Political Viewpoint

BY Coun Paul Collins, Southend City Councillor, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group.
Ten years after deciding to be outside the European Union Project.
It is a bit of a wakeup call to realise that it will be ten years after 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. To remind people of the votes caste were 17.4m leave the European Union and 16.1m to remain, a majority in favour of a term coined at this time, for the Brexiteers. So, six prime ministers later since that referendum vote, and many are asking, are we any better off?
Personally and politically, I was devastated by this result. I felt then and still do, it was a failure of the political class to explain to all of us, on balance, the benefits of free and unencumbered trade with the largest trading block this side of the Atlantic. The free movement of people within the European Union to live and work in where they needed and wanted to.
I was working at the time with a multinational Lloyd’s of London Insurance business and I had to work out how we were going to continue trading with our European clients after this challenging decision to stop free trade across with Europe. The upshot is that we set up a Company in the Netherlands to be a group partner, with employment and earned taxation now in the hands of the Dutch treasury and not as it was, here in the United Kingdom.
So, what is the plan now, from the political class, on both sides of the argument?
The facts first, by 2025–2026, research indicates that Brexit has caused the UK economy to be 6% to 8% smaller than it would have been had the country remained in the European Union. This represents a “slow puncture” rather than an immediate crash, with the impact accumulating gradually over the decade following the 23 June 2016 referendum.
To put this into figures, analysis suggests a £65 billion to £90 billion annual hit to public finances, with some estimates indicating a £100 billion annual drag on the economy, equivalent to over £250 million a day in lost tax!
To some people on the Leave side of the argument, this is the price of ‘freedom’ from the need before Brexit of the UK to be in line with our European partners. Fair enough, but my political view is that we have failed a generation by stopping them enjoying the freedom of movement and education we enjoyed before Brexit drawbridge was pulled up.
So, ten years on, do we feel better off and safer? I am arguing we are not, as the world seems to coalesce around the strong military forces of the United States of America, Russia & China, I feel we are hugely exposed. It is noticeable how militarily weak the UK has become, as it is now isolated from our European neighbours.
The clear and obvious impact will start this summer, where UK passport holding travellers to European destinations are going to be held for hours in queues at airports and ports, as the UK passport is issued outside the Europeans borders, with stories of travellers missing flights and having to pay thousands of pounds to get to their destination on replacement flights.
This is what businesses have been facing over the last few years, with orders drying up from the European Union, as it is too difficult for both parties to trade, compared with businesses within Europe.
The Liberal Democrat are the only senior political party aiming to re-engage with Europe, with a long-term goal of rejoining the European Union. We are focusing on re-entering a “new UK-EU customs union” to fix the economic damage and reduce the form filling that businesses now need to do. This means closer trade deals as a closer relationship with Europe is essential for our economic growth.
With the security of the UK under the spotlight, closer alignment with the EU is crucial for UK security, particularly in response to geopolitical instability like a potential Trump presidency. The Liberal Democrat view focuses on transforming the relationship by starting with a comprehensive strategic agreement with the European Union, aiming for a “community that protects our freedoms, prosperity, and shared hopes”
Only then may we go back to voters in the United Kingdom and seek a review of what I believed then and still believe now, was the most devastating blow to our Country’s economy and the future of our children for decades to come.
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