SOME of you might be forgiven for being fed up of it already, but I think that I owe it to you, my fellow residents, to set out where I personally stand on the question of our membership of the EU.

On 23rd June 2016, the British people will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to decide whether or not our country remains in the European Union.

On Monday, the Prime Minister made a statement to the House of Commons which outlined the outcome of nine months of negotiations with 27 other EU heads of state and government. The new settlement was dubbed the UK’s ‘new special status in the EU’, and deals in detail with a number of changes that will affect not only the UK but every member state.

The settlement sets out new protections for our economy to safeguard the pound, to promote our industries. The responsibility for supervising the financial stability of the UK will always remain in the hands of the Bank of England. British taxpayers will also be protected from the costs of problems in the Eurozone, and will never be made to bail out countries in the Eurozone like Greece.

The PM also made commitments to make Europe even more competitive. This could bring huge benefits to the UK by adding billions of pounds and thousands of jobs to our economy every year.

One of the most important issues in the referendum campaign is the impact that the UK’s exit might have on migration. If the UK chooses to remain in the EU, the Prime Minister has set out a range of new measures which prevent the abuse of free movement and aims to expand on our Government’s work to discourage people from coming to our country because of our welfare system. This includes longer re-entry bans for fraudsters and people who collude in sham marriages as well as a new emergency brake so that EU migrants will have to wait four years until they have full access to benefits. None of these safeguards will be there if we leave the EU, but the problem of migration will remain.

The Prime Minister believes that the best way forward is a clear commitment to reform and improvement, and I wholeheartedly agree. The process of reform, begun by the PM in this renegotiation, does not end here.

The independent Confederation of British Industry estimates that the economic growth, lower prices and increased trade and investment that arise from our membership of the EU are equivalent to on average £3,000 a year for each UK household.

For workers in businesses like Honda, BMW, our life science industry or our financial services sector here in Swindon, for example, the EU isn’t about fancy theory, but about the ability to trade and work as effectively as possible so that our livelihoods can be maintained and improved. Britain’s major employers have repeatedly made clear that they believe Britain is stronger and better off in Europe.

It will be open to individual Ministers to take a different personal position while remaining part of the Government. I have long been positive about our EU membership, and I will be using my vote to stay in.

Most significantly, our membership of the EU has helped, together with NATO, to guarantee the peace and security of Western Europe. At a time of increasing instability in the world, this should never be taken for granted.

We now know what ‘In’ looks like, but those advocating exit from the EU haven’t yet spelt out what their future vision for Britain looks like.

It is time for them to say what they are for, rather than what they are against. History teaches us that when Britain has pulled away from Europe, we get dragged back in on terms that are not to our liking, to say the least. In short, our influence in the world is increased, not decreased, by our membership.

Whilst I believe that Britain will be stronger, safer and better off as a member of a reformed EU, it will be for the British people to decide this country’s future by voting in or out in the summer.

I will do my best to make positive arguments for staying in whilst treating those who disagree with me with respect. And now, it is over to you to listen to the arguments and make a decision: stay or go.