Scottish Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Christine Jardine has reflected on the EU referendum as her daughter sets out on a journey round Europe. She thinks back to how her grandmother felt seeing her son go to Normandy – to fight in a war. She imagines her horror and panic when he briefly went missing and was found injured. All this, she argues, amounts to a powerful case to stay in the European Union:
My daughter and her friends have already visited Thiepval, the Normandy beaches, a concentration camp.
They have studied that period of European History which is about to pass from living memory, and regard it as their own, as Europeans.
When they talk of either World War what I hear is not blame or criticism of other nations but a recognition that, as a continent, we screwed up.
And they do not talk in terms of former enemies and allies, but of neighbours, fellow Europeans with whom we are building a common, and better, future.
France, Germany and Italy can be as familiar and accessible to all of us as the Highlands or the South of England.
After this trip one of the group will be studying in Germany for a year as part of a European programme, while the planning for this month included potential stops with an old school friend in Spain and a return to Lyon to revisit chums from a student exchange.
That, for me, is the foundation and raisin d’etre for European integration.
Yes our jobs and trade are protected, and enabled, by membership.
Yes, we have a larger voice on the world stage by virtue of our place in this largest of trading partnership..
And yes we have the common security from external threat that co-operation bring us.
But more than any of those we have a means to protect our children and grandchildren from the fear and conflict which stalked our grandparents.
You can read her whole article here.
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2 Comments
Michael Gove is now saying that the UK should leave the Single Market as well as the EU. He was supported on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1 by Boris Johnson. Gove was on ITV1 at 10 am and greeted with incredulity by Robert Peston. Gove is relying on his credibility, but the same programme showed opinion polls for trust in politicians, now lower than I can remember and journalists, only slightly higher.
The normally restrained John Major was on Marr, incandescent with rage about what Leave are saying, for instance about Commissioners, appointed by Heads of Government and instructed by them, accountable to them and to the European Parliament. Their brief, but wholly inaccurate statements need vigorous rebuttable, for instance the statement that Turkey is joining the EU not true. Turkey has applied in the past, is nowhere near meeting the admission criteria and are moving away from EU membership while continuing with the customs union and being an important member of NATO. Turkey did shoot down a Russian military aircraft which they said was overflying Turkish territory.
Michael Gove also said that he wants Cameron to be PM after 23 June
(not Boris? wonder why?)
and that if Cameron wants Gove outside the cabinet Gove will accept.
In 2010 Gove was equally definite that he would accept a coalition and give up his own post if necessary, which it was not.