be in, out, or somewhere in the middle? But what is less encouraging is that this debate seems to be being held in a vacuum from which all of the facts have been extracted. It's a bit disconcerting, and one can wonder what sort of informed opinion any eventual referendum on this question might be based on. This aspect – what the alternatives might be to the EU – is part of the general fog of ignorance. Euromyths are being peddled more or less daily.

The grass is always greener on the other side, of course, but let's at least give it a chew before we tiptoe over the cattle grid for good. This Entry tries to set out some likely options, along with their positive and negative aspects for the UK. But let's start with some arguments that are likely to be invalid.