General election 2017: Liberal Democrat Tim Farron will offer a second EU referendum

British Liberal Democrats headed by Tim Farron signed up for the June 8th general election campagin in order to help Britain escape the disastrous effects of Brexit, which world economists anticipate once the country comes out of the European community bloc.

If Tim Farron’s team succeed in winning elections, they will focus on keeping the rights of the United Kingdom in the relationship with the European Union, in order to overturn the unfavorable economic effects of the referendum vote on June 23, 2016.

“Britain is better off in the EU”

“We passionately believe that Britain is better off in the EU. We will fight against the Conservatives disastrous hard Brexit – their choice to make the UK a poorer place. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to give the final say to the British people in a referendum on whether to accept the deal or remain in the EU. Keep the UK in the single market and customs union – trade must continue without damaging customs controls at the border. Protect the rights of EU and UK citizens living abroad – ending the uncertainty for millions of people,” announces the party in its “plan for Europe”.

Claiming that “whatever its imperfections, the EU remains the best framework for working effectively and co-operating in the pursuit of our shared aims”, as the bloc led directly to “greater prosperity, increased trade, investment and jobs, better security, and a greener environment”, Liberal Democrats hope to convince as many citizens as possible that Britain is better off in the EU.

“We acknowledge the result of the 2016 referendum, which gave the Government a mandate to start negotiations to leave. The decision Britain took, though, was simply whether to remain in or to leave the European Union. There was no option on the ballot paper to choose the shape of our future relationship with the EU on vital issues including trade, travel or security,” they say.

On the other hand, Liberal Democrats point out that “young people, who voted overwhelmingly to remain, are being told their voices do not matter” and that urgent problems, such as the future of the national health service (NHS), are being neglected because of the sheer scale of the challenge posed by Brexit.

Among the effects of Brexit which are already being felt, they list:

– the value of the pound, which has plummeted

– inflation, which has risen

– slowing economic growth, while the other EU member states were experiencing an economic boost

– the country’s debts, given that the government is already borrowing billions more to fill the gap in lost tax revenue.

“A Hard Brexit will make all these problems worse. It is the wrong choice for the country. Liberal Democrats will fight to prevent a Hard Brexit,” they say, claiming that Theresa May’s Conservatives are campaigning for a Hard Brexit, which means leaving the Single Market, ending freedom of movement, and abandoning the Customs Union – “even though these choices will make the UK poorer and disappoint many leave voters who wanted a different outcome”.

Welcoming refugees

The party’s priorities “for keeping Britain as close as possible to Europe” include:

– Protection of rights for EU citizens and UK citizens by ending the ongoing uncertainty regarding the rights of EU nationals in the UK, through pressing the UK to unilaterally guarantee these rights. Thus, the registration process and the requirements for EU nationals to obtain permanent residence and UK citizenship will be revised and simplified. On the other hand, Tim Farron’s Democrats promise to use “their influence with Liberal leaders in European countries, to secure the same rights for UK citizens living in European Union countries”.

Lib Dem also plan to increase community policing, investing an extra £300 million a year in local police forces, but also to offer sanctuary to 50,000 Syrian refugees and 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children by 2022.

Claiming that the international co-operation is threatened by Donald Trump and an assertive Russia, the party’s plan for international affairs targets that the country will continue to spend 0.7% of national income on aid: reducing poverty, defending human rights, protecting the environment and preventing violent conflict, but also to defend international co-operation against the rising tides of nationalism and isolationism, and to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia and control arms exports to countries with poor human rights records.

International Affairs from Greg Foster on Vimeo.

– Maintaining the membership in the Single Market and Customs Union such that the trade between the UK and the continent can be made through a common ‘rule book’ for businesses and a common mechanism to ensure that everyone abides by the rules and so to be avoided customs controls at the border.

– Freedom of movement, a principle which, they say, if abandoned, would threaten Britain’s prosperity and reputation as an open, tolerant society. Thus, any deal negotiated for the UK outside the EU must protect the right to work, travel, study and retire across the EU, while any restrictions must take account of “the vital importance of EU workers to the British economy, including public services”.

– Opportunities for young people such that they are afforded the same opportunities their parents enjoyed to work, study and travel abroad. Thus, they promise to protect Erasmus+ and other EU-funded schemes which increase opportunities for young people.

Education from Greg Foster on Vimeo.

The plan for political and constitutional reform also foresees that teenagers, 16- and 17-year old, will have the right to vote in elections and referendums.

– Defending social rights and equalities such as the right to 52 weeks’ maternity leave or the right to annual leave so that these will not be undermined.

Families and communities from Greg Foster on Vimeo.

