After eight General Elections and 22 years as the MP for Carshalton & Wallington (and now a candidate again), there could almost be a danger of things becoming a bit of a routine. The context of this campaign though renders that an impossibility. I don’t think I have ever fought a more important election.
I first really dived into politics in the early 1980s and, as for so many others at the time, Margaret Thatcher was my Mrs Motivator. It was a polarising time politically, and that division has returned with a real venom.
It may have taken more than thirty years since I joined the Liberal Democrats for us to put the key Lib Dem political objective into a sufficiently pithy phrase for the new world of social media, but politics really always has been about building a brighter future.
In this, two key issues dominated my youth: the environment and Europe.
I get significant correspondence on the environment, and my constituency is even home to a semi-detached shrine to Extinction Rebellion featured in the Mail Online. Barring much of the present government, it’s clear that the country is united in wanting to address environmental issues. I’m really proud of the Lib Dems’ approach on the climate emergency – committing to cutting carbon emissions by 75% over the next 10 years ensures that the government will have an environmental policy that is achievable, deliverable and actionable in the here and now.
Our £100 billion climate fund will leverage billions more in private capital, helping the UK to become not just the world leader in offshore wind, but also the number one in tidal power too, whilst ensuring our homes are insulated and efficient. Good for consumers, good for businesses, good for the environment. The latter two don’t always have to be at loggerheads!
All this, and all big promises on the NHS, the police, education, and the critical domestic issues facing the country, must nevertheless be viewed through the lens of Brexit. The Conservatives may be ploughing on with an ‘it will all be over by Christmas’ message, but the truth is that Brexit, any Brexit, will be upto a decade-long affair, drawing away vital investment, stretching the health service to the brink, and undermining all election promises. This is something Labour, for all their grand plans, has also failed to grasp.
Also read:
- Brexit means Racism | By M. Raza Hussain
- My Hopes For A Brighter Future For The Young Have Driven Me Into Politics | By Tim Walker
- Centrists Should Stop Trying To Be Britain’s Macron | By Jason Reed
Firstly, leaving the European Union makes doing business far more difficult. Tesla’s decision to invest in Germany is telling, and it’s not for nothing that the Confederation of British Industry values our membership at up to £78 billion per year. Money sent to the EU is an investment, not a payment, one with far better returns than could be hoped for elsewhere. A Remain bonus alone will give the Lib Dems £50 billion to put into public services.
Beyond the direct economic impact, the Conservatives have failed to appreciate just how much EU membership is an investment in the future. Membership of EURATOM has allowed research into nuclear fusion to reach a critical mass, and just down the road from me is the Institute for Cancer Research, which does incredible work finding treatment for rare cancers, but whose operation is made no easier by Brexit. Quite simply, the barriers being put up to EU collaboration will directly affect staffing, could restrict research opportunities for the Institute and, ultimately, impact patients.
The question of Europe in this election is therefore a question about the direction we want to take the United Kingdom in. Are we to be collaborative or closed, optimistic or nostalgic, a leading partner, or hamstrung by self-imposed isolation?
Leaving with Boris Johnson’s Tories will cast a shadow over the UK’s development for many years to come. Whereas staying with the Liberal Democrats will provide a Remain bonus and the opportunity to build a brighter future together. Seems clear enough to me what our choice should be.
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Tom Brake has been the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Carshalton and Wallington since 1997. As Parliament has been dissolved for the General Election, he is now a candidate again. Twitter: @ThomasBrake | Instagram: @Tom_Brake_Lib_Dems
