If as Harold Wilson famously said “a week is a long time in politics,” the three months between now and the EU referendum stretches far into the distance.

With such a long run-in, there’s a danger of topic torpor and analysis fatigue.

Whilst the decision is in the hands of us as individuals, UK businesses are heavily invested and want to see changes to the EU that will put Europe on the path to a more prosperous future – the Prime Minister’s reform package is an important step forward.

The CBI’s role will be to inform the debate with balanced argument and the experiences of businesses across the UK.

It is our relationship with 190,000 firms that gives us an insight into what a choice to leave or stay will mean.

Most CBI members – though not all – have told us that being in a reformed EU is better for growth. With a final deal now in place, we will now ask for their views again.

For business, being part of the single market is the most significant benefit of EU membership.

It provides guaranteed tariff–free access to 500m consumers and has been a cornerstone of the UK’s economic success.

It gives firms the ability to influence European product standards and the rules that affect them and allows the UK to make the most of the leverage of the whole EU in negotiating better trade deals with the rest of the world.

Overall, the UK has prospered within the EU and the benefits of membership would be difficult to replicate from the outside.

All current models, such as those of Switzerland and Norway, have serious drawbacks.

These models would give the UK no influence on European market rules despite being bound by them, little or no reduction in commitment to free movement of labour and would require ongoing contributions to the EU budget.

The challenge for those wishing to leave is to be clear on what the UK’s future relationship would look like outside the EU and how it would lead to greater prosperity.