Our future lies in Europe

With the Europe debate back in full swing since the Prime Minister's speech in Liverpool, here's where I stand.

I think our future lies in Europe and that, one day, we should rejoin. I'm glad the PM has put all the options on the table.

I know this is personal for a lot of people. Macclesfield voted remain, but plenty of people here and across the country voted leave. They wanted more control, a fairer deal or just change, and they were promised a lot.

But it's been a decade of chaos since. The OBR estimates we'll be around 4% poorer than if we'd stayed. That's about £100 billion a year in lost output and roughly £40 billion a year in lost tax revenue. England's whole core schools budget is £67 billion. Think what that money could do for our NHS, our schools and our roads.

The EU still takes 41% of our exports and supplies half our imports. Local businesses, including some of our largest, say that making trade harder is costing jobs and investment.

And the world is far more dangerous than it was in 2016, with war in Europe, autocrats on the march and alliances we once took for granted looking less stable. Standing with our neighbours is common sense.

It's good to hear European leaders say 'welcome back'. But after the drama of withdrawal, it's unclear whether Europe wants us back, or on what terms. The continent's politics are changing too.

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So any return must be the public's decision. We left because people were asked. We should only go back if they're asked again and give a fresh mandate.

Any debate needs to be respectful of all points of view and rooted in the facts. We can't have a rerun of 2016.

Tim Roca MP

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