By Ann Higgins
It was a select but very fortunate group of CfE and European Movement (EM) members who listened to the Right Honourable Dominic Grieve KC last Saturday night. Tory MP for Beaconsfield from 1997 to his sacking by Boris Johnson in the autumn of 2019, and now one of the Vice Presidents of EM, Dominic is steeped in knowledge of the political scene, and he was very generous in sharing the benefit of his wide experience with us in a most interesting and entertaining fashion.
In a talk entitled “How do we build a new relationship with Europe?”, Dominic took us back to some of the most difficult days after the referendum when he and what many would see as other saner MPs on both sides of the Commons were trying to prevent the disaster of a no-deal Brexit and engineer a second referendum. Starting with the way in which WW2 shaped the beliefs of many that Europe needed to unite to prevent a recurrence of that tragedy and also to combat the growing power of the USSR, he reminded us how the UK’s aspirations to join the then EEC had been thwarted by De Gaulle but eventually attained in 1973. From the position of being not just of and part of Europe, but having a great deal of influence in it, how, he asked, did we get ourselves into our current situation of being on its outskirts, and how can we get out of it?
Central to this unity was the European Convention on Human Rights in which the UK had had a massive influence and Thatcher’s stroke of genius in proposing the creation of the single market which he said had increased prosperity for everyone in the UK. Despite being critical of some of Brussels’ bureaucracy, Dominic was clear that leaving had been a terrible mistake which has produced nothing positive, not even for those who voted for it (such as farmers and fishermen). Not only has it had an adverse effect on trade but also on European connectivity which benefitted us all.
Yet despite the desire of many of the electorate to discuss it, none of the parties want to talk about the elephant in the room. However, if we’re going to achieve the sort of society that most people want, with decent public services, discuss it they must or risk drifting along. This he said was the challenge for the European Movement – to persuade enough people from across all main parties that we need to start this process sooner rather than later. This will not be easy, he warned us – we will not be able to rejoin on the highly advantageous terms we enjoyed before we left – and the process may well be humbling and taken slowly. This will also be affected by current problems in the EU, which reflect the fear that many people have about the future.
Nonetheless, he said we could still look at phytosanitary alignment, free travel for young people, and a Swiss-style agreement. He urged the presumptive Labour government to take up the offer refused by Boris Johnson to participate in the EU Foreign Affairs forum, not least because of the situation in Ukraine and the dangers posed by a Trump presidency in the US. He saw a unique opportunity for the EM to work with many of those who are currently disenchanted with the attitude of the main parties, and start moving the country in the right direction, i.e. back to the EU.
Dominic then took questions from the floor, covering topics such as youth dissatisfaction with the lack of freedom of movement, how small businesses can influence government through their local MPs, how JRM “has a point” but how our quality of life needs a level playing field, the lack of reality and the need for honesty in the election debate, the mistake made by the Tory party in electing Boris Johnson as leader, his prediction for the election result, the prospect of a political realignment and how to approach a dialogue with Brexiters who are experiencing buyers’ remorse. He also explained how ERG pressure on Theresa May inspired Dominic and others to rebel to counter ERG attempts to impose the hardest of Brexits, and the dilemma that he and others faced as to whether to support her deal or try to push for a second referendum.
We are very grateful to Dominic for giving up his time to come to Cornwall to address us and we hope that you enjoy watching the video.
