Keir Starmer is hellbent on taking us back into arms of Ursual von der Leyen, writes Duncan Barkes, left (Image: Getty)
Labour are hellbent on once again shackling us to the failed political project of the European Union – a move that not only scrubs from history the referendum result of 2016, but one that would cost the UK dearly. In a desperate attempt to save his crumbling premiership, the Prime Minister has spent the last few weeks outlining why he believes closer ties to the EU are vital. Last week, he was in Armenia at the European Political Community – a gathering of leaders who have declared their solidarity with Ukraine and pledged financial assistance to the country in a shared defence fund. At a separate meeting at the gathering, the Prime Minister met with Ursula von der Leyden, President of the European Commission, and both declared they wanted to further even closer ties between the UK and EU and strike an ‘ambitious’ deal at a summit later this year.
It has already been revealed that EU negotiators have suggested that Britain would need to stump up around £1billion for access to the EU’s single market – this would see us making payments to Brussels for the first time since Brexit. The Prime Minister believes that the benefits of a closer relationship with the EU outweigh the financial costs and the King’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament scheduled for Wednesday is set to propose new laws that will allow the government to adopt EU single market rules without approval for MPs.
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This is not only a betrayal of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU, but a complete snub of the democratic process.
Sir Keir is not alone in his obsession with binding us once again to the EU. Labour London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan believes that the party should pledge to rejoin the EU in its next general election manifesto while polling conducted by research company Survation revealed that 65 per cent of party members would like to see Labour make the commitment to rejoin the 27-state bloc.
But the mood of the people of Europe is changing – political parties across the continent who are either EU-sceptic or opposed to ongoing membership are receiving greater support. Aside from the political failings of the project, the EU has always been an economic basket case with its ill-suited mix of stronger and weaker economies across the bloc.
The sovereign debt crisis of 2008 exposed the vulnerabilities of the southern European economies of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. Fears of a debt default saw the EU approve a 750billion euro stabilisation package to these countries with harsh conditions imposed on their governments by the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – the people of Greece in particular suffered terribly due to the brutality of these conditions.
Despite Labour’s best attempts at trashing our economy over the last two years, the UK is still predicted to outperform France and Germany this year which begs the question how beneficial closer EU ties would actually be at the expense of ceding more control once again to Brussels.
Those advocating re-joining the EU are living in the past and looking for what they see to be a quick fix for this country’s economic challenges, but the world has changed. Quick fixes do not exist – and while trade agreements with our neighbouring countries should be welcomed and encouraged, it should not be at the expense of our country’s sovereignty or democracy.
Rejoining the EU would not only be a backward step for the UK – but would once again see us contributing billions of pounds into EU coffers to prop up smaller and less performing economies. I cannot pretend that Brexit has been the success it could have been – its full potential was squandered by low-grade politicians from across the political spectrum who put ego or their party before the will of the people, but despite this, we are better off out.
The fight to become free of the EU was long fought by campaigners and the media – with the much missed Partick O’Flynn, former political editor and chief political commentator of the Daily Express, not only recognising that Britain would be better for leaving the EU, but in ensuring the Express became the first newspaper to campaign on the issue – others predictably followed.
It is often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Britain would be insane to rejoin the EU – the ongoing political shenanigans we are witnessing by Sir Keir and Labour are just the latest signs of a failing and flailing government without any real plan for the UK.