On January 9th The independent published a special report on the effects of 5 years of Brexit on the UK economy. Some takeaways:
In one year alone (2022) the value of goods exported to the EU from the UK dropped by £27billion.
The annual decrease in UK food exports to EU is £2.8billion.
The number of businesses that stopped exporting to the EU stands at 16,400.
Long term hit to UK trade is 15%.
There are many more figures on the Independent’s website. They are all drawn from reputable sources (eg Office of Budget Responsibility) and deeply depressing
2. On January 16th The Institute for Public Policy Research, a major thinktank, produced a report on the UK ‘s trading relationship with the rest of the world. One of its three final recommendations relates to trading relations with the EU, and says:
“… the UK should build on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to strengthen its trading relationship with the EU. This includes proposing a mutual recognition agreement and veterinary deal, suggesting the addition of a new mobility chapter to the TCA, and pursuing an agreement to link theUK and EU emissions trading systems”
‘Mutual recognition’ relates to the need for UK and EU to recognize one another’s professional/occupational qualifications. A veterinary deal would relate to health-related regulation of food imports and exports and again concerns the harmonization of UK and EU regulations. (Morris 2025)
3. As for political action, the Lib Dems intervened twice last week.
First, Lib Dem MP James MacCleary introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill into the House of Commons calling for an EU-UK Youth Mobility Scheme. This passed its first reading.
Second, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey made a speech last week in which he argued that the UK should negotiate a new Customs Union deal with the EU.
This is a statement from the European Movement at national level, issued following the result yesterday of the US Presidential Election.
“Donald Trump’s US election win brings with it the prospect of a trade war, which could have a traumatic and destabilising effect on global trade – potentially putting Rachel Reeves’s recent growth plan for the UK economy in jeopardy. Stronger UK-EU defence ties are also now more crucial than ever – with the days of outsourcing protection to the United States now over.
Respected think-tank NIESR (National Institute of Economic and Social Research) said today that Trump’s policies could halve the UK’s already low growth and push up inflation. It now makes no make sense to stay economically isolated from our European neighbours: we need a red alert, not just a reset and more red lines.
Sir Nick Harvey, CEO of European Movement UK, said:
“The future of Europe depends not on elections on another continent but on Europe fulfilling its own destiny and own place in the geopolitical landscape.
“The UK needs to make a clear choice to be part of that European strength, in the interests of all of us – on defence and security, just as much as on trade and the economy.
“The time for posturing on the sidelines is over. Sensible conversations are more crucial than ever before, about the damage of leaving the European Union, and what shape our future relationship should take.”
Dr Mike Galsworthy, Chair of European Movement UK and founder of Scientists4EU, said:
“If you even needed another reason for the UK to join the EU – here it is.
“Europe can no longer rely on protection from the US. It has to stand on its own two feet and look after its own defence needs and obligations, and the urgent need is for Keir Starmer’s government to be absolutely front and centre of that revolution in Europe’s defence capabilities.
“Brexit was always going to fail on its own terms, but a Trump win makes the UK even more stranded in an increasingly toxic place.
“For the UK, for Ukraine, for European security, and for building a bastion of decency in the world, we must urgently forge much closer ties with the EU.”
I maybe chose the wrong way of getting to London last Saturday. The East Coast route to St Pancras seemed to be out of action and instead I had a ponderous two and a half hour run via Tamworth to Euston. But from Euston to the start on Park lane was a brisk 30-minute walk; much easier and pleasanter. We were told the March moved off at 1.00pm but as I approached Park Lane there seemed nobody else around who looked like a marcher. I started to panic. I was relieved to come to a crowd of bereted and flag-waving marchers further down Park Lane, and soon there were lots of us- a sea of blue and yellow. We were a bit late starting- more like 1.30 – and the first 30 minutes was slow and halting as we inched along the pavement. But from Hyde Park Corner it looked as if the road was closed to traffic and we were able to spread out and move forward faster.
The Rejoin Party was represented at various points, and I later saw Brendan Donnelly in Parliament Square. Grassroots for Europe were also well in evidence. There was clearly a well-organized operation to ensure everyone was supplied with posters, flags and badges. Friendly people doled out these items at various points, and there seemed to be an abundance of stuff. As I understand it the March for Rejoin is an autonomous organization, so I guess their people were doing this.
We spread along Piccadilly and Pall Mall, and as we walked along Whitehall we were applauded by several onlookers. Lots of tourists also, who looked a little bemused. No hostility at all. I fell in with a group of elephants – or leastways people with elephant masks on. They were representing the ‘Thank EU for the Music’ campaign for better access to and from the EU for musicians. In an under-reported march, they actually got a spot in Monday’s i, so they did us all a bit of good. The ‘Elephants in the Room’ theme clearly has legs.
