I sent our local newspaper a letter giving ten points for Remain; they published it on 1st October with the heading “Ten reasons for us to have a new vote”. That is because I prefaced it by saying “Let me express my joy should there be a public vote to remain.” My reasons were affected by my responding to Brexiteers’ previous letters expressing joy at leaving. I am showing this here because I think we need to be saying much more of this. So many people are unfortunately no longer interested in what goes on in Parliament but their reaction to events is based on whether they are for remain or leave. We must put the case for remain and do it repeatedly.

1. No more years of hassle, expense and uncertainty for business in relationships with the closest, biggest market in the world.
2. No loss of government income to run our public services.
3. No worry about losing funds for skills training, while continuing access to a pool of people as necessary to run our public services.
4. No need for time, effort and expense to negotiate different regulations with loads of other countries that must be approved by all 164 nations in the World Trade Organisation.
5. No need to worry about more risks to our employment rights, jobs, working conditions and human rights.
6. The strength within Europe to stand up to the might of the USA, China, India, Russia and Brazil and against exploitation by multi-national corporations.
7. The ability to influence the EU and make it better, rather than be on the sidelines affected by their power.
8. The ability to do more to tackle world issues, such as the environment, from a position of strength rather than feeling alone.
9. Continued free access to vital information on criminals who might come here or escape from us.
10. No further risk to peace in Northern Ireland and being at the table should any risk to peace arise across Europe.

In conclusion, what a relief not to go out into the cold. We can then get on with improving our society and democracy for the benefit of everyone.

My letter was followed by one that put reasons against the EU and everyone of these was false. So I and two others then sent letters pointing out the falsehood of each one. For the first time in decades, the editor put his own piece in italics saying these last letters (against the Brexit view) were correct because he had checked the facts; that was in spite of our local paper being owned by the Daily Mail and our area being called the Brexit capital of England.

So, let’s see all remainers joining in this battle to demonstrate why we should remain.

There are, of course, other reasons than the ones above and they are not only from the perspective of economics, but that of togetherness in the world; we need to demolish the feeling so many people now express of being oppressed by the EU and therefore wanting their freedom which they imagine leaving will bring.

* Nigel Jones is currently secretary of Newcastle under Lyme Liberal Democrats and the Chair of the Liberal Democrat Education Association.