Brexit was the spark to transform our country
FOUR years ago this week something extraordinary happened. The British people defied the liberal establishment and voted to leave the European Union. It was the start of a popular revolution in this country, one conducted in a civilised manner at the ballot box not violently in the street with mobs pulling down statues.
At the front of that revolution was Boris Johnson who is now our Prime Minister after December’s election overwhelmingly confirmed the Brexit vote of June 23, 2016.
But the revolution was never just about leaving the EU. Membership was a symptom of the problem that in the end was about fairness and prosperity across this great country, shared by all.
Today’s revelations in this newspaper about Mr Johnson’s plans to transform this country show that he too understands Brexit is just the start of something far more fundamental and far-reaching.
It is clear that the Prime Minister now intends to complete the revolution he started and will outline this in a speech in July. At the heart of it will be an end to the times of austerity, an agenda to build the infrastructure across this country which is needed by all, a bold approach on homes for key workers, on internet connectivity, transport and much more.
At the heart of it is the levelling up agenda which, along with Brexit, helped the Conservatives sweep the former Labour heartland Red Wall seats in December.
We cannot continue with a London-centric view of public policy and the recent coronavirus experience of people working from home shows that we no longer need to be forced to do daily commutes.
It is obvious that the Prime Minister has the radical ideas to transform this country and the way it is governed from Whitehall.
Coronavirus and completion of the Brexit negotiations have delayed the implementation of this revolution but now, as we ease out of lockdown and begin to conclude negotiations with the EU, is the time to complete what Mr Johnson and the ordinary people in this country started four years ago.