Goodbye, but it’s vital we still lead in Europe

WHEN Theresa May triggers Article 50 on Wednesday, it should not be a cause for celebration. This is when the hard work begins.

There will be ups and downs as both sides in the negotiations bluff and double bluff, seek advantage and try to discover red lines. There will be roles to play, faces to maintain and domestic politics to heed.

I have strongly disagreed with those who have given the rights of EU citizens in the UK a higher priority than those of Brits abroad. But I do agree we need normalisation and this should be sorted within weeks.

There are some who still believe the lie that Britain is turning its back on Europe, that Brexit was won by the far-Right and tinged with racism.

The reality needs to be shown early on. We will remain solid, dependable and reliable partners. We just have no desire for a supra-national political organisation creating our laws.

Britain must reassure our friends that we are not embarking on the Brexit caricature they have been told to fear. To do this we need to seize every opportunity for easy, mutually beneficial wins.

Another example is our continued security commitment. The victims of the Westminster Bridge attack were not just from Britain but from around the world.

It was a stark reminder that people share the same risks, wherever they are. To do our utmost to reduce those dangers we all must work together to fight and frustrate these terrorists.

But we need to remember why Parliament was a target. The Palace of Westminster houses the world’s most famous symbol of democracy. And at this moment we should be reminded it is a symbol created from, and has time and again brought forth, political innovation.

Now we must see this negotiation period as an opportunity to become political innovators once more.

All this will take time, patience and reason. Wednesday is just the start.