AHEAD of this week's EU referendum a series of Worcestershire people have penned pieces for the Worcester News on why Britain should back Remain or Leave.

Here the leader of Worcester City Council, Councillor Adrian Gregson, reveals why he backs Remain.

By Adrian Gregson.

Europe is good for Worcester – and Worcester is good for Europe.

Businesses, education institutions, faith groups, local MPs and other politicians across the major parties are reported in favour of the Remain campaign.

So whatever else you may think about why we are having this referendum in the first please, please do vote in it.

Workers in Worcester need to stay in the EU. If we leave we will see cuts to employment rights which currently protect working hours, maternity and paternity rights, equal treatment for part time and full time workers, and annual leave entitlements.

Businesses trading in Europe but based in our Midlands region will face massive upheaval to create new trade agreements if we leave the EU. And many will surely either pull out or go bust.

We have international companies here because they want to trade in Europe.

Will Bosch and Mazak keep factories in the Midlands if they have to renegotiate all their contracts again? Of course not.

Worcester currently enjoys relatively low employment though there is considerable unemployment amongst young people and people with disabilities, and there is widespread under-employment.

We cannot afford to go into the further recession which will result if we vote to leave the EU.

Recently reported in the local media as against an exit are the University of Worcester, Heart of Worcestershire College, the Cathedral authorities, and representatives of large and small businesses.

Are they all wrong? Socially, culturally and historically, we are part of Europe.

And will leaving the EU solve the migration crisis? No.

Migrants to the UK are in employment, not claiming benefits – but they do pay tax. Many of these jobs are either highly skilled or not skilled at all and unpopular with some British workers.

Despite immigration there has been a net increase in employment in this country in recent years.

Will exit provide more employment for so-called British workers? No. Does it threaten the lives of millions of Britons living abroad? Yes.

Additionally do not believe some of the nonsensically high figures about money being banded about.

Inaccurate scaremongering has been a feature of this campaign.

There are two further things it is easy for our generation to be complacent about – this is a vote where young people must make decisions about their future.

There will be no turning back after the referendum. If we go, we go – do young people, already saddled with uncertainty about their jobs, their families, their homes and their climate, want to risk everything on the say-so of leave campaigners who have nothing in common with them?

And finally, there are fewer and fewer men and women around who lived through European War, but one of the key reasons for that absence of war has to be the EU.

Don’t let's risk breaking up that cohesion just when there are so many other threats around the world which make it more and more important that we stick together.

Vote Remain.

* Set Britain 'free from the shackles' and back Brexit, says James Goad