Expert Government

The UK currently pays £10.2 billion per year to be a member of the EU, until 2013. What does it get in return? Well, there is some vague talk about trade with Europe. However, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries can trade with Europe without full EU membership. They currently include Iceland, Liechtenstein, and most of Norway. EFTA countries get no say in the European Community, but they do get to trade with it and their contributions are dramatically lower. The UK could also dramatically cut its costs by being a part of the EFTA. However, the UK could be independent, and create a bi-lateral trading relationship with the EU, as Switzerland has. Switzerland has a strong financial services industry, so the argument that it would damage UK financials is a non-starter.
The truth is that the UK is too important as a trading partner with EU member states for it to be excluded from trade. Where our products and services are cheaper, they will want to buy them. Where we want to buy their products and services, they will be happy to sell to us. We could do many things with an extra £10.2 billion per year. Taking the UK population as about 61 million, £10.2 billion equates to approximately £167.21 per person. A bi-lateral trading arrangement with the EU is the best option for the UK; we should exit Europe now.