On June 23, the United Kingdom will hold a referendum on whether to stay in, or leave, the European Union.
Prime Minister David Cameron negotiated new conditions for the UK to remain part of the EU, but other high-profile government leaders have come out in favor of leaving.
Chris Grayling, Conservative Member of Parliament and leader of the House of Commons tells Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson the EU requires the UK to give up an unprecedented amount of national sovereignty.
“In a whole variety of areas, we now cannot take decisions ourselves that are in our national interest. So for example, we ourselves cannot negotiate free trade agreements around the world,” Grayling said. “We have no power to set limits on the number of people who come and live and work in the United Kingdom. And all of this is costing us 10 billion pounds a year of money we pay to the European Union.”
- Hear from a Conservative MP advocating for the U.K. to stayin the EU
- BBC: The UK’s EU referendum: All you need to know
Guest
- Chris Grayling, Conservative MP and leader of the British House of Commons. He tweets @MPChrisGrayling.
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