After being on the fence for years, and at times even considered playing it safe by voting to stay “better the devil you know…. ”, in recent weeks the difference and benefits between staying and leaving the EU became very clear.

But first I would like to pay tribute to the Prime Minister and our party leader David Cameron, for delivering on two promises – negotiating a better deal for Britain and holding a referendum. Both are historic events and though he is not the first prime minister to promise either, he is the first to deliver both. Furthermore, he has negotiated with resolve and courage and got the country the best possible deal. Yet, I think Britain deserves better and would be much stronger outside the EU.

Thank you Mr. Cameron for being a man of your word and a great leader!

Because of his leadership in a few months we will all have the opportunity to decide whether Britain should stay in the European Union or leave it. I believe our nation will be freer, fairer and better off outside the EU.

That is why on June 23rd I will vote for Britain to leave.

Because I believe the decisions which govern all our lives such as the taxes we pay and the laws we obey must be made in the UK. They must be debated and decided at home by representatives of the British electorates, by the people we choose and elect. These fundamental decisions and powers cannot be dictated by outsiders, by European autocrats who aren’t accountable to the British electorate.

For me the most crucial aspect of my decision is accountability. I want the people who decide daily how we live our lives in Britain to be accountable and answerable to Britons. This way when a law doesn’t work or an official is corrupt the people who appointed them can vote to change or remove them.

But as things stand now, our EU membership prevents us from changing a number of important laws. Laws that have direct consequence in our economy such as how much VAT we should pay, which industry we can subsidise, where and when we can build, how much and what we can fish and farm, what size our fruits and vegetables should be and who in the world we can or cannot trade and do business with.

The ability to choose what laws govern us, who makes them and the freedom to change either, MUST solely rest within these shores and be determined by the citizens of these islands.

Our Parliament is the Mother of all Parliaments. Our democracy stood the test of time; we showed the world what free people are capable of achieving when allowed to govern. We can’t now give our sovereignty to a failing experiment that created economic chaos, mass unemployment and flawed and dangerous immigration policies. We cannot afford to be a member of a vanity test that is a source of massive border instability and security risks.

As the fifth largest economy, with the best armed forces in the world, by leaving we can take full control of our nation. But most of all we can also lead the way and show other European nations how they too can take control.

This referendum is an opportunity of a lifetime, a chance that may never come again, because of that I will not be true to my values and beliefs if I played it safe. For my country, my children and their children in the future, this June I will vote to leave the European Union and so should you.

On Monday, the Prime Minister made a speech on immigration. He set out plans to reinforce rules restricting access to benefits, the NHS and social housing for European immigrants.

Yesterday in an article by the joint chairmen of the cross party group on balanced migration, Frank Field (Labour) and Nicholas Soames (Conservatives) said, Cameron must restrict European immigration because Britain is still facing an influx of people at an unsustainable high level, despite Coalition action to reduce immigration. Then added, the expected wave of immigration from Bulgaria and Romania (which could lead to 50,000 people a year moving to this country from next year) means that the issue must be tackled now. They advised that during periods of high unemployment, such as now, government should protect low-skilled British workers struggling to compete with foreigners for jobs.

A few weeks ago, after the Eastleigh by-election and UKIP’s dramatic ascend to second place; immigration “UKIP’s centre issue” suddenly became every party’s main issue. Immigration, a topic once the reserve of right- wing politics is now a One Nation Labour’s mistake to apologies for mismanaging it during their time in office, and a Liberal Democrats’ must monitor and control issue. In the space one month immigration moved from “the elephant in the room everyone scared and embarrassed to talk about” to “look, they are coming, we don’t have the resources to welcome them and need to do something fast”. Plus of course there is Ukip, the other elephant in the room.

But outside Westminster, immigration talk is still uncomfortable for too many people. Firstly unlike Westminster, the stigma of talking immigration hasn’t yet changed in the UK streets, kitchen tables and pubs. And secondly, many people in this country are either themselves immigrants or descendants of migrants. The feeling of “that could have been me, my parents or grandparents some years ago” makes many people including politicians (before Eastleigh) become very uncomfortable talking immigration. Plus as Brits, we are naturally an uncomfortable bunch when it comes to talking about how we really feel about stuff – well, at least openly. But also politicians are confusing voters. With the one hand they praise immigration and attribute our richness to it but with the other, now that we can’t cope, want to curb and curtail it but can’t due to EU law – laws to some extend they helped pass.