The sale of diesel cars and small vans in the UK to be ban

– Maintaining environmental standards by focusing also on the closest possible cooperation on climate and energy policy. “The European Union has created the highest environmental standards in the world. We have a duty to future generations to protect our environment and tackle climate change. Liberal Democrats will ensure that everything is done to maintain those high standards in UK law”, their manifesto reveals.

“UK air pollution is a killer. Liberal Democrats will introduce an Air Quality Plan to reduce air pollution, and generate jobs and exports by supporting green industries that manufacture electric and low-emission vehicles,” Lib Dem say, their plan aiming to prevent 40,000 premature deaths a year by cutting air pollution, to ban fracking, and more than double green electricity to 60 per cent by 2030, and to ensure that 4 million properties receive insulation retrofits by 2022, prioritising the fuel poor.

Their Air Quality Plan to reduce air pollution and support the manufacture of low-emission and electric vehicles, generating jobs and exports include:

– A diesel scrappage scheme, and a ban on the sale of diesel cars and small vans in the UK by 2025.

– Extending Ultra-Low Emission Zones to ten more towns and cities.

– All private hire vehicles and diesel buses licensed to operate in urban areas to run on ultra-low emission or zero emission fuels within five years.

– Reforming vehicle taxation to encourage sales of electric and low-emission vehicles and developing electric vehicle infrastructure including universal charging points.

300,000 new homes a year

– Law enforcement and judicial co-operation to ensure criminals are pursued quickly and effectively and police are not frustrated by huge amounts of red tape, given that Europol, the European Arrest Warrant and shared access to police databases have helped make Britain’s streets safer.

– British business and jobs. “We must protect support to domestic industries such as farming, tourism and the creative industries, as well as regional support for deprived areas. The City of London is Europe’s financial capital and must retain its full rights in EU financial markets,” the manifesto reveals.

– Regarding science and research funding, the Liberal Democrats claim that the Leave vote has already started to affect existing and proposed research programmes, but they promise that hey will campaign against any reduction in investment in UK universities and for their right to apply for EU funds on equal terms pointing that research is vital for the country’s long-term prosperity, security and wellbeing.

– When it comes to travel and tourism the party aims to retain traveler and tourist benefits such as the European Health Insurance Card, reduced roaming charges and pet passports, all of which are at risk by leaving the European Union.

Among the other major policies advocated by the Lib Dems are also an extra 1 pence on income tax rates to raise 6 billion pounds ($7.8 billion) to spend on the NHS, a 100 billion pound infrastructure investment to help build 300,000 homes a year by 2022, ending the 1% cap on pay rises in the public sector, uprating wages in line with inflation, and significant investment in road and rail infrastructure, including a continued commitment to HS2, Crossrail 2 and rail electrification.

Health from Greg Foster on Vimeo.

A new Brexit vote

Britain’s Liberal Democrat Party vowed recently to hold a second referendum on a final Brexit deal if it wins next month’s election.

Launching his party’s proposals for the June 8 election, Tim Farron said his party would give Britons a say on the divorce deal struck with the European Union after two years of talks, saying a bad agreement would wreck Britain’s future.

“You should have your say on the Brexit deal in a referendum,” Farron said. “And if you don’t like the deal you should be able to reject it and choose to remain in Europe.”

Europe from Greg Foster on Vimeo.

“When the terms of our future relationship with the EU have been negotiated (over the next two years on the Government’s timetable), we will put that deal to a vote of the British people in a referendum, with the alternative option of staying in the EU on the ballot paper. We continue to believe that there is no deal as good for the UK outside the EU as the one it already has as a member,” Liberal Democrats’ manifesto concludes.

Low support from the electorate

The Lib Dems are hopeful that their pro-EU stance will attract support from the 48 percent of Britons who backed remaining in the bloc in last year’s referendum, although opinion polls suggest the message has not won over many people from the two major parties who opposed Brexit.

Surveys put support for the Liberal Democrats on less than 10 percent, significantly behind May’s Conservative Party which polls indicate is attracting support from more than 45 percent of Britons with the opposition Labour party on about a third of the voters’ preferences.

Tim Farron’s Liberal Democrats are ranked third in the preference of the British voters in the general election, according to the latest polls. An ICM opinion poll published in the Sun newspaper on Sunday put the Conservatives on 46 percent and Labour on 32 percent, while support for the Liberal Democrats was at 8 percent. The same share for Lib Dem was reported recently by a Survation telephone poll.

Lib Dem support nationally has collapsed since the 2010 election when the party won 23 percent of the vote, propelling it into a coalition government with former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. Five years later, voters abandoned the party as it bore the brunt of public anger over unpopular austerity measures.