By the time we got to Parliament Square I had drifted forward, and when I looked behind me I realized for the first time what a multitude we were. People kept streaming in from Whitehall and our MC had to pester us all from the platform to move to the front. We milled around for a while, enjoying a hilarious rap version of Donald Trump’s ‘They’re eating people’s pets in Springfield’ speech, set to music on the big screen. Then my time ran out. Back to Euston.
Below are extracts from a recent email received from the Young European movement. This gives you an idea of what they are about. If you want to support them you can
“YEM is an inclusive, cross-party campaigning organisation, with team members hailing from all the major parties, including; The Labour party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Greens. Nevertheless, the change in government is an opportunity for young campaigners to seek some meaningful change on issues like youth mobility and Freedom of Movement, which were not previously possible.
Talk of introducing a new youth mobility scheme is an exciting opportunity for young Europeans, although it falls woefully short of where we want to be; a society where all Europeans can live, learn and work where they choose. We are excited that this topic is finally on the table.
We urge the new government to take a bold step and listen to the 52,000 people who signed our petition calling for a return to Erasmus+.
This is not a campaign that will go away, and we would love your support in helping us keep the pressure up.
Your support is always appreciated, whether you identify as youth or not, because youth mobility doesn’t just support the next generation, it enriches all aspects of our society, through culture, research and the economy. “
“What we’ve been doing
YEM at the SNP Conference
We’ve already kicked off the party conference season up in Scotland, signing up young members of the SNP to YEM and encouraging them to speak out for their pro-EU future. Scotland overall didn’t vote for Brexit, let alone Scotland’s youth. YEM will be present at all of the party conferences, so keep an eye out for us and say hello!
Petition to the new PM
In August our new President, Cecilia Jastrzembska, handed a petition with over 30,000 signatures to the new Prime Minister, urging immediate action to rebuild the UK’s relationship with the EU. Recent polls show 59% of Britons now support rejoining the EU, marking a clear shift in public opinion.
Our upcoming campaigns
We’re excited that after a summer of preparation we will be hitting the ground running. We have been preparing for University Freshers Fayres, reconnecting with affiliated societies, setting up societies and getting ready to send delegates to all the Party Conferences (well except from the Brexit Reform Party of course!)
We will need your support if we want to pull off a year packed with pro-EU youth engagement. We have a fantastic group of people who back us with a regular monthly donation – but we need more people to join to help us fund this. As we have discovered, the fees alone to attend Freshers Fayres at Universities are astronomical.
We’re launching our new campaign, “Break the Silence to End the Violence,” to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) and promote gender equality across Europe. Despite progress, gender inequality remains a major issue, and GBV is still a serious threat, especially in the UK, where femicide rates show no significant decline.
The European Union has recently taken important steps to combat GBV, but Brexit has created challenges for the UK in aligning with these efforts. With GBV costing the EU €366bn and the UK £40bn annually, it’s clear that addressing this issue is both a moral and economic necessity.
Rebuilding ties with Europe and aligning our policies on gender equality could help the UK better combat GBV. Now is the time to unite, push for change, and ensure that gender equality becomes a reality across Europe.
How can you help?
The Young European Movement needs your help. Our impact on the new UK government will be limited if we are trapped in an echo chamber reaching only those who already support us. We need to engage millions more, especially the next generation of Britain’s pro-EU youth.
That means going out to universities, growing bigger on social media and targeting young professionals. This costs a lot of money, we rely on donations from people like you regardless of their age. We need your support.
Below is a summary of the latest notification received from the European Movement about the forthcoming Rejoin March.
The third National Rejoin March is just a few weeks away, taking place in London onSaturday 28th September.
Bringing together pro-European groups from across the political spectrum, including European Movement UK as an official partner, the event is one of the largest public pro-European events of the year.
This is an opportunity for us to tell the new government, loud and clear, that Brexit was a mistake and it’s time to put Europe back on top of the political agenda.
Tensions are thawing. Now is the time to push forward and once again get closer to our European neighbours, step by step.
Our chair, Dr Mike Galsworthy, will be attending alongside members, supporters and local groups from European Movement UK.
Details, such as the timings and the main and accessible routes, will be posted by the event organisers, National Rejoin March.
The 2024 March for Rejoin has been fixed for September 28th and will take place in London.
Please go to the March for Rejoin website here, for the announcement today. Information will be coming through on their website in forthcoming days and weeks, giving details of transport, accommodation and organizational matters.
Please click here for the European Movements Manifeso on Europe. This is the European Movement’s challenge to all the parties in the forthcoming election.
derby4europe 