Green: Pro-European parties should work together on UK's path back to EU
Ahead of a parliamentary debate on Europe, Scottish Liberal Democrat David Green MSP has said that now is the time for all pro-European parties to work together to forge a path for the UK back to the EU.
David Green has tabled an amendment to the debate in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.
The amendment highlights that the UK should rejoin the single market, form a new UK-EU Customs Union and reach a new defence pact.
Liberal Democrats are calling for a new Growth and Defence Partnership with the EU which would include the UK beginning talks immediately on joining the EU’s single market and customs union.
The party wants to see a much deeper defence cooperation between the UK and European partners. This would include establishing a European Security Council, which would improve the coordination of Europe’s rearmament drive and ability of allies to deliver NATO’s operational requirements.
David Green said:
“Brexit is costing the UK £250 million a day in lost tax revenue. It is holding back our ability to grow the economy, protect jobs and tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
“So, while there are many issues on which we disagree with the SNP, our commitment to Europe is not one of them. People deserve a parliament that can come together on serious issues, rather than treating them as a political football.
“But let me also be clear to this SNP government: breaking up is hard to do. If we can see what breaking a 40-year bond has caused, just imagine the pain of breaking a 300-year-old union.
“Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for closer ties with Europe. I am pleased to see that pressure on Andy Burnham to follow our lead is working, but this cannot be allowed to amount to little more than a soundbite.
“The UK’s best future lies back in the EU, and the Liberal Democrats have a credible plan to get there - starting with the UK joining the single market and customs union. Now is the time for pro-Europeans to build that case together.”