Today the UK goes to the polls to vote in the EU referendum. David Beckham joined the debate this week, saying his experience playing across Europe had instilled in him the importance of a “vibrant and connected world”.
I’m all for building connections. I think that whatever
the result of the referendum, recent debate has demonstrated we need a fresh
vision for the EU. I suggest we need to replace the current commitment to ‘ever
closer union’ with one that is more in tune with the realities of the EU in its
current state. There is a need for a
re-invention of the purpose and direction of the EU, one which describes why it
exists, what it stands for and where it is going in the world. This requires strong leadership from the
countries that make up the EU, from our own prime minister and from other heads
of state.
The UK referendum has brought this to a head, and
the lack of a relevant vision for the EU in tune with the wider group of
nations has, in my view, led to a melodramatic debate with a lack of persuasive
logic on either side. My sense is that
we as a nation don’t buy into the ‘ever closer union’ vision, with its
implications for foreign policy and governance.
If we were to create a new vision it should involve
ever closer collaboration, based on the interdependence of nations and the
shared economic interests of sovereign states.
It should involve devolved decision making so that only the essential
few decisions that can only be made in Brussels are made in Brussels. All other
decisions would be made locally, based on shared principles and local
execution. Defence, for example, might
mirror the collaborative approach demonstrated by NATO. The new vision should include emphasis on
building a connected Europe, a Europe that has a shared market and a shared set
of values, and which supports growth in mutually beneficial areas such as research
and innovation in science, technology, and widespread industrial collaboration.
All of this is premised on the outcome being ‘In’.
I believe that would be in the UK’s best interests and in line with what another
former England footballer John Barnes described as our national moral
responsibility to be an active player in the world, and in Europe. An ‘Out’ result could leave us disconnected,
declaring our independence in a world which is increasingly polarising between
isolationist and collaborative approaches.
An ‘In’ vote keeps us part of a flawed union, but one which has the
potential to become great if we adopt a fresh vision based on interdependence
and collaboration, and reform the EU institutions to reflect that vision.
I know this is a subject that many people have
strong views on. If you’d like to share yours, please email me or tweet @SimonJHayward.