Mostly not harmless

It's already provoked some discussion over at Matt's, and Johann Hari's article about the UKIP is now available on his website:

Indeed, UKIP routinely denounces Edward Heath, John Major and Tony Blair - who, whatever you think of them, have dedicated their lives to serving Britain - as "traitors". It seems strangely appropriate that Joan Collins has joined the Party. Their view of the EU and of our political leaders is like something from a Dynasty plot-line: cartoonish motivations, evil scheming and dastardly foreigners. If Romano Prodi as described by UKIP had bigger shoulder-pads and classier ball-gowns, he could easily be a partner in ColbyCo.

But beneath the layers of bigotry and silliness, it is important to note the appeal of UKIP's arguments. Large numbers of British people - more than 40 per cent in some polls - want to withdraw from the EU. Many are decent people tempted by the UKIP argument that after withdrawing from the EU, we could still engage in full trade with our European partners. It seems like we could cherry-pick the best of the EU - access to European markets - without the political entanglements of belonging to the Union itself. The Withdrawal Brigade points to Switzerland and Norway as models of a post-EU future. These two countries trade with the EU without having to adhere to its rules, UKIP boasts.

There's only one problem with this neat vision: it isn't true. Many of my relatives live in Switzerland, and it is a simple fact that Swiss people have to follow the vast majority of EU regulations. If almost all your products are sold within the EU, then you have to meet EU rules at almost every step of the production and distribution of goods.

After withdrawal, Britain would still, in practice, be bound by EU regulations. The only difference would be we would have absolutely no say in formulating those regulations. They would be made without us. Britain wouldn't even be shouting from the sidelines, as we so often are today. Our government would be outside the stadium, yelling in an empty street. They could more accurately be named the UK Isolation Party.