EU vote set in context of very dangerous world, warns ex-European Court judge
The UK has a "moral obligation" to maintain political and economic stability in Europe in the face of global dangers, according to a former European Court judge.
The UK has a "moral obligation" to maintain political and economic stability in Europe in the face of global dangers, according to a former European Court judge.
Pro-EU campaigner Sir David Edward warned the referendum on Britain's membership is taking place in the context of a "very dangerous" world.
Sir David, a former judge of the European Court of Justice, said the country is in danger of losing its international reputation for reliability.
Addressing members of the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists' Association, Sir David said: "I think that we are now in a situation as dangerous as any time in my lifetime since the war. I think we are in a very, very dangerous situation.
"We have Russia, ruled by what one can only call an autocrat, an unpredictable autocrat, with ambitions as you have seen to reclaim the Ukraine and - and this has been said to me by more than one Russian academic - to reclaim the Baltic republics.
"There are Russian submarines in the Baltic, there are Russian planes overflying Britain and the countries between here and Russia.
"It isn't safe and in my view we have a moral obligation to the Baltic republics and to the countries that escaped, as it were, from the Russian clutch, we have a moral obligation to maintain a situation of political and economic stability in Europe.
"Apart from that there is the problem of the Middle East, there is the problem of migration from Africa, and again it seems to me that we have a moral obligation, we cannot simply say Spain, Italy and Greece, you cope with it. We have a moral obligation to help them to do so."
He added: "My view is that we are in danger of losing our reputation for reliability. That is the feeling about us in other European countries and I'm afraid that unless we show that we are committed to do our part in facing up to world dangers, then we will lose that reputation."
Sir David insisted such threats are not just an issue for Nato, pointing to the increasing role of technology in undermining political structures and the need for co-operation and protection through Europol and Eurojust.
He argued that the suggestion of Luxembourg judges "conspiring to destroy the sovereignty" of member states is "ludicrous", pointing to the sheer volume of work they are expected to undertake.
"We didn't have time to discuss anything like that or sit round in any such conspiracy," he said.
He added: "I believe that the single market is about opportunity and I think it is about more than merely economic opportunity, it's about social opportunity. It gives the possibility of people finding new opportunities for themselves and for their families.
"And that's why to some extent I think this referendum is not about us, my generation... it's about the opportunities of current and future younger generations."