It's time for courageous leadership to rebuild ties with Europe
In July the Conservatives had their worst result since 1832, The Labour Party won a large majority with the lowest share of the votes in modern history. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats gained the largest number of seats for 100 years.
As a Conservative Peer, I reflect that the head in the ground attitude to Europe was a significant factor and unless my Party faces reality on Europe then further decline is inevitable.
But the new Labour Government seems as frightened of facing up to reality as are the Conservatives.
The reality is that we need a complete overhaul of our attitudes to the European Union, and a drive for a much closer relationship.
It is significant that whilst it seems that Labour support is already declining it is not the Conservatives who are benefitting. The truth is that the perceived cowardice of the two main Parties is yielding no support.
The younger the voter, the more they realise that our future lies with our closest neighbours in the EU. The obsession of an out-of-touch group of politicians and opinion formers with the so called “taking back control” agenda is pitiful.
The fact of the matter is that Brexit was a huge mistake and every day this becomes clearer.
Let me give one small example: recently we have been sold bottle caps where the top is attached for recycling purposes. This is apparently a Brussels initiative over which we had no input but because it is convenient for UK manufacturers, we will follow the directive.
In other words, we cannot even take back control of a bottle top.
The reality is that taking back control was as much a chimera as the supposed £350 million for the NHS. Boats pour across the channel. European policy on Ukraine is made in Brussels, Paris, and Berlin, and we sit helplessly on the sidelines taking our orders on Ukraine from Washington and knowing that if the USA withdraws or changes policy we will scuttle along behind them as we did in Afghanistan.
We have also withdrawn from all of the other European Agencies of which we formerly were Members. As an MEP I had dealings with the European Investment Bank and they lent a large amount of money to UK based projects. Now we are no longer a member but the new Government requires a large amount of investment capital. Are they trying to rejoin the Bank? It seems not. Similarly, the European Medicines Agency which was based in London is now in The Netherlands. Has this benefited UK medicine approval? Not at all. Are we trying to rejoin? It seems not. Euratom, the Environment Agency and the others not a shred of movement to rejoin and gain from their expertise.
It really is time for the UK Government to look again at its policies on Europe. Another referendum asking if we should seek a closer relationship with Europe would almost certainly produce a substantial majority in favour.
The middle class, the young, and the wealth creators of the United Kingdom realise where our future lies.
We need a government with the courage to let them say yes to Europe.
Lord Richard Balfe is a British politician and life peer. He was a Labour Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1979 but joined the Conservative Party in 2002.
