The Referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union has exposed our democracy to its fundamental weakness. We define our democracy as a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state who are involved in making decisions about its affairs typically by voting to elect representatives to a parliament or similar assembly. On the issue of our continued membership of the European Union, our government failed to give us a clear lead and opted for a referendum. This process descended into a struggle for political leadership In the Conservative Party thus obscuring the real issues on which voters had to decide the outcome.
Oscar Wilde once said that "the truth is rarely pure and never simple." The propaganda machines of the IN or OUT campaign were at full stretch and the debate narrowed on two issues. economy and immigration. The voters were confused. They succumbed to xenophobic reactions of politicians rather than take a wider view about the benefits of trade, Jobs, Investment and prices. This will have profound effect on our coming generations for years.
It is the duty of every government to provide security for all its citizens. Global terrorism, cross-border crime and matters of human trafficking and drugs are real issues that can destabilise our communities.
The EU stands for many things, peace, equality, safety and opportunity, yet it will no longer play a part of Britain’s future. With this vote, the very fabric of our country has changed, Nigel Farage’s vision for Britain has won this vote, but the Liberal Democrats will keep fighting against his dangerous and divisive world view.
The Liberal Democrats will fight for an open, optimistic, hopeful, diverse and tolerant Britain, a cause which is needed now more than ever. I write this as shocking news is coming in that reported hate crimes have increased by 57% since Friday morning’s result. We must not let this vote allow our country to turn to division, isolation and decline.
Europe and internationalism have always been in the Liberal Democrat’s DNA, just as isolationism and nationalism have been in UKIPs. At the next election – which could come soon after a Conservative leadership election later this year – we will be the only party saying that if we are given a mandate, we will keep fighting for Europe and an international, outward looking future.
We will keep fighting for a future of cooperation, a future of openness with our neighbours. Now is not the time to start rebuilding the walls that divided us for so long.
Too often the European Union has been used as a distraction from failures in government. The pressures on our schools, the pressures on our hospitals and GP surgeries, the pressures on our infrastructure are problems made in Westminster, in our own Parliament, by British politicians.
The insecurities from zero hours contracts, the housing crisis, the desertion of the industrial north, the expenses scandals and the banking crisis, these are all problems made in Westminster. No wonder people feel ignored and neglected by politics. They have seen their living standards falling further and further behind the rest of society.
They are angry. They are right to feel angry and I share that anger. But Nigel Farage is not the answer.
Throughout the referendum campaign the Liberal Democrats ran a positive, energetic, and hopeful campaign. We made sure that our efforts had a true Lib Dem stamp on them, we were unabashedly liberal, hopeful, and international. Whilst other parties have collapsed following this decision we remain united, pushing forward with our fight to make the positive case for Europe.
There is a movement growing, as people are unhappy with the outcome of the referendum, and even those who supported leaving are feeling lied to. As the Brexit camp renounce their promises on the NHS and immigration, it is now clear that the British people have been sold a lie. There are 16 million people who now feel lost, people are desperate for a rallying point to restore Britain’s place at the heart of Europe. And as the only national party committed to a future for Britain in Europe, we are that rallying point.
We have seen thousands join our Party, over one a minute, since the result came through last Friday. People have flocked to our positive message, our unity, and our drive for a better future. This is an outcome I welcome.
