Let’s not jeopardise this important task
The Government today begins the negotiations that will settle the terms of Britain’s departure from the European Union. It is worth savouring that phrase. For those who struggled for decades to reverse the decision to join the EU, and by so doing reclaim the sovereignty this nation lost with membership, it is an almost incredible moment. Over many years Eurosceptics were considered cranks – fringe politicians with a fringe obsession. But gradually the justice of their position became clear and today they stand vindicated. The rest of the nation has, overwhelmingly, come round to their way of seeing things, either during the referendum campaign or since. In the general election, more than 85 per cent of voters backed a party which supports Brexit.
The Conservatives, then, are at the forefront of a great deal more than a party policy when they sit down in Brussels today. They are leading a process that above all is about the national interest. Brexit will affect each one of us, and it would be selfindulgent and reckless were the process to become subordinate to a destructive, internal Tory power struggle. Inevitably, when a leader is weakened, as the Prime Minister, Theresa May, has undoubtedly been in the last fortnight, there are those who scent blood. In the days to come contenders and rivals with personal ambition to take on the biggest job in the land will be weighing their options, taking soundings and gauging support. It would be better if they used their energies more constructively. For one thing, all signs of Tory division only serve to make the opposition look good; for another, there is a huge amount of work to be done. Brexit talks are nothing if not monumental. Countless aspects of national life will be affected, from the fisheries that ring our island home to the free-trade agreements that will come to define our relationships with the rest of the world. Such a comprehensive rethinking of our identity and priorities will require contributions of genuine substance from each branch of government; every ministry, every minister, must do their part.
What better task to unite and galvanise a government? Brexit will be complex, but it presents extraordinary opportunities. The talks will be tough, but the prize is enormous. It is the Conservatives who have done more than any party to make this day a reality. They must not jeopardise it by wallowing in a slough of despond. The future is bright.