THE Welsh electorate truly deserve to hear a balanced argument before making a decision on whether or not to remain in the EU.

We have to see the big picture. There is a lot we would like to change about the EU, but we can only do that from within. The decision we make is about the kind of Wales we want to build and will affect generations to come.

Wales is slightly different to the rest of the UK. Areas like west Wales and the valleys get hundreds of millions of pounds in EU aid, far more than any other part of the UK.

Between 2014 and 2020 that is going to be worth £2 billion. Farmers here share in another £200 million of EU payments a year, which could be lost if the UK opts to leave.

However, those who want to leave the EU say it is not "European" money, but our money. They insist the money could still go to poorer areas of Wales - it would just come from the Welsh government rather than Brussels. But, we have yet to see any concrete plans that the Tory UK government would be willing to send additional money to Wales in the event of Brexit.

Here are four good reasons why we should remain in the EU: The EU has created and maintained millions of jobs; we gain far more in trade than we spend on it; being part of the EU enables us to travel freely in most places; we have global political and economic influence, partly because of the EU.

At the moment, we are taken seriously as part of a huge trade bloc (the EU accounts for nearly 20 per cent of world GDP). Washington, Tokyo and other global powers would have no real reason to take us seriously.

The UK has the sixth largest GDP but trails behind Germany and France, both of which are in the EU.

Just three testing questions that could help you make your mind up - would British people be stopped from moving to Spain or France or Germany to work?; secondly, a new trade deal could take many years to negotiate and might not give full access to the EU's single market?

So, British trade could be blocked by EU regulations or tariffs we would be unable to influence; and thirdly, would, in other words, the UK on its own be able to negotiate with Vladimir Putin or Iran, or to combat climate change?

Although these are just some of the questions, then I would recommend that you look at workers rights, people's rights and national security to help you decide.

Furthermore, it would be stark staring bonkers if we turned our backs on the European Union. It makes no sense to exit a market on Britain's doorstop and a move in that direction would erode the country's ability to trade with others.

They would just laugh in our faces. It would be anti-investment, anti-jobs and anti-business.

Finally, now is not the time to leave the EU when we the economy is just starting grow, we could risk everything by leaving.

Councillor Richard Bertin,

Independent,

Vale of Glamorgan Council