Mayor of London and senior Conservative MP, Boris Johnson has announced his intentions to support Britain's exit from the EU.
The news comes very swiftly following David Cameron's conclusion of talks with EU officials and other leaders, regarding the nature of the UK's membership to the EU.
In a piece written for the Telegraph newspaper, Johnson sets out his reasons for backing the Brexit.
He cites the EU's changes over the last three decades. Calling the EU "the project", he states it has "morphed and grown in such a way as to be unrecognisable".
Johnson believes that the expansion of the EU to include more and more countries has led to a rushed process for Qualified Majority Voting, and claims this allows Britain "to be overruled more and more often".
He concludes with praise for Cameron for securing a deal with the EU, despite it being a deal Johnson is not taken with, and thanks Cameron for making the referendum possible. Johnson's announcement places him with other Conservatives in the "Leave" camp, such as Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith.
Cedrec Legal Author, Amy Batch, says:
The vote we face, whether to remain or leave the EU, is a decision not to be taken lightly. In a survey held by the Telegraph, a reader of Johnson's article is asked "Does Boris voting Leave make you more likely to back Brexit?" 69% said 'Yes'.
People should remember that in this referendum, we are voting for membership to the EU, not a person. The UK's membership to the EU is not dependant on Boris, nor is his opinion the deciding factor. People must decide for themselves, rather than follow one man.
It is interesting to see that he begins his article lamenting the "erosion of democracy" in Britain, blaming this on the EU, and follows this up with a harder tone on the voting system which allows Britain to be overruled.
Mr Johnson also claims that EU law is "unstoppable and irreversible" before admitting in the next part of his sentence that "only the EU can reverse it". Yet, EU legislation follows the same process as our national legislation - it is proposed and goes though a series of readings before it is either accepted, modified or rejected. It's also often amended, given expiry dates, repealed and overruled, just like our Acts, Orders and Regulations. Just ask our authoring team, tasked with keeping up with EU legislation for the environment and safety!
The policies of the EU have their flaws and their benefits, and both sides of the argument, whether to stay or leave, have valid points. Stick with us for the build up to the referendum and we'll keep you informed.
