Here the Prime Minister writes for Echo readers on why he thinks they should vote to remain in the European Union. Boris Johnson's argument for Leave is here.

IN just three days, Southampton will have its say: whether to remain in a reformed European Union, or to quit.

This is a vote not for the next five years, but the next generation.

I believe that we’ll be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU than out on our own – and therefore it’s vital that we stay. Look at this city, and you can see why.

First, in terms of trade. Southampton is home to Britain’s biggest automotive port.

This is the single market in action – taking advantage of the 500 million customers we can sell to without tariffs or barriers.

The ease of trade means nearly half of everything we export goes to the EU, and it means sectors like the car industry have been able to flourish.

That creates revenue for public services and jobs for people. End that now, and the IMF and Bank of England predict a recession.

Second, in terms of tourism. Southampton is the cruise capital of the UK, welcoming 1.5 million visitors to Britain each year.

Sixty-eight per cent of all visitors to this region are from the EU.

Would they be so keen to come and spend their money here, keeping the cruise sector going, if it was harder to visit?

Third, in terms of research. Sir Christopher Snowden, of the University of Southampton, is one of the 103 vice-chancellors who sounded a warning against leaving the EU.

Britain’s universities are world class.

And they’ve achieved that by having access to funding from bodies like the EU, and the wider pool of collaboration that comes with that.

The EU isn’t perfect, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

It will affect us whether we’re in or out. But it’s only by being in that we can continue to reform it.

Those who want us to leave offer nothing but a blank page. Meanwhile, leading figures from the worlds of economics, business, science, the arts and politics all say we should stay.

And for the sake of our future, I hope that’s exactly what readers of the Daily Echo will vote for.