Ten Years On: A Better, More Practical Relationship with Europe
Kemi Badenoch has spent recent weeks seeking an argument about Europe. Most people are far less interested in political re-runs than politicians are.
Visiting businesses, meeting farmers or speaking on the doorstep in Banbury, I rarely hear calls to relive the Brexit debates of a decade ago. People want to know whether the economy is growing, whether local firms can thrive, and whether government is making life easier or harder.
That is why I support a stronger, more practical relationship with Europe. Ahead of the election I said openly that we should improve ties with our nearest neighbours, not to reverse Brexit, but because it is in Britain’s interests. I still believe that.
The referendum settled membership of the European Union. It did not settle every question about how we work with the countries on our doorstep. Ten years is a long time. Governments should look honestly at what is working and what is not.
Local high-tech firms exporting specialist products and pastoral farmers producing high-quality food talk far more about paperwork, delays, extra costs and barriers than about Leave or Remain. They are not asking to reopen old arguments. They want practical problems solved. Many wonder why trading with our closest and largest market has become more complicated than it needs to be.
The same is true of migration. One promise of Brexit was greater control of our borders. Years later, small-boat crossings hit record levels and criminal gangs continued to exploit vulnerable people. We are finally beginning to get a grip.
Yet no country can tackle irregular migration alone.
The gangs operate across borders. Sharing intelligence, disrupting networks and returning those with no right to stay all require cooperation with our neighbours. That is common sense, not ideology.
The world has changed dramatically since 2016. Five years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European security and energy security look very different. The United States remains our closest ally, but recent years have shown how quickly international politics can shift. In a less certain world, Britain should build strong partnerships with countries that share our interests and values.
That is what the Prime Minister is trying to do, and he has my full support. This is not about refighting the referendum, as Badenoch suggests. It is about recognising that circumstances change and governments must respond.
The deal inherited from the Conservatives has not delivered everything that was promised on growth, trade or migration. Looking at the evidence and asking how we can make things work better should not be controversial.
Across Banbury I hear little appetite for another round of Brexit trench warfare. People want practical solutions, stronger growth, safer communities and a government focused on the future rather than the past.
A better relationship with Europe will not solve every problem. But ten years on from the referendum, it is entirely reasonable to ask whether we can make that relationship work better for Banbury, for Oxfordshire and for Britain.