THE United Kingdom was a member of the European Union for 47 years, from 1973 to 2020, almost half a century.
We were reluctant to join, afraid of losing economic sovereignty and the control of our own laws. We had concessions in our favour, for example not joining the Euro, giving us a unique position with the community.
There was, however, a pernicious prejudice in some areas that coloured our thinking. Remember the newspaper headlines about the straight banana or the hoohah that you could buy 12 eggs but not a dozen? This was all a sideshow.
The fact of the matter was that as members of the EU, trade and prosperity grew, and our standing on the world stage was maintained. Most importantly, our young people travelled and worked together, forging close relations and stepping back from the ‘dad’s army’ prejudices older generations had clung to.
Recent polls are reporting our young people today overwhelmingly regret the Brexit decision to leave: three out of four youngsters between 18 and 25 would vote to rejoin the EU. Most of these were too young to vote the first time.
And are we better off now as promised during the referendum debate? Not one bit. UK growth is 2-3 per cent lower than if we had remained, trade with Europe has significantly declined, business is strangled with red tape and lack of trained workforce. Has immigration reduced? No, immigration is increasing substantially, and not from European past partners but from countries outside the EU and illegal sources.
Our politicians need to address these failures.
There is a possibility to renegotiate UK/EU customs regulations, which would help hugely in cutting red tape and moving goods faster across the border, encouraging increased trade.
There are discussions about negotiating a more free movement of UK and European young people for study and work.
Let’s face it: as the older cohort of our society drops away, the signs are the younger generation will most likely move back to the EU anyway.
Why hold them back?
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