“Labour is committed to strengthening relationships with the EU and we need to continue to show the EU why the UK matters,” said chair of Labour Movement for Europe (LME), Stella Creasy MP, at Labour party conference in Liverpool.
Speaking to a packed room that had people crowding outside to listen, Creasy said, “There are many things we can fight but geography isn’t one of them. Contrary to popular opinion, Labour hasn’t given up on Europe,” adding there are more LME-supported MPs than there are Conservative MPs, thanks to the campaigning and donation efforts of LME members and its friends.
If we are to succeed, however, in strengthening ties with our European neighbours, we need to act fast, she stressed.
“If we wait for treaty negotiation, it will be too late. There’s about 18 months where we can make a tangible difference. Europe might give up on us if we don’t continue to show why it matters.”
Creasy’s message was echoed by the other speakers, which included Emily Thornberry MP, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee; Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for European Union Relations; Naushabah Khan, MP for Gillingham and Rainham; and an array of colleagues from across the UK and Europe.
Emily Thornberry said: “What can we do with this power for the benefit of the country and how are we going to make the right decisions and bring back confidence? Boris Johnson meant people openly laughed at us as a country. The international community has missed us. The agreement that Johnson signed has almighty great holes in it and they need to be plugged. If we want growth, we need to make sure we have a proper relationship with the EU.”
Naushabah Khan said: “So many of our conversations are steeped in immigration. We’re not the only country facing those challenges. Resetting our relationship with Europe is vital. Closing the door on that relationship means opening the door to the far right and I’m not going to let that happen.”
Andy Prendergast, national secretary of GMB Union, said: “We’ve sold our entire industries for a headline. Immigration hasn’t been controlled but has soared. We’ve ditched red tape for bureaucracy. We live in a world where we’re defined by our alliances. Unless we build alliances, we’ll shrink and become irrelevant. As long as we have a Labour government, the EU needs us. Together, we can build something better; alone we will wither and die.”
The Labour Movement for Europe’s rally, titled Resetting the UK’s Relationship with Europe, took place on Sunday 22 September. The full list of speakers and photos from the event can be found here.