Leaving the EU would be the single most shot-in-the-arm for liberty seen in Europe since the fall of the Soviet Union.
This American has been hired to persuade Britain to leave the EU
Thomson ReutersGunster, a Washington-based strategist who has been hired by the Leave.EUcampaign, poses for a portrait in his offices in Washington
Most Britons have never heard of Gerry Gunster, yet the 48-year-old American could play a major role in whether they vote to leave the European Union at a membership referendum due by the end of 2017.
A referendum veteran, he has been hired by the Leave.EU ‘out’ group to mastermind its campaign to persuade Britons they are better off without the European Union.
The advocacy firm he heads, Goddard Gunster, says it has a 90 percent success rate.
For the man behind Leave.EU, millionaire businessman Arron Banks, Gunster’s expertise will give the ‘out campaign’ more than a fighting chance against those lobbying to stay in the 28-member bloc.
“This is an historic vote,” Gunster told Reuters by telephone from Washington, where he is based. “This is a campaign that is challenging … but I also feel very positive.”
Although Prime Minister David Cameron has not yet set a date for the referendum, focusing instead on his plan to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the bloc, those who want to see ‘Brexit’ no matter what are mobilizing.
While Leave.EU turns to the United States to boost its chances, another ‘out campaign’ launched this week, bringing together some of the biggest names in British business to argue that the United Kingdom must reclaim its sovereignty.
With the financial firepower of several billionaires, ‘Vote Leave’ says Cameron is unlikely to persuade other EU leaders to support the kind of reform that it believes Britain needs.
Those campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU are also readying their arguments, with the ‘In Campaign’ launching on Monday in London.
Polls show the gap between Britons who want to remain in the EU and those who back leaving is narrow.
