Sammy Wilson: This week is the UK's week of destiny

It is dragging economies of Europe down, is going to lead to catastrophic debt and soaring interest rates along with financial ruin for governments across the EU.

History shows us that we are better off out. In the 1990s we were told that we had to tie ourselves to the European exchange rate mechanism otherwise our economy would be ruined. This was the message from the same politicians, economic experts and businessmen who are badgering us to stay in the EU for the good of our economy.

Where did their advice lead us in 1992? We finished up with interest rates at 15%, hundreds of thousands losing their homes and our economy in recession. When we dismissed their advice and left the ERM our economy prospered. They told us to join the euro and looking at the devastation which that experiment has caused in economies across the EU where there is 50% youth unemployment are we glad we ignored their advice.

No-one should go to the polls on Thursday fearful about voting to leave the EU against the advice of the advice of these economic failures whose advice is driven more by their EU political bias than economic evidence.

A leave vote will release billions of pound which we currently pay to the EU for public spending in NI. We will still have our markets in Europe just as European producers will have their markets in the UK. A whole new world will open for us through UK specific trading agreements with the growing economies of the world.

We will be able to start dismantling some of the most damaging and costly EU regulations affecting our businesses. Free from the dead hand of big business driven restrictive EU regulations we will be able to encourage innovation and new business growth. Finally we will be able to decide who lives in our country rather than have to operate an open door or bow to the dictates of the European Court of Justice which upholds the rights of criminals to enter and stay in our country.

This week is the UK’s week of destiny – Thursday opens the door to a bright future for the UK.

We will still be a major economy, a big player in international institutions and a major economic partner for EU countries, but we will not be tied to the disastrous decisions of an institution I which we are a minority stakeholder subject to the whim of 27 other partners who in many instances do not share our priorities or interests.

The choice is simple. Choose to decide our own future or stay in a political arrangement which will be even less conducive to our interests and concerns once we have lost the lever of the referendum.

Sammy Wilson, MP for East Antrim