That is why if politicians treat immigration like a business, with a plus and minus spreadsheet of how much it costs and what are the returns, then they are in serious trouble. Because EU laws clearly states that member states may not discriminate against other member states by giving their own citizens preference. Let’s not forget this is the same EU that allowed Cyprus to raid Cypriots’ savings accounts during the toughest economic period in peacetime.

Then again, if politicians use figures and stats from existing police reports on issues ranging from serious crimes such as rape and murder, squatting , to other anti-social crimes then they can use possible measures under UK laws to curb numbers, by implementing a criminal vetting system for all those coming in from Europe (including non EU nationals). There is nothing in the EU laws that say sovereign members cannot protect themselves and safeguard the security of their citizens from criminals. We should learn from old mistakes such as Abu Qatada, it’s much easier to not allow criminals and suspected criminals in than to kick them out.

The first time President Obama advised Britain ‘it’s best if we stay in the European Union’ like many I thought it was a bit rich but also, albeit mildly, gave him the benefit of the doubt. Why mildly, well, because I neither trust him nor think it’s any of his business.

So when his administration said it was in the “American interest” for Britain to remain in the European Union. It became clear this whole US telling/asking/advising Britain to stay in the EU business has more to do with what’s right for the US not Britain.

Many in the past few days wrote and said a great deal about what they thought of Obama, his advice and the rest of it. But the general consensus is: “British policy on Europe is none of President Obama’s business, and he better keep out it.”

Moreover, if Obama and his administration understood European and British politics he/they would have realised that it’s not in the EU’s best interest to have either a powerful United States or a strong independent United Kingdom. Because the EU’s main aim is to have a strong defence and foreign policy which will ultimately rival NATO.

Socialist Obama needs to remember he is no match to socialist Europe. Obama is only one person with a dream only a couple of decades old, and a great deal of hope. While on the other hand, the EU is a much older, more established socialist institution that has been rearing and working in the European project for a very, very long time.

My advice to Mr Obama will be to first sort out his own economy, be happy with one legacy (Obamacare) and to never over estimate that ‘special relationship’

I am spending some time with NCI a think tank that offers an independent, expert voice in the debate over the future of financial regulation, and on Wednesday they had a timely and very well attended discussion at the British Academy, about The City and its relationship with Europe titled – The City: Out of Europe or Capital of Europe?

James Hanning, the deputy editor of the Independent on Sunday moderated a very lively and vibrant debate between David Laws MP, the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury and one of the five negotiators for the Liberal Democrats who negotiated the coalition deal for them to govern with the Conservatives, and Nigel Farage MEP, a founding member of the UK Independent Party and currently their leader. Farage, a prolific Eurosceptic British politician left the Conservative party in 1992 after they signed the Maastricht Treaty.

The debate opened by each giving a speech; David Laws’ was pro Europe, advocating an understanding of the importance of being in Europe. He firmly warned against hyper negativity and promoted the benefits of being in rather than out of Europe, however, he also acknowledged: “we are at a very crucial stage in our relationship with the EU.”

Nigel Farage’s was pro Britain, pro The City, pro making London the hub of the world, he said; “The City is the biggest economic artery in the UK and could become the world’s.” Then stressed there is unfounded fears that if the UK leaves the EU it might lose out and asserted that the freedom to trade freely with the larger world, such as with India and Brazil, have by far more benefits than none.

Then the floor was opened for discussion, unsurprisingly, questions and comments from guests were mostly in support for an ‘OUT’ citing the cost of the EU to the UK, both financially and by way of regulations that restrict Britain and confine her to working only with the EU.

Although that particular audience was a small sample of city traders, business owners, politicians, some bankers and many who work in The City, but in my opinion it was reflective of the current public mood. That is way I am happy, judging by most of today’s press, to see our politicians from both sides of politics are now in sync with the public, because Europe like immigration is no longer a right of center issue but a right of choice matter!

Could the time for the UK to finally have the referendum she was promised six years ago be here? Of course the Lisbon treaty has been ratified but talk about a Treaty change to fix the eurozone, should allow UK voters to have their say?

The choices facing the UK are not easy and unrealistic to say the least, at a time when every budget in Britain has been trimmed to the bare minimum, and every aspect of the British way of life has been affected by those cuts, Europe wants and expects their budget to be increased. Plus Brussels is seeking to gain more powers!

However, since we were promised that no more powers will be handed over to Brussels with out a vote and our democratic say so, and seeing as the Conservatives has pledged to repatriate more powers to the UK – the obvious thing will be to hold a vote – and it can be on everything form what powers should be passed over to whether we want to stay in or leave Europe all together plus everything else in between!