In the midst of what can only be described as multi-faceted domestic chaos I have found the time to hurriedly scribble down a letter to my local MP Rebecca Pow. I am now going to urge others to do likewise. Hopefully they can be more eloquent. Here's what I managed to come up with (minus grammar check eek):
Dear Rebecca,
Dear Rebecca,
I am writing to urge you to vote against Britain’s
withdrawal from the European Union should there be a Parliamentary vote on
whether or not to repeal the European Communities Act 1972. This Act would need
to be repealed before the UK can send a note to the EU under Article 50 of the
Lisbon Treaty beginning withdrawal negotiations.
Although the advisory Referendum suggested a narrow majority
of those voting were in favour of leaving the EU I would ask you to consider
the following points:-
-
* This was an advisory referendum (many were missing from the register following recent changes to registration and 16 and 17 year olds were disenfranchised). Parliament is
sovereign and only Parliament can decide whether to begin negotiations with the
EU. A majority of Parliamentarians do not support Britain’s exit from the EU.
- * Two nations of the UK voted to leave, two voted
to stay. Implementing Brexit risks tearing the UK assunder without a popular mandate and inflicting the will of only part
of the UK on another. Because we have an unclear, unwritten constitution
sorting this dichotomy out will be a prolonged nightmare.
- * In a democracy we need not to let the will of
the majority damage the human rights of minorities. The human rights of
existing UK residents/migrants/refugees who have come from the EU and farther
afield or merely look different are now clearly at risk, most immediately from
the climate of racism and xenophobia the leave campaign stoked up, attempted to
legitimise and which is now leading to an upsurge in hate crime. The human
rights of those most affected by austerity will also be compromised by the
economic impact of Brexit and the human rights of disabled people to equal
access to employment, good, services, transport and to support for independent
living are also now at risk.
- * People who voted leave did so on a false
prospectus, notably pledges on NHS funding and immigration control that were
immediately discarded by leaders of the Leave campaign the morning after the referendum.
They did so too based on false assertions that Turkey was about to join the EU.
Many regretted their vote the next day having assumed ‘remain’ would win and
only having intended to make a protest
vote. I could go on!
- * Those voting leave gave no indication as to what
they wanted our new relationship with the EU to look like. Some presumably want
no relationship, others wrongly assumed we could have free trade and be in the
single market without adhering to EU laws and regulations something which is
clearly not on offer from the EU. Therefore there is no clear mandate on which to
enter into negotiations.
As an alternative to proceeding with Brexit I suggest that
we focus instead on: coming together to resist the growing tide of racism and
xenophobia that is putting many of our fellow citizens and residents’ safety
and security at risk; trying to repair the damage to our economy and addressing the underlying real issues that lead to the alienation and despair that
resulted in a narrow majority for leave. By addressing the real issues I refer to investing in our public services, instigating a programme of free, voluntary, non-partisan
political /citizenship education for all so everyone understands that there are
ways they can take more control over their lives without resorting to
scapegoating, violence or sinking into despair, regenerating forgotten
communities and manufacturing, reforming our voting system for Westminster so
everyone’s vote counts equally, building more social housing as my business
would love to do if we could only access bank finance more easily and action to
restore social justice after the damage done by austerity among many other
things.
Please see this broader more hopeful picture and resist the
disaster of Brexit.
Yours sincerely
Caroline Ellis
No comments:
Post a Comment