Britain’s youth will decide whether we leave the EU, Tory Brexit backer claims
THE Tories’ youngest MP has predicted young voters could be the deciders in the EU referendum, as he launched the cross-party Grassroots Out campaign.
Tom Pursglove has predicted young voters could be the deciders in the EU referendum
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But he doesn’t feel he’ll be the only young person who’ll be looking to “get away from the shackles of the EU” in what is “the biggest political decision the UK will take perhaps this century”.
The Northamptonshire-raised politician has urged his fellow Brexit campaigners to make the case for the European Union being an institution of the past, as he claims younger generations of Britons are “more global in their outlook”.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Pursglove suggested the debate over Britain’s membership of the EU will see young people “fired up” and engaged in politics in a similar way to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
He said: “Young people are interested in this, I think it’s going to be a fascinating debate.
“When you look at what happened in Scotland, the whole country took an interest. Whether you were from Wales, England or Northern Ireland we took a huge interest in what was going on in Scotland.
Nigel Farage in a local pub to launch the Grassroots Out campaign
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Young people are interested in this, I think it’s going to be a fascinating debate
“It clearly motivated the Scottish people in a way that any other issue simply hasn’t for such a long time.
“There were greater turnouts in seats than we’d seen in general elections for years and years and years.
“I think we’ll have that same effect across the UK when we have this referendum.”
Mr Pursglove, who entered politics at the age of 18 when he became the youngest councillor in the country, believes the EU referendum is “exactly the sort of national debate that will fire up” both Britain and young voters.
He believes “Britain’s best days could be ahead of it” without the interference of Brussels, a major reason why he has helped set up the Grassroots Out campaign.
Tom Pursglove describes himself as eurosceptic “by gut”
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He said: “Fundamentally it comes down to putting country before everything.
“Here and now I’m focussed on getting us out the EU and doing the best job I possibly can by my constituents.”
As David Cameron travels from European capital to European capital in his bid to renegotiate Britain’s relationship of the EU, Mr Pursglove said he was “very willing” to give the Prime Minister’s efforts to reform Brussels a chance.
But he said he soon felt it was “very clear” his party leader was only going to be able to get “cosmetic change” to Britain’s membership of the EU.
He also dismissed Mr Cameron’s bid to enforce a four-year ban on EU migrants’ claiming in-work benefits in the UK in an effort to drive down immigration numbers.
Nigel Farage, Tom Pursglove and Peter Bone
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