Tyrie , the chairman of the Treasury Select Committee of MPs has said he will vote for Britain to remain in the EU in the upcoming referendum.
from New Model Adviser – Citywire
Writing in the Times this morning, he hit out at both sides of the debate for ‘absurd claims and distortions of the truth’ during the campaign, but singled out Vote Leave’s assertion that a Brexit would free up £350 million per week for the NHS as ‘the most disgraceful.’
‘The claim has some of the corrosive properties, for trust in politics, as had Tony Blair’s false prospectus on Iraq,’ Tyrie said. ‘It is disappointing that Vote Leave persists with it.‘
Having heard evidence from influential figures in the Brexit debate include Bank of England governor Mark Carney, Vote Leave campaign director Dominic Cummings and chancellor George Osborne, Tyrie (pictured) has said that the balance of views ‘strongly suggests that the downside risks from diminished access to the single market would outweigh any upside opportunities from trade with the rest of the world for an extended period’.
Tyrie added that Brexit could leave Britain poorer without Westminster necessarily reclaiming control over decisions currently made at EU level.
‘My own view is that much of the control that might come, post-Brexit, would be illusory,’ he said. ‘Britain would still need to negotiate with the EU in pursuit of the national interest, whether in or out. It’s called international relations. From outside, the UK would lose influence over decisions that nonetheless profoundly affect the economy.’
When it comes to security, Tyrie noted the ‘enormous contribution to the stability of Europe’ that the EU and its predecessor the European Economic Community had made. Tyrie said that ‘more challenges are coming’ for Britain’s security, citing Russia’s recent activity.
‘Perhaps the leavers have the simplest points. But the remainers have the better of the arguments,’ he said. ‘My vote will be to remain.’