Royston has co-signed a letter with parliamentary colleagues arguing that the only way for Britain to restore sovereignty and democracy is to leave the EU.
Entering Parliament for the first time as an MP can be incredibly affecting. The pomp, the procedures and even the Palace of Westminster itself are steeped in history; reminders are everywhere of our history, the way our democracy has evolved over centuries to lead the world.
The opportunity to play a part in that, and to help shape our country for the better, is what motivated us to become MPs.
So we’re inevitably horrified to witness at first hand the erosion of not only our democracy – our very ability to make laws as your elected representatives – but also of our independence, our sovereignty and our national self-belief?
We entered Parliament to represent you, and to fight for what is in our great country’s best interests. How then are we to respond to this diluting of our freedom to elect, and hold accountable, those who make our laws? How are we to deal with the collateral damage of probably the most destructive currency union of all time? How are we going to respond to an increasingly reactionary and capricious Commission ranged behind the unaccountable figure of Jean Claude Juncker?
The United Kingdom is the fifth biggest economy in the world, the eighth biggest manufacturer. Our universities, judicial system, culture, and our historic values of equality and human rights are the envy of the world. None of this is dependent on being in a Cold War-era trade bloc, and it certainly isn’t dependent on the abdication of our decision-making to an undemocratic political union.
No, as a nation, our success has always stemmed from our ability to reach beyond our comfort zone, to seek out new opportunities and alliances. That proud history of trade, cooperation and friendship stretches far beyond the protectionist wall which now keeps us shackled to the slowest growing populated continent on the planet.
We have a permanent bond, formed by our shared history and cemented by our values, with the United States of America. Even without a trade deal, something that has been denied to us by the EU, the US and the UK are each other’s single biggest investors. In fact more dollars are traded here than across the Atlantic.
We are leading members of a Commonwealth of 2.3billion potential consumers in countries growing faster than any in the EU. Again our bonds of friendship are inextricably linked to our history, and the opportunities for them and for us of the UK regaining our freedom to trade really do fire the imagination.
Then of course there is the EU itself. We are one of the powerhouses of European trade, innovation and culture and nothing will change that. But we have to accept that the EU is on a different path to us and we need to let them get on with the essential work of shoring up the euro currency and dealing with both the causes and effects of crippling levels of unemployment, particularly for their young people. At this point the single greatest help we can be is to step aside and let them do what is necessary. When we leave, we will become the EU’s single biggest trading partner, and it will be in everyone’s interests to work together in friendship.
All of this and more is possible if we ignore the doom-mongers. It is clear to us, as members of the 2015 intake of MPs, that the only way to regain our sovereignty and our democracy is to Vote Leave on 23 June.
Really like that you seem to care about your constituents.
Funny old thing sovereignty – I can honestly say that until a few weeks ago, it’s never been a subject that’s come up in any conversation I’ve had with anyone at anytime. To be honest I hadn’t noticed we’d lost it. Certainly, I understand we’re pooling it to a degree, but for perfectly good and sensible reasons. The impossibility of having an effective single market without doing this is one. It would also be impossible to be a member of NATO or enter into agreements with countries in the rest of the world. The Geneva and Bern Conventions come to mind, as do agreements on tackling Climate Change. So – no, sovereignty is not as big an issue as some people like to think it is. Certainly not important enough to leave an important arrangement with our neighbours – or go against the recommendations of my government, my union, our allies, and the majority of scientific, educational, business, health and industry advice.
And – the EU is democratic. Certainly a great deal more so than many of our institutions. Anyway, this isn’t a vote about making our country more democratic. If that were the case you would be advocating proportional representation, and an elected head of state, and house of lords. If proposals for these were on the table it might make your case stronger.