On this historic day, let’s unite for Britain

THIS is a momentous day for Britain – a day many who have grown disillusioned with the EU feared they would never see.

Even after the historic result in June, it seemed possible that the europhile political and judicial Establishment might find ways to overturn the will of the people.

That they have not succeeded reflects huge credit on Theresa May, who has never wavered in her determination to put the electorate’s decision into effect.

‘Brexit means Brexit,’ she said – and today she’s as good as her word, as she invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, giving Brussels formal notice that Britain will withdraw from the EU within two years.

Now the hard work begins. This paper does not underestimate the challenge facing our negotiators, as they set about disentangling us from 40 years of regulation and ‘ever closer union’.

Up against them will be an unaccountable eurocracy pressing for a punitive deal to dissuade other members tempted to follow Britain’s path to freedom.

More insidious is the opposition they face at home, from Remoaners rooting for Brussels – among them that opportunist Nick Clegg (who, never forget, demanded an EU referendum in 2010), hysterically playing up every obstacle to a deal. On Monday’s Question Time, he even accepted the preposterous claim by EU negotiator Michel Barnier that Britain will have to pay a £50billion divorce settlement – a figure clearly plucked out of the air.

Why should we pay a penny, after four decades pouring our money into investments from which we will no longer benefit? It’s us who should be refunded.

Or take Labour’s Hilary Benn, europhile chairman of the all-party Brexit committee. In a gloom-laden draft report on the plans for withdrawal, he so seriously misrepresented committee members that three yesterday walked out in disgust.

Tory Remoaners are no better. Look at Lord Heseltine, too vain to admit he has ever been wrong, still predicting calamity when we leave. Or consider the deeply unimpressive former education secretary, Nicky Morgan.

Less than two years ago, ‘Ms U-Turn’ went to the polls promising to cut net immigration to the tens of thousands. Now she earns her nickname again by telling us the target is ‘socially divisive’, while raising fears that EU withdrawal will mean we won’t have enough nurses, or migrant workers to pick our crops.

To such prophets of disaster, the Mail repeats: calm down. As Brexit Secretary David Davis has sensibly spelt out, Britain will continue to welcome the migrants we need, even if this means numbers may sometimes go up as well as down.

The difference is that after withdrawal, we will be able to choose who comes here, keeping migration within sustainable limits. Who could object to that?

Meanwhile, the UK enters the talks in a better position than most dared hope. Confounding Project Fear, the economy is in robust shape, while countries such as India, the US and Canada are queuing up to do trade deals with us. And though growth can’t continue uninterrupted for ever, a report yesterday showed households’ financial confidence is higher than before the referendum.

Then there’s our strongest card – the fact our partners (particularly Germany) sell far more to us than we sell to them. So they need us more than we need them.

Indeed, whatever the unaccountable eurocracy may want, it would be madness for the leaders of those 27 democracies to put their own voters’ jobs at risk by erecting barriers to our hugely lucrative market.

Which is why, on this historic day, the Mail makes a plea. Is it asking too much that we should eschew the doom-mongering and pull together to secure the best deal for the benefit of ALL Britons?