EU referendum: Brexit myths must be busted, says Alan Johnson in Wolverhampton

Alan Johnson MP said it would be 'totally bizarre and unrealistic' to walk away from the EU 'to some mythicised period of Empire' put forward by leave campaigners.

The ex-home secretary and former trade union leader was speaking after a question and answer session with students at the University of Wolverhampton's Students' Union.

He said people have been 'getting drip fed for 20 years' that all the UK's laws are made in Brussels yet many people do not know exactly what they object to.

"We have got to explode the myths," he added.

"People have misconceptions about Europe that we have to address, then we have to make the positive case.

"No country anywhere in the world would dream of walking away from an alliance that has such power economically, in terms of our security, in terms of tackling issues on climate change and right at the heart of this, our economy and our jobs.

"We need to be shaping the rules as part of the EU. It is important that people realise the consequences if we leave, that we won't have any say on these vital issues."

Mr Johnson said that Brexit would hit the West Midlands' manufacturing firms hard by potentially removing tariff free trade within the bloc.

"As a country 45 per cent of our exports go to the EU," he said.

"It is a market with rules, but it is a market with rules that benefit us."

He added that he 'fully understands' concerns about mass immigration into the UK, and said that people were 'perfectly entitled to be worried about issues of exploitation and fairness'.

"Free movement works both ways," he added.

"No country in Europe has more of its citizens living and working abroad than us.

"Free movement was part of the deal when we voted to go into the EU. It has always been there as part of the treaty.

"I think people worry that companies use free movement of people, particularly from Eastern Europe, to undercut their pay.

"In some circumstances they are right. That's why we fought for the directive to stop companies from using cheap agency labour in this way.

"If we leave Europe we lose this directive and there is no protection.

"There will always be employers who try and exploit situations where they can. The fact is that is we leave Europe workers lose the protection that being part of the EU brings.

"That part time staff have to be paid the same hourly rate as full time staff, which is very important, particularly for women workers.

"The right to four weeks paid holidays. The right to time off for emergencies. The right for people on temporary contracts to get the same as regular staff. The right to maternity and paternity leave. It all comes from the social dimension of Europe.

"For the West Midlands, for a manufacturing centre in particular, 45 per cent of our exports go to the EU with no tariffs and no tariff barriers."

Mr Johnson, who is chair of the Labour In for Britain group, was joined at the event by Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden.