The Keenly Awaited Prater Verdict on the EU Referendum...

Yeah, right. I was always voting Remain.

When asked by my step-son Joe (aged 11) why I was putting a "Remain" poster in the window, I could have given him lots of answers.

I could have talked about the likely damage that leaving the EU will do to the British economy, and thus the equally likely Government cuts in spending on services, benefits and tax increases on the lowest paid.

I could have talked about the trade uncertainty that would (again. likely: nothing is certain in life) be caused, and the impact that could have on local employers and jobs.

I could have talked about the "control" that is being talked about getting back would be the "control" to drop environmental protections, worker protection and common standards that are the very BEST bits of what Europe has achieved over years.

And I could have discussed the "Contol of our borders" myth, noting on the way through that more than half the migration to this country is from outside the EU. If you want to cut immigration by half, tomorrow, the Government has that control already, right now. And why don't they? Because it would break many businesses, the NHS and the economy. It would be insane, so they don't. Really: go and read up on it.

But I gave him a different answer.

In life, I believe that working together with other people is better than standing alone. It's why I don't work alone, I'm married, and I seek the company of others in my spare time. Working together with others can be frustrating, difficult, lead to arguments and sulking (Just me? Oh). But you also achieve more, have more fun on the way through, and have a far greater sense of pride and purpose in the achievements you accomplish on the way through.

And the same applies for Europe.

As an individual country, we'll survive. Of course we'll survive. The UK has survived invasion, plague, reformations, flood, famine and more. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't have been better to avoid them given the choice. It doesn't mean we wouldn't have been better off without the invasion, plague, reformations, flood and famine.

I'm not looking to just survive: I want better than bleeding survival. I want a better future for Joe and his generation. And, for me, that's best achieved by working together, and always will be.

On Thursday, it's up to you. But I'm voting Remain.