We must ‘Rejoin’ the EU, here is the roadmap.
“I think the idea that people want to re-visit this in two or three years’ time, I think that’s for the birds” — Ed Davey
These words have been controversial for pro-Europeans. It proved that the new Lib-Dem leadership is somewhat out of touch from its membership. It is true, the polls suggest little has changed from 2016, in August the nation was still split 52%-48%. Yet, Davey spoke as if the whole country was his supporter base. He forgot that his party has always been pro-Europeans.
It is vital that pro-Europeans remain pro-European. Europe is still a project of hope, one that brings us freedom and opportunity.
Europe is a project that makes lives easier. The EU made it possible to use your phone abroad without breaking the bank. EU free trade made nice cars more affordable. Farmers got help and support through investment. Even more amazingly EU funding is still supporting our local authorities during COVID.
There is no question about it, we have to Rejoin the European Union.
We are not going to get Rejoin by asking for it. We don’t need a ‘charge of the blue brigade’. We need an action plan, a roadmap to rejoin. By campaigning to change politics from top to bottom we will sow the seeds for Britain’s return. We have to reform if we are to rejoin.
Waiting for the right moment to hoist the ‘Rejoin’ flag is only going to slow things down. We now have time to address the failure of the British system to ensure that a few can’t control the many and we get that new referendum. Reforms also will make sure that Rejoin can’t be undone by populists ever again.
Electoral Reform is perhaps the most important step. As long as we have an unrepresentative parliament we will continue to be ruled by egotistical populists. As long as a blame game continues any future hopes for a EU referendum are slim.
Reforming elections does not stop at voting. Campaigns need to be cleaned up, a challenging reform with this government but vital following the massive privacy breaches by the likes of Cambridge Analytical and AggregateIQ. General campaign material must improve. A lie used to end a politician’s career, these days it seems to make it.
Calling somebody corrupt is a bold statement, however it might be increasingly apt following the array of appointments made by the current government to friends. Meritocracy is a key British value we need to return to. We need to reform the very people within politics.
Reforming the core of our political system to represent people more accurately will make a new EU referendum possible.
If we are to win that referendum we need to start campaigning for Europe today. Campaigning for Europe is not about waving a flag and shouting ‘I love EU’. We need to explore the real benefits of global cooperation. We need to talk about how fanciful ideas of Europe are important for rural centre ground voters.
Too many people live on the breadline, they are rightfully worried about migration, we need to demonstrate how by collaborating beyond our borders with Europe we are able to reduce food prices & make their lives better. Taking back control was about the centre ground finally being heard, it is now time to deliver the EU as an answer to the centre ground’s misgivings.
In conclusion, there is a clear multi-step plan.
- Be honest, we are for rejoin. We want Rejoin and we want it because the EU is a project that makes our lives better.
- To make Rejoin a possibility we must change the electoral system to break the populist monopoly on power. We must erode practices that go against meritocracy and we must bring truth and honesty back.
- Once we have reform we could have a referendum, learning from the past the EU must be explained in relation to the needs of the centre ground not the economist.
- We rejoin.
