To Outlaw:
- The UK has a chronic and worsening trade deficit with the EU. In 2015, 54% of UK imports were from the EU (a steady weighting since 2000), while UK exports to the EU fell to 47% in 2015 (from 60% in 2000).*
In 2011, the UK's national contribution to the EU was 73% more than the EU spent on the UK.*
In 2013, the UK's national contribution was 115% more...*
From an anecdotal perspective, despite baffling anti-Polish sentiment in some small English towns, the main Leave concern with immigrants appears to be focused on the Roma or Gypsies who have been flooding into London's common areas and sleeping rough in addition to committing minor crimes. Leave supporters are rightly concerned that if Merkel accepts the migrants (who are migrants and not refugees) as citizens, then many will flood across the Chunnel. As it is, the Calais "jungle" is indicative of the UK's attractiveness to migrants vis-a-vis almost all other EU members. Ultimately, there will be winners and losers due to Brexit, and perhaps imports will cost more, but the UK should look further afield for export markets.
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