Opinion: Vote Remain for the Sake of Your Children

Published on: 20 Jun, 2016
Updated on: 23 Jun, 2016

Cllr Nils Christiansen

By Nils Christiansen

Conservative ward councillor for Holy Trinity

This is the final article, in a series of five, setting out my personal views on a very important voting decision. I have written them in the hope of stimulating some reasoned debate.

It is clear that most Brits (myself included) do not share a vision of being part of “an ever closer union” in Europe, and to that extent we are all Eurosceptics now.

Interestingly, this view is shared by an increasing number of other European countries. However, this great British pragmatism is precisely why we should stay in Europe – negotiating our self-interested corner for the many benefits that we can obtain, and do, while continually being on our guard to stop or change those initiatives which would harm us and others.

In the past, we have been singularly successful at doing this. The Single Market itself was a Thatcherite concept: Britain was instrumental in the expansion to the East which embedded democracy in those countries after the fall of communism, and the Human Rights Convention was conceived in Britain after the war.

At the same time we have been sensible enough to avoid signing up to the huge mistake of the Euro, and already protect our borders by staying out of the Schengen area.

In short, the EU has been greatly shaped by Britain, we can continue to shape it in future, and it is not just some Franco-German conspiracy that others would have you believe.

I would hope that if we vote to Remain, we will begin to realise that our current practice of sending representatives who can’t be bothered to turn up at the very committees discussing the rules which are so important to our key industries, is not in our own best interest.

If you are still undecided about which way to vote, I would encourage you to discuss the referendum with your children and grandchildren. If you vote for Brexit, they are the ones who will have to deal with the short term threat to their jobs from the inevitable economic shock, and with the longer term reduced opportunities for working and cooperating with our nearest neighbours, in a country which gradually becomes more nationalistic, more isolationist, relatively poorer, and less compassionate.

The vote on June 23rd will have the greatest impact on the young and economically active, so it is no surprise to me that, by a wide margin, the “Easyjet generation” is the most pro Remain.

Meantime, the older generation who have less to lose by the economic chaos of Brexit, and who have had 40 years of British politicians, of all stripes, blaming their own failings on “Europe”, are the bedrock of the leave campaign.

A vote to leave is a one-way ticket to a more uncertain and dangerous world, so consult with the next generation before placing your cross, then vote to Remain!

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