The Government today published the long awaited first six reports of the review of the balance of competences between EU and national levels, due to be finalised at the end of 2014. The review has been overseen by a Ministerial star chamber with Lord Wallace of Saltaire leading impressively for the Liberal Democrats in the complicated process.
Contrary to the perception in Eurosceptic ranks, this review is not and was never about creating a wish list of demands for unilateral repatriation of powers. Liberal Democrats have been unwavering in our arguments that the EU needs reform to make it more competitive and accountable. However, reform should be promoted for the whole of the EU, working with like-minded governments and parliamentarians from across Europe to achieve the necessary change. Unilateral repatriation is neither desirable nor achievable. Just imagine what we’d have to concede in return and the damage that could do to British interests.
The reports published today underline this loud and clear and sound the starting gun for a much better informed and enriched debate about the role of the EU in our public life: where the EU has been invaluable, where it can be improved and where competences could better be exercised at national level to address the policy challenges at hand.
The report is tactfully light on policy conclusions but it is clear that it has already strengthened the arguments in favour of remaining part of the EU. The Single Market Report reiterates the economic benefits and central importance of our trade with the EU for jobs; the International Development Report demonstrates the greater economies of scale and global reach of combined EU aid projects; the Foreign Policy Report highlights the considerable advantages for the UK in agreeing joint EU positions on issues ranging from sanctions in Burma and Iran to peacekeeping in Bosnia.
This week the Japanese Government publicised its submission to the review in which it warned that the 1,300 Japanese companies and the 130,000 British jobs they support rely on our continued membership of the EU. The subtext is clear – if Britain leaves the EU, this job creating investment will dry up with ominous consequences for Nissan workers in Sunderland, the Honda factory in Swindon and Toyota’s employees in Burnaston. What is at stake is jobs and the Liberal Democrats are the only party fighting loudly for a stronger economy by defending these jobs and working to create millions more through continued British membership of the EU.
There are 26 further reports in the pipeline covering all aspects of the EU’s role and I urge organisations both inside and outside the party to continue to feed in their expertise in order to make sure that the national debate on the EU is finally based on fact and not fiction.
To contribute to the balance of competence review, please find background briefings, timetables and information on how to submit evidence here – https://www.gov.uk/review-of-the-balance-of-competences
* Martin Horwood is Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for the South West of England & Gibraltar. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Iran delegation. He is Borough & parish councillor for Leckhampton, Gloucestershire.
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6 Comments
Reading the BBC report you would be forgiven for thinking that Japan was just weighing in here, rather than responding to a request for submissions.
And Julian Brazier, under the same link, can only fall back on the rhetorical device of ignoring the evidence from Japan regarding our national interest (130,000 jobs) and saying that this should be about our national interest instead.
Having William Wallace on hand to navigate the way through proceedings makes me feel a lot less distrustful of this exercise.
I agree that continued EU membership is vital.
But too often Lib Dems have acted as too supportive cheerleaders of the EU rather than admitting, as the report indicates, that with the benefits of the EU go a whole host of serious and avoidable problems. Lib Dems need to be leading the charge for serious constructive reform of the EU.
@Stephen W
I am sure that for some years Lib Dem General Election Manifestos call for reforms of the EU. Sadly the low priority of the EU during elections has meant that only our support is reported and exploited by those who aim to create an offshore low wage economy.
Stephen – I agree there is an impression that we are uncritical cheerleaders, but I am constantly hearing (and making) calls for reform. Where are these uncritical cheerleaders?
Yes the case for continued membership is robust, and (not but) we demand reform.
If you want to destroy a nation just keep voting either for the Labour or Conservative parties. For the UK’s membership of the European Union is just one fine example of how both these parties when in government have destroyed the nation’s long term economic outlook and our living standards per se. There are too many undermining things that have happen to the UK through disastrous political decision-making over the years with regard to the EU to list them all in a mere letter. But just one fact is that officially under Labour and Tory governments around 500,000 UK social housing units for approximately 1.2 million immigrants over the last 10-years alone, who have never paid a penny into the system, have been given preference over the 1.8 million households on the waiting list, estimated to be over 5 million people that are mainly UK descendants by birth. Add the vast increased demands on the NHS and education system etc, etc that is ‘free’ for all (one of the main reasons why the NHS will not last a further 25 years under all this
pressure brought about by the inept decision making of our leading political parties), we see why we are in the dire state of affairs that we are. But add to this the vast payments that the UK shells out to the EU 24/7 on the back of the constantly failing EU political project, we must be absolutely mad to stay in the EU and continue to accept their ruinous laws and rulings. For it was a trade ‘pact’ that we in this country entering into, not a political nightmare and where the EU nations buy far more from us than we buy from them. Therefore never in a million years will the EU not trade with us if we pulled out and that is using that most lacking commodity in politics today of pure old ‘common sense’. For overall I believe in the basis of the EU concept when it was first introduced as the EEC, but where the EU project should have kept individual nations’ people to their own borders and where EU money should be used solely to build those economies from within, without exporting their people to others. This is where it falls down and will eventually become a nightmare for the UK and its indigenous people as we add huge debt upon debt year-on-year. Therefore when the ‘Vote’ comes we must for our own long-term sanity and good, vote ‘Yes’ to come out of this constantly damaging political pact.
Dr David Hill
Chief Executive
World Innovation Foundation