In SIX days the people of Worcestershire will go to the polls in a once-in-a-generation referendum. This isn’t like a general election; the consequences will be felt for decades to come – perhaps a lifetime.

People might think this debate is irrelevant to them. But it matters to us all. You only have to look around Worcestershire to see why remaining in a reformed EU is so important to the jobs people do, the prices they pay in the shops, the growth of the economy and the opportunities for young people.

Take manufacturing. EU membership gives us access to the Single Market of 500 million people, to whom we can sell without tariffs or barriers.

As a result, nearly half of what we sell abroad goes to the EU. So many livelihoods – millions – are tied to this trade, whether directly or indirectly.

Workers in Worcestershire feel that very personally. Look at Mazak, in Warndon. 85 per cent of its business comes from the EU, supporting hundreds of jobs here. Worcester Bosch, which employs 1,000 people, is in a similar position. Bosses have spoken out about how important remaining in Europe is to them. In fact, it is because of this Single Market access that nearly 80 per cent of overseas companies say they wanted to invest in this country in the first place.

It’s clear from the Leave campaign – and from Donald Tusk, President of the European Council – that leaving the EU would mean leaving the Single Market. What would that mean in practice? It could mean tariffs on our goods. It could mean rules would be set surrounding our trade with Europe – and we’d no longer have any say on them.

People say we could trade with the rest of the world instead. But that’s not going to make up for our lost trade with the EU. It’s no wonder, then, that nine out of 10 economists are all agreed on the need to remain – and that the IMF and Bank of England have said leaving would lead to recession.

But it’s not just our businesses that benefit from EU membership. Look at research and education – the extra funding and scope for collaboration that EU membership gives us access to is vital, and the University of Worcester and Heart of Worcestershire College have both underlined this fact.

It’s important to tourism, too. 68 per cent of overseas visitors who come to this region come from the EU, taking in sights like Worcester Cathedral and the Severn Valley Railway. How would that industry be affected if their travel was made more complicated?

Food and farming also rely on EU membership. For a start, there’s the £1.5 billion that farmers in this region received between 2007 and 2013. There’s the fact that they can export their produce to the EU without tariffs – and that, within that market, we can remove barriers, as we did when we overturned France’s beef ban.

Then there are the types of produce that are protected. For example, Worcestershire cider has protected status in Europe – something Britain pushed for, and which benefits the local drinks industry.

It’s clear these benefits, which support so many jobs, bring in so much investment into our country, and help pay for the public services we rely upon, outweigh the costs. Leave campaigners say we would save the money we spend on membership. But we wouldn’t. Because we’d have a smaller economy, and therefore less to spend on things like the NHS.

Leave campaigners have no plan for life outside Europe. They can’t say what our relationship with the EU would be. All they’ve done is make a load of unfunded policy proposals. And their reaction when confronted with the prospect of a plummeting pound: “so what?” It really is the definition of a leap in the dark.

The EU isn’t perfect – far from it. But it will affect us whether we’re in or out. These are uncertain times for our economy and our national security. We ought to be in there, driving the big decisions, taking advantage of the Single Market, and making it work for us.

Yes, this country has problems. But we won’t solve any of them by wrecking our economy. Inside Europe, Worcestershire, like the rest of the country, is stronger, safer and better off. I say: don’t take the risk of leaving. Do what is right for your family’s future. And on June 23, vote to remain.

David Cameron

Prime Minister