At some point during the next 2-3 years the British people will probably be faced with the most crucial decision to confront them since the end of World War II: that of whether or not to leave the European Union. The importance of this issue far transcends that of the individual policies listed in the emerging manifestos of the three main parties. The impact of these policies will be felt for, at best, the span of a single Parliament. The impact of our decision on Europe will be felt for decades.
And yet not one of the eleven policy issues from which Tim Farron, in his e-mail of 28 October to all Lib Dem members, invited us to choose our ‘No.1 issue’ concerned Europe. More worryingly, the more recent pamphlet circulated to members very recently, entitled ‘Your Message Briefing’, does not mention Europe once on any of its ten printed pages or among any of its “key messages for 2015”.
Depending on which poll you believe, either just below or just above 50% of UK voters would prefer to stay in the EU. This huge constituency needs to be mobilised and needs to be led. This should be the natural role of Liberal Democrats, the only unequivocally pro-European British political party. But pro-Europeanism seems to have become “the love that dares not speak its name”, to quote from a different context.
British voters should be told where the Lib Dems stand on:-
- an in-out referendum
- reform of the EU
- the cost/benefit balance in UK membership of the EU
- the cost of a Brexit.
The Liberal Democrats are the only party which can be trusted to get the European question right; and we should not be afraid to say so.
* Bryan Cartledge is a Party member, former British Ambassador to Hungary and USSR, former Principal of Linacre College, Oxford
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17 Comments
I agree. We should have the courage to stand up for our convictions. if we don’t formulate our own message, others will. However, “the party of in” will have to go – this was a poor and uninspiring message and seemed to imply that we agreed with everything Europe was doing, no questions asked.
Perhaps we should ask the 3 major party leaders to sign up to another “vow” to work for a reformed EU that respects member state decision making within a single market context .That recognises the right to seek and gain employment within that singe maket where skills shortages exist but is committed to skills development within the member state to redress the balance of long term unemployment within that member state.
That recognises that reform is not just about migration but covers other important issues like food security ,climate change ,energy security and major infrastructure and communication CHALLENGES that improves the economic vitality of the EU.
Personally (I know this will earn me brickbats) I think we should have already changed to supporting a Referendum on ‘In/Out’. I think we are liberal, we are democrats, and if a majority of people don’t want to be in the EU, then we shouldn’t. (I am in favour of us being in the EU, by the way). That’s my ideals.
Pragmatically, I just believe it’s gone far along enough now that the Referendum WILL happen, and we should have got behind it a long time ago, definitely before the European Elections last year. (as ‘The Party of REFORM’, if you like).
I don’t support an in/out referendum for no reason, as it makes our negotiating position much weaker in the future. An in/out referendum on new treaties that would transfer powers to the EU is, however, a smart move, and one we should be proud of legislating for.
Please avoid any sentence which begins with the words —
” LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ARE THE ONLY PARTY THAT CAN BE TRUSTED TO ………….”
I know voters have short memories but …. …. not that short.
“Opinion: Liberal Democrats are the only party which can be trusted to get the European question right”
the EU election results might suggest otherwise…
The Lib Dems are the only party that can be trusted to get the Europe question right?
As the Europe Question is in many ways a value question, we shouldn’t be trusting any party to get it right, even our own. We should support a referendum and trust the will of the British people.
I really do not understand why Lib Dems deny the electorate an opportunity to exercise their democratic rights and vote on EU membership.
Decades of lies by senior politicians who promised no loss of sovereignty whilst handing over most of our powers by stealth is not reason enough?
Liberal Democrats can be “Trusted”, I wish we would not talk in these sort of terms, it leaves us wide open. Life is not like we would want it to be, it is about events and how they can change things at a minutes notice. You need to to leave wriggle room and be phlegmatic. In any case can we be trusted? Are we trusted by the voters after our track record? I only ask.
Persistent opposition to the building of new houses by Lib Dems up and down the country, while advocating continued unrestricted migration from Europe, suggests the Lib Dems can’t be trusted on at least one of those issues. I’m happy to agree it’s the housing one rather than the Europe one though, if you like.
A rather anglocentric post that is embarrassingly ignorant of politics in Wales and Scotland. LD may be the only English strongly pro europe party but is certainly not the only British one nor even the largest one in Britain. (The SNP have more than twice as many members as the UK Lib Dems.) Moreover, the question about whether LDs can be reliably trusted on anything anymore has already been posed above. Alex Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon would be far more credible and effective advocates for EU membership and engagement than Nick Clegg can ever be.
“Alex Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon would be far more credible and effective advocates for EU membership and engagement”
Until they were faced with a big hike in the amount Scots pay to be part of the EU, which would be the case if they won independence. After which, selling the EU as the best thing since Tunnocks Tea Cakes might become a big of a tougher proposition.
Seriously, harping on about how wonderful the EU is loses us loads of votes at every election where we do it. It is the last thing we need right now.
We should set out a list of demands for change of the EU and how we intend to secure them and leave it at that.
Meanwhile, what about the NHS, living standards, jobs and pay, inequality and funding public services? That’s what most people want to hear about.
Well said RC
” ..,We should set out a list of demands for change of the EU and how we intend to secure them and leave it at that.
Meanwhile, what about the NHS, living standards, jobs and pay, inequality and funding public services? That’s what most people want to hear about.”
I also like Tunnocks Tea Cakes but I doubt if they are any good for me.
” The Liberal Democrats are the only party which can be trusted to get the European question right; and we should not be afraid to say so. ”
You LibDems certainly like to hog the oxymoron.
‘trusted’ and ‘the european question’
Equality for women, apart from within the party machine.
Respect for women, apart from within the party machine.
Liberal apart from when you are statist
Democratic apart from when your ideology on issues such as on t EU, comes into confrontation with the concept of demos.
Perhaps you would be better served by looking anew at yourselves, rather than trying to persist with a publically discredited self proclaimed stereotype.
” The key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be-and when they’re not, we cry. ” ~ Samuel Johnson
I find this phrase extremely arrogant and off-putting – any party thinks they are the only one who will get it right so why say this and make everyone think you are smug?
If I correct in my assumption, I was under the impression that we are signatories to the European Treaty, period.
Treaties are there for good, maybe subject to changes, but none the less totally and legally binding. I know that given the chance perfidy can be a diplomatic tool that we are famed for using if things do not suit us, but that is something the Lib Dems should not even consider quietly supporting. The main problem of course is that the Europe we joined did not include the gaggle of middle European states that should never have been asked to join the Union on anything other than an associate basis for at least 50 years, and we are stuck with them now, at least until Putin decides to move the goal posts and to absorb them back into his sphere of influence.
How can we trust someone / party that no matter what your in Europe NO TRUST