Tom Brake: We must get off this Brexit train to calamity
3 min read
The Liberal Democrats must put a stop to this destructive rush towards a hard Brexit, warns Tom Brake
As parliament gears up for what MPs on all sides are aware will be a very gruelling session, there are no prizes for guessing that one issue is set to dominate all that happens in Westminster. Brexit and the eight bills that are required to deliver it, have the ability to cause infighting within the Conservative party, overturn Theresa May’s minuscule and fragile majority, topple her government and, most importantly of all, wreak havoc on the future of the UK.
The time for strong and stable leadership on this matter is now. The Liberal Democrats know that, in order to secure a promising future for the UK, and generations to come, we must be ready to fight the hard Brexit the government claims, without evidence, is the will of the people.
First and foremost we need clear objectives. It is imperative that membership of the single market and customs union are protected.
It is imperative that the rights of EU citizens residing in the UK and contributing to our communities and society are upheld. The UK could still take this step unilaterally. This in turn would help secure the futures of UK citizens in the EU.
It is imperative that the close relationships and cooperation on human rights, security and environment that have developed with our European friends over decades are safeguarded. They mustn’t be uprooted by a self-harming, destructive rush to a hard Brexit.
The Liberal Democrats are the only major party clear on these objectives.
We know that the opportunities and prosperity our relationship with Europe confers on us cannot be replaced.
It is now plain for all to see that the wide-ranging, quick-to-negotiate, one-sided trade deals talked up by Liam Fox will not materialise: the UK EU trade deal won’t be one of the easiest in human history. The quickie divorce David Davis promised has turned into his very own War of the Roses (minus the glamorous film stars). And the less said about Boris’s £350m extra every week for the NHS the better. These claims have disappeared into thin air, just like the PM’s credibility after the Brexit general election.
The country deserves to hear a plan for Brexit, yet this hasn’t been delivered by Labour or the Conservatives. Labour may have chosen to perform a late U-turn on transitional membership of the single market and customs union, but are remarkably silent on what happens afterwards.
Meanwhile, Theresa May’s government chooses to publish ‘position’ papers. Their vagueness only serves to confuse negotiators in Brussels, leading some to speculate, wrongly, that their opaqueness and chaotic nature disguise a cunning plan. The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, are clear. We want an exit from Brexit.
We’re not alone in this wish. As reality hits home, revealing the damage being caused to the country by Brexit and the government’s abject failure to address some of the most significant underlying causes of Leave voters’ dissatisfaction – such as poor housing and a lack of quality jobs and training – more people will want to stop, and get off, this Brexit train to calamity.
It’s not for the government to dictate wilfully our future; Brexit was started by a public vote, and should end with a public vote. That’s why, at the end of the negotiating process, there must be a referendum, and one which includes the option to remain within the EU. This is our plan for Brexit and this is our plan to build a positive future for Britain.
Tom Brake is MP for Carshalton and Wallington, Lib Dem first secretary of state, spokesperson for Exiting the European Union and International Trade spokesperson
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