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When will Brexit end?
I was asked that question more than once in the years after the referendum, sometimes by people who were convinced by the promise to “Get Brexit Done”.
My answer was always the same: never.
The idea of the European Union leaving, somehow freeing us from the need to deal with our neighbors, has always been fantastic. We still share the same continent, the same challenges and many of the same interests. Brexit has not made any of this disappear. It simply took away the institutions through which we worked together for decades.
Instead, we now navigate a busy trade and cooperation agreement and a collection of commissions that few people have heard of, let alone understood. We have traded a seat at the table for a more complicated way of dealing with the same problems.
This frustration was very much on my mind when I spoke in Westminster Hall on Monday, during a debate following a petition calling for Britain to join the EU.
Westminster Hall Debates
I have made no secret of my position. We should be in the European Union. We should never have left. And I was very proud to be a European citizen, and angry that those rights were being taken away.
But there’s another reason why I think we need to reopen this debate, about the arguments we’ve had over the last decade. Europe has moved on.
During my time as a minister, I met colleagues from all over the European Union. What struck me was the warmth and generosity with which I was received. There was remarkably little of the rancor that had dominated our own political debate. Many wanted Britain back, and some openly said so.
But those talks also reminded me that the EU did not stand still and wait for Britain to change its mind. It has continued to develop its policies, respond to new challenges and make decisions that affect us, whether we like it or not.
Fishing is a particularly telling example. Few sectors were promised more by Brexit, but the benefits have proved elusive. Now there are discussions in Europe about the reform of the common fisheries policy, and a completely different offer to Iceland, potentially creating new opportunities. Meanwhile, the EU is moving closer to the position of Great Britain in precision breeding.
After being closely involved in these matters as a minister, I find it deeply frustrating that we are on the fringes of discussions where we once had a direct voice. We may have left the institutions, but we have not escaped the consequences of their decisions.
Heath celebrates as Britain joins EEC after decade of debate
So what happens then?
I welcome Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s willingness to reconsider Britain’s long-term relationship with the EU. A customs union, a single market relationship, arrangements similar to those of Norway or Switzerland, or finally full membership: each deserves a proper examination.
That doesn’t mean pretending there’s an easy way back. Leaving was long, painful and expensive. Cooperation would entail difficult negotiations, and the EU we might return to would not be quite the same one we left.
We must also not underestimate the need to rebuild trust, both with our European neighbors and with the people here at home. The referendum exposed real divisions, and another debate through exaggerated promises and dire predictions would not serve anyone well.
In the meantime, there is practical work to be done. The Government’s efforts to reach an agreement on food and agricultural standards, including addressing the difficulties with Northern Ireland, are important. So are tighter arrangements on energy, security and opportunities for young people. The UK-EU summit in November is an opportunity to make progress.
But these should be steps towards a clearer understanding of where Britain wants to end up, rather than another attempt to avoid the question.
It was the best arrangement we had, imperfect though it was. We threw it away, and there is no simple switch we can flip to restore it.
Ten years later, we should at least be able to have an honest discussion about how to find our way back.
We are Europeans. And I still think we should be in the European Union.
‘Non’: Charles De Gaulle’s veto on Britain’s entry into the EEC
