IN the run-up to the EU referendum on June 23, The Guardian is asking people for their views on whether the UK should leave or remain.

Here, we speak to the Rt Hon Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, about why he thinks the UK should remain part of the EU.

“During the run-up to the General Election last May, I did not meet one person who thought that if the Conservatives won the election, they would carry through the promise of an In-Out Referendum on the European Union by the end of 2017.

“Following the prime minister’s renegotiation of our terms of membership, that pledge has now been kept. It is the British public who will make the decision on June 23. It is the millions of voters in our country who will have the final say. This is as it should be.

“Under the new terms renegotiated by the prime minister, migrants will not be able to claim benefits for up to seven years, sham marriages will be stopped and third party nationals will not be allowed to use the EU to come to claim immigration status to stay in the UK. There will also be new powers against EU criminals as we will now be able to stop them coming to the UK and deport them if they are already here. We have control of our borders as we are outside the Schengen Agreement. Moreover, Britain is also out of the ever closer union, meaning that there will no longer be any more political union with the rest of Europe and we will never be part of the single currency. For the past five years as MP, I have worked hard to try and bring jobs, apprenticeships and businesses back to my constituency. My huge worry, are the dark economic clouds across the world. It is possible that leaving the EU may cause such an economic jolt that we would be back in economic recession, causing the loss of thousands of Essex jobs and the loss of livelihoods for many hard-working residents and their families. For every £1 we spend on Europe, the UK gets nearly £10 back from trade, investments, grants and the growth of our economy. Some 300,000 jobs in the East of England are directly reliant on our continued place in Europe.

“I also believe that, for the sake of our safety and security, it is better to be part of an alliance of democracies. The threats Britain faces from Islamic extremists and other terrorism remain very grave. It has been the EU that has issued tough sanctions on‎ Iran and Russia: from their perspective, we may look divided and weaker if we leave. That is why nearly every head of NATO and our own intelligence services have said that Britain can better deal with these threats as a guiding force within the EU.

“I accept that while some will agree with my position, some will disagree. It is important to remember that my view is just one of many millions of voters. This is because we have an In-Out EU referendum which means nothing is being imposed on us. It is the British people and the British people alone who will make the right decision on what is best for our country.”‎