EU (Adam Teladia)

EU

January 4, 2012 12:01 AM

Last month I sent the letter below to my local MP.

Dear Shabana Mahmood MP,

The recent EU Summit was a shock as much as it was a blow. The Prime Minister's decision to veto a Treaty to reform the Eurozone came as a surprise and its consequences were felt at home as well as across the EU. The effects of the Prime Minister's decision have indeed been negative both for the EU as a whole and UK's position within it.

Politicians in Britain have for far too long been fixated with creating a harmful, negative and unenthusiastic impression of the UK's membership of the EU in order to please the right wing press in this country. The time has now come for us to focus on the positives of EU membership, we need to move the debate away from regret and fear to a positive message of success through membership of the EU.

Politicians like yourself must now speak up and put emphasis on all the things the UK has achieved as a member of the EU and all the policy areas we have been able to influence because of our membership of the Union. Open borders, free for people to move and trade, work and prosperity, strength in global environmental negotiations, leading in research and development, promoting energy security, extending democracy and the rule of law in our continent and beyond, defending human rights across the globe, delivering humanitarian aid where it is needed more, alleviating poverty and bringing economic development.

These are just some of the things that the UK has helped to achieve through its membership of the EU and we need to make the case that we won't be able to pursue our goals and aims as effectively on our own.

As someone who is not fazed by the prospect of mentally wrestling with her opposite number at the despatch box and has relished her times speaking from the floor of parliament I hope that you will speak up and put emphasis on the benefits of the UK's membership of the EU.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Teladia