For the past couple of weeks Britain’s press has fixated upon Europe and the age old question of “Should we stay or should we go?”
It is undeniable that the notion of the other pervades and is harnessed in debate about Europe. Newspapers and politicians highlight our differences, our divergences and our dislocation. It is ‘we’ in the UK and ‘them’ on the continent. Headlines such as “Europe's one-way trade in jobs sees more than 1million EU workers head to UK” only go further to furnish this myth.
The European referendum vote was a victory for populism over politics, of petitions over policy. It follows on the heels of countless internet campaigns and defines the new movement of ‘voting with your clicks’. Whilst I welcome the revolution of social media, and how it has made people more politically aware, I have concerns over how such a casual approach may result in ‘passive politics’ for some and, in turn, how this could be exploited by lobbyists, the media or potentially extreme interest groups.
Headlines such as, “Europe could be plunged into war if efforts to save the euro fail”, do nothing to provide a calm forum for an informed public debate but instead speak volumes about the worrying role papers aim to play in shaping public perception. A role which, when combined with ‘passive politics' and the relatively low threshold for an e-petition, becomes all the more disconcerting.
Unfortunately, the huge degree of ignorance about all aspects of EU membership makes it easy for those with anti EU views. It is our role, as the most pro-European Party, to continuously push the positives such as the number of jobs in the UK dependent on the EU (1 in 10), the level of UK exports to the EU (50% of total sales, approx £200bn) and the amount of investment from other EU members into the UK (£351bn, or approximately 50% of total foreign investment).
This is not the portrayal of Europe that inspired the petition and it is not the portrayal that continues to occupy the column inches of many leading newspapers.
I can appreciate the public sentiment and why some may want to distance themselves from Europe. We have ringside seats for economic turmoil, the like of which few people will have witnessed before. The Greek economy has failed, France’s has been downgraded and Italy’s (amongst others) looks increasingly vulnerable. Europa has taken a beating that has left several countries bloodied and it is reasonable that some would want to avert their gaze, or even find the nearest exit.
However, I believe that these people wrongly view an exit from Europe as a panacea or quick fix for all of our socio-economic ailments. Whilst I don’t blame them, I want to stress that calling for a referendum was not only the wrong decision but potentially a dangerous one whilst international markets remain so volatile.
I am not saying that the EU is perfect. I have fought it on numerous occasions, fisheries law being just one example. I will also be the first to admit it needs work, and in the current economic climate, it needs support - a lot of support. But, as neighbours we should be working with Europe to douse the flames and rebuild, not fuel the fire with talk of referendums and exit strategies.
As a Liberal Democrat I believe we have a moral obligation to help our neighbours in Europe but, for those more hardnosed than I, you cannot deny an overwhelming economic argument. If you can strip away the rhetoric and sentiment that is heaped upon, and clouds, the issue it becomes apparent just how important the EU is: to our jobs, to our growth, and to maintaining our place at the ‘top table’ of global politics.