global player and prove disastrous for its presence on the world stage, analysts say. The timing could hardly be worse, as the EU struggles with its biggest migration crisis since World War II and the continent facing a growing threat from terrorism fuelled by conflict in the Middle East. Analysts said any such division within the bloc would likely be seized upon by Russia, whose ties with the EU have been badly damaged by the Ukraine conflict. Great powers like the United States, China and India will see an EU weakened politically and geopolitically if there is Brexit, Vivien Pertusot, Brussels-based analyst with the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), told AFP. The EU has been keen to increase its influence around the world in recent years. The bloc helped negotiate the landmark nuclear accord with Iran, and has worked closely with Washington and Moscow in an effort to revive stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.