By Jon Norris of Crunch Accounting in Hove

The sudden rise of Ukip has taken everyone by surprise, none more so than David Cameron and the incumbent coalition Government.

This surge has brought discussion of the UK’s role in Europe to the fore, and the likelihood of a referendum on the issue is increasing by the day.

Given Brighton’s unique business makeup, how would a potential exit from the EU affect us here on the south coast?

One of the key impacts the EU has on the UK is in the form of legislation handed down from Brussels to become law here. Many of these laws are to do with workers’ rights and play a vital role in ensuring fair working conditions. The Working Time Regulations, for example, dictates things like maximum weekly working hours for employees, rest breaks for industries such as care workers, security guards and lorry drivers, and employee holiday entitlement.

The Equality Act, similarly, is an EUcreation, which prevents discrimination based on sex, race, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnerships.

The EU’s most recent mandate, the Agency Workers Regulations, guarantees temps and freelancers hired through agencies are treated equally compared with their full-time compatriots.

This had a huge impact in Brighton as large employers in the city were forced to close their revolving door of temporary workers.

Other EU initiatives in use in the UK include health-and-safety rules, Data Protection guidelines, the Human Rights Act and parental leave rights.

You may be reading this thinking that most of these laws sound like inherently good things – and they are. So much of the debate around Europe has been focused on vitriol and rhetoric that it’s easy to forget how the EU actually benefits us.

Brighton’s famously flexible working practices and equal treatment of all comers could be eroded if the power to decide such things rests in the hands of some publicity-hungry Westminster politician.

International trade, too, is important.

With the EU we can negotiate as part of a trading block with similar financial clout to the US – without it we are a tiny island which has invaded most of the places we are attempting to negotiate with.

Although Nigel Farage would like to turn British politics into his own sideshow, it’s important the debate is not hijacked and both sides are given equal credence. Yes, there are problems with the EU, but there are also many advantages – things we’ll miss when they’re gone.