Brexit - Museums Out!

Over the next couple of weeks I will be presenting the rational arguments for leaving or staying in the European Union from an independent museum perspective. I am going to ignore the Museums Association poll that indicates 97% of members think UK museums would be better off in the EU (http://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/01032016-would-uk-museums-be-better-off-in-or-out-of-the-eu) . Instead I will step outside the front doors of the museum, step blinking into the sunshine and find out what the outside world is thinking. This week - why we should leave. I have taken the source of my reasoning from the Better Off Out campaign website (http://www.betteroffout.net). Better Off Out was founded in 2006 by The Freedom Association and they have put forward 10 reasons why we should leave (shown in bold) which I have annotated to help museums decide what it means for them.

1. Freedom to make stronger trade deals with other nations.
More loans from the Smithsonian and less loans from the Louvre

2. Freedom to spend UK resources presently through EU membership in the UK to the advantage of our citizens.
Money for museums will be as abundant in the future as now (feel free to give a hollow laugh at this point). 

3. Freedom to control our national borders.
I will still have the keys to the museum's front door, but the lock might now be made in China

4. Freedom to restore Britain’s special legal system.
Freedom to bring back the stocks for OAPs demanding a discount in the shop

5. Freedom to deregulate the EU’s costly mass of laws.

Hoorah, I'm bringing back bent bananas for the cafe, will sell eggs by the dozen in the shop, bring back cleavage to the barmaids at our real ale festival, and may my swedes be turnips for evermore in the farm shop

6. Freedom to make major savings for British consumers.

No free entry for tourists, and a new 'Are you local?' discount

7. Freedom to improve the British economy and generate more jobs.
Dear Santa, I would like a new marketing manager, assistant curator, outreach officer, front of house manager (+3 staff) and a p.a. please.

8. Freedom to regenerate Britain’s fisheries.
Probably of use to the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre; less useful to my museum, but if the cost of a haddock and chips at my local chippy gets cheaper I'm all for it

9. Freedom to save the NHS from EU threats to undermine it by harmonising healthcare across the EU, and to reduce welfare payments to non-UK EU citizens.
I don't want barber shop quartets serenading me while having my annual check up from my proctologist.

10. Freedom to restore British customs and traditions.

Given that we still do cheese rolling, bog snorkling and Morris dancing. Is it time to bring back conkers, cock fighting, bear baiting, anti-semitism and primae noctis.

The future's bright and the future's British.