Brexit, Gozi at Labour: “Make Farage pay for the economic disaster of the United Kingdom”

Brexit, Gozi reasons, “was a lose-lose operation for everyone. The British lost and the Europeans lost. The British lost much more and today regret the decision: over 60% of British people believe that Brexit was a bad decision. They have lost in terms of trade, in terms of exports, in terms of job creation and in terms of growth.”

For Gozi, the failure of Brexit is “in front of everyone. And this is why Keir Starmer’s government has entered a new phase in relations with the European Union, because it wants to try to limit the main damage. And this is why we are working to fully implement the trade and cooperation agreement. They have rejoined Erasmus Plus, they have rejoined Horizon”, the EU research programme, “and we are working to make commercial relationships more fluidsimplifying sanitary and phytosanitary standards”.

‘UK must participate in European Security Council’

And then, adds Gozi, “the war that has returned to Europe and the global disorder have also led the United Kingdom and the European Union to agree on a new strategic framework of partnership, exchange of information, dialogue on security and defense”. This “is certainly in the common interest. It is impossible for us to think of building a new European security architecture without the British, nuclear power and permanent member of the Security Council“.

This is why, he continues, “among other things, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, as we also saw at the London meeting, continue to have the leadership of the security initiatives. I believe that already now we should work to associate the United Kingdom with the single market and that the United Kingdom should be an active part with us in the construction of a new European Security Council, between the European Union states that want it and the non-European Union states that are interested”.

In all this, he continues, “in my opinion there is a serious, obvious mistake that the entire British political class has made, at least those who say they are pro-European, because they have not presented the bill in recent years to Mister Disaster, Nigel Farage. I think they should present him with the bill, because he’s a liar and his lies have polluted the debate since 2016, even with a lot of help from the Russian interferers, and he lied badly, together with Boris Johnsonto the British”.

‘They promised to resolve illegal immigration, it has gotten worse’

The supporters of Brexit had promised, Gozi recalls, “three hundred and fifty million pounds more per week for British healthcare, which did not arrive. They promised more jobs, which did not arrive. They promised that leaving the European Union would solve the problem of illegal immigration”. Instead, “illegal immigration has gotten worse in the UK, not better, since they left. They promised much more prosperous trade, trade deals that would bring many more GDP points to the UK.”

In recent years the United Kingdom “has made some trade agreements, but the sum is negative. In short, the equation is absolutely negative compared to what they lost by leaving the single market. The fact that such a liar is still high in the polls in the United Kingdom is also due, in my opinion, to the fact,serious errorwho, either out of fear of reopening the wounds of Brexit, or out of short-sightedness, or because the cost of Brexit was not expected to become so evident to everyone”, avoided ‘presenting the bill’ to Farage. And “I think it was a mistake”.

“And I believe – insists Gozi – that our British colleagues should present the bill of the disaster to Mr Disastro. If they continue instead” and allow him to “get away with it, if they continue to get away with it characters like Nigel Farage, there will always be Farages or even worse characters in their path.”

“So far, in my opinion – adds Gozi – there are many in Westminster they had the wrong strategy towards Farage. Of course, we must fight against the causes of nationalism, but we must also fight against the lies of populists and nationalists like Farage. The fact that there was not a campaign in which, twenty-four hours a day, six days a week, we remember that many of the problems that the United Kingdom sees aggravated today have been aggravated by Brexit, in my opinion was a mistake. There is still time to do it and it is good that Farage is faced with his very serious responsibilities“.

On the EU’s side, Gozi continues, “we have been very clear about how much the British, above all, have lost with Brexit, as well as ourselves, and we are also ready to engage with the British on any initiative they propose to us”. But then, “in the end, as in the referendum, it is up to the British, with the democratic vote, to choose if they want to continue to hurt themselves, or they want to start facing reality.”

Today, continues the MEP, “I believe that the European question has exploded within Labour. And I believe that the fact that Keir Starmer himself wants to strengthen relations with the European Union confirms that they have realized that they must change their strategy with respect to the EU”. Labour”they will have a very tough congressvery intense and I hope that there is also an acknowledgment of the fact that the strategy followed so far has not been the right one. At least as regards the European part and the rise of Farage”, he concludes. (by Tommaso Gallavotti)