Meeting ahead of the Committee of the Regions April plenary session, the PES Group in the CoR held an exchange of views with Richard Corbett MEP (S&D/UK) and Graham Meadows, former Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy.
Speaking 78 days out from the referendum on 23rd June, Richard Corbett MEP stressed the progressive arguments for remaining in the EU: "There is no politically Left argument for leaving the EU. Walking away will not help. Leaving the EU would not lead to better trade deals for the UK; it would only allow the British government to sign the UK up to bilateral agreements without the protections for workers and consumers that we have fought for and won".
Graham Meadows agreed, adding that a Brexit vote would primarily benefit "those who want a world without regulation." He criticised the cynical approach of the Conservative-led British government towards Europe, noting that "for six years the UK has followed a systematic anti-EU policy, going as far as depriving poor areas of the UK of £720m of EU funding for which it was eligible. This has had a devastating impact on regional development, the steel industry and flood defences." This has led in turn to a lack of public awareness about the EU's contribution to regional development across the UK.
The PES Group members were unanimous in support of Britain's continued membership of the EU, and several members expressed a wish to assist the Labour Remain campaign both in their home regions and on the ground in the UK. Indeed, as Sir Albert Bore (UK) pointed out, "If there is an Exit vote, there will be an impact on the remaining 27 members. This is not just a critical moment for the UK. It is also a critical moment for the EU".
Overall, while acknowledging that polls consistently predict a victory for the Remain side, the Group agreed that a proactive approach to the referendum is needed to ensure the UK remains a pillar of the Union. It particular, members recognised the need to engage citizens, especially young people, with the European project. As CoR members have a dual local and European mandate, they are ideally placed to champion the benefits of EU membership to citizens across the UK and the wider region.
The UK referendum takes place on Thursday 23rd June. British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK can register to vote.
