Brexit 'Taboo' lifted: Why it's time for closer EU ties

It seems to me there’s a buzz in the air and something is now being more openly discussed, something which has borne a cloak of contentious taboo about it for 10 long and, in my view, disappointing years, namely Brexit.

And frankly it’s little wonder; the world and in particular geographical rather than political Europe is a hugely different place from what it was in June 2016 when the Brexit Referendum took place here at home. And that ‘home’ in the UK has changed too; Covid has cruelly affected our health services, Climate Change has delivered unforeseen environmental pressures, Russia’s Putin has stormed into neighbouring Ukraine, our economy has struggled and the ongoing dictatorial volatility of ‘The Potus across the Pond’ has dealt out wild card after unsettling wild card, distorting reality itself. Only days ago, the US strategic bombers, the like of which have played a pivotal role in NATO's, and ultimately our UK defence since 1945, were withdrawn from RAF Fairford due to a terrorism threat.  All of this means a UK attempting to ‘go it alone’ post-Brexit seems more precarious by the day despite right-wing assurances that all is well and our ills lie totally with whichever scapegoat is currently favoured by their vociferous pundits!

So, what next? Prime Minister Andy Burnham has broached the subject of closer trade ties with Europe, as have Sir Ed Davey and Canada’s eminently statesmanlike Mark Carney. Not only that but Air-Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, stressed in 'The Independent' recently the absolute necessity of strong overall European defence. He also pointed out the very real importance of any military defence capability being built on a stable and prosperous civil society at home.

But clearly we need actions as well as words to bring about closer ties with Europe, notably rejoining The Single Market and Customs Union. Achieving those would hugely benefit business in general as well as manufacturing here in the UK, and as the Liberal Democrats have proposed in a costed route map towards closer connections with the EU. Better cross-European trade conditions would generate more jobs, particularly in the defence sector, as outlined above. And that increased economic activity could, in turn add a healthy 2-3 per cent to UK GDP leading to fairer, restructured income tax arrangements and removing the much-trumpeted right-wing threat to slash benefit payments to the disabled and others on low incomes.

Pie in the sky? Far from it; bold ideas simply need the political initiative and will to build a consensus and carry them through. History has taught us exactly that time and time again, so what are we waiting for?

JF Pocock
Wellington