Europe. Remain or Brexit

2019

 

While hard Brexit fears haunt much of financial services, Tritax Big Box (BBOX) real estate investment trust has struck a more defiant note, saying divorce from Europe could support the already positive fundamentals of its business of providing large, modern warehouses to retailers.

‘Despite the uncertainties it brings, Brexit may provide a silver lining, since with increased border controls our customers will require more warehousing domestically, further supporting our business case,’ said chairman Richard Jewson.

Jewson’s comments came as the £2 billion trust’s annual results showed it continued to benefit from the growth in e-commerce and the intense demand this has spurred for distribution facilities close to cities and with good transport links.

BREXIT

FOCUSSING ON THE ISSUES AFFECTING LIFE IN HARPENDEN

REGULAR UPDATES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT WILL BE POSTED HERE.

IF YOU WANT TO ADD YOUR VIEWS SEND AN EMAIL TO:

info@harpendia.com

Dear Editor


I must say that when the country voted to leave the EU on 23rd June 2016 it never occurred to me that nearly 2 years on we would still be discussing the serious possibility that we might not actually leave at all. How naive am I?


Make no mistake, the purpose of Harpenden For Europe has nothing to do with democracy. Their claim that all they want is to give the British people a final say on the Brexit deal is disingenuous. Their true objective is clear, to reverse the result and keep us in. The EU has form on this. How many times before have the people in other countries who delivered the "wrong" result been sent back to the ballot box until the "right" result is produced. Either that or the result is ignored as in Greece in 2015 or sidestepped, as in the renaming of the EU Constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005, as the Lisbon Treaty which didn't need a referendum for its incorporation. Are we in Britain going to show ourselves as being just as pliable?


A true democrat accepts the result of a referendum or an election whether they like it or not. That is the essence of democracy. Pity Teresa May. Not only is she having to negotiate with the EU, she's having to negotiate with her own cabinet, parliament and the Lords, all egged on by the likes of Blair, Major, Heseltine, Campbell, Mandelson, Clegg, etc. all of whom have had their time in power and should step back. After all, these people have been putting the argument for the EU for decades and they have failed to convince the majority. It's time to accept the result and get behind the government to help it get the best possible deal, not give succour to those in the EU who, despite protestations to the contrary, are trying to punish us pour encourager les autres. They clearly don't have any confidence in the popularity of their own institution.


And have these campaigners considered the ramifications if they succeeded? Ordinary voters who don't take such a close interest in politics as some of us do would be absolutely baffled and disillusioned. Thwarted by the political elites. Democracy in this country would be dealt a hammer blow which would take years to recover. We would be a laughing stock in Europe and around the world. Our position in the EU would be much diminished from where we were before June 2016. In future negotiations our voice would be disregarded. We would probably come under increased pressure to adopt the Euro, join Schengen and the EU army, and give up our seat at the UN. The arrogant, self-entitled, Barnier, Juncker, Verhofstadt and Tusk would reign supreme. The unelected EU bureaucrats would have asserted their authority and any hope of a truly democratic Europe would be lost forever. Please, don't try to take us down that route. Be a real democrat.


 

Yours faithfully

 

Paul Usher

01582 762079

BREXIT SUPPORT

March 11. Brexit: Older Leave voters nostalgic for 'white' Britain


Too many older people who voted for Brexit were "driven by nostalgia" for a world where "faces were white," Sir Vince Cable has said.

The Lib Dem leader said the votes of the older generation had "crushed the hopes and aspirations of young people for years to come."

Speaking at his party's spring conference, he said the government's Brexit policy was a "fraud".

The Lib Dems are campaigning for a referendum on the final Brexit deal.

Sir Vince told an audience of Lib Dem activists in Southport: "I've myself been on a journey. I confess that my own initial reaction to the referendum was to think maybe there was little choice but to pursue Brexit.

"I thought, you know, the public had voted to be poorer - well, that was their right.

"What changed my mind was the evidence that Brexit had overwhelmingly been the choice of the older generation.

"75% of under 25s voted to remain. But 70% of over 65s voted for Brexit," he said.

Dear Editor, may I contribute to the debate?  I agree entirely with that which Paul Usher has written.  The issue has been  decided.  Whilst a significant percentage of people in Harpenden may have voted to remain a very great number in the surrounding villages and rural areas did not. Many people who have never voted in any election in their lives turned out to vote leave.  The reasons were not much to do with the economy, jobs, the value of the pound, financial standing etc (although many were alienated by “Project “Fear” which has in nearly all respects turned out to be unfounded with the referendum result often producing an entirely different one from that threatened).  What motivated many people was their instinct derived from knowing that we hardly make any of our own laws anymore. For about 1600 years (since the Romans left) England (and the predecessor kingdoms) and the other countries which now make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland made their own laws. Our laws on matters that affect us on a daily basis are now made by unelected foreigners. The EU Commission (we have a few well outnumbered unelected appointees) endorse laws drafted by EU bureaucrats which become binding on us.


The result is that laws relating to matters such as food safety, food information, data protection, consumer credit, VAT (except the rate), toys, cosmetics, advertising, consumer contract terms, package travel, working hours, sale of consumer goods  are laws in respect of which the people we elect to Westminster have no say on at all. EU Directives always say “Member States shall implement this Directive”. EU Regulations are directly binding on us without even having to be rubber-stamped through Parliamentary formalities.


The wars which are families and others before us fought so we could remain free and decide our own destiny would haver been in vain if we had decided to stay in the corrupt EU (it is 20 years since the EU Court of Auditors signed off the accounts – who would be in a golf club where the auditors would not sign off the accounts?).  The people made the right decision and we should all work to support the spirit of that vote and not against it.

Fred Philpott   

April 26

Pressure builds for a People’s Vote on Brexit via

Six polls conducted across the Hitchin and Harpenden and St Albans constituencies reveal overwhelming support for a People’s Vote on Brexit deal.
















Over fifty local volunteers from the European Movement conducted the biggest North Hertfordshire Brexit street poll yet last weekend at locations in central Harpenden, Southdown, Hitchin, Redbourn, St Albans and Wheathampstead.

The poll was part of the People’s Vote National Day of Action that saw over 130 street stalls and events take place around the country.

Volunteers surveyed over 950 local residents, asking what they thought of the Brexit negotiations so far, whether they thought Brexit would be good for jobs and the NHS, and whether they wanted a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal.

The verdict from the public at these six locations was clear:

1. Less than 3% of those surveyed believe that Brexit is going well. In contrast, over 93% believe it is going badly.

2. Over 86% of respondents believe that Brexit will be bad for jobs.

3. Over 87% of respondents believe that Brexit will be bad for the NHS.

4. Crucially, when asked whether they wanted a vote on the final Brexit deal, over 79% replied yes. 

Richard Scott, chair of Harpenden for Europe, said of this weekend’s results,

“These polls show once again that a huge majority of local residents want a People’s Vote on the Brexit deal.

We’re talking to people from every walk of life and political persuasion, and the truth is people are worried. They increasingly fear Brexit’s impact on jobs and public services. They’re upset by the poor progress made by the Government in negotiations and the growing risk of no deal, which the Government has itself admitted will impact food and medical supplies, flights and other vital services.
















Such an outcome was never on the table in 2016, so it’s unsurprising that people all around the country want a final say.

We call on our local MPs, Bim Afolami and Anne Main, to start listening to the clearly expressed wishes and interests of their constituents and to support a People’s Vote, with the option to Remain in the EU.”

The next milestone for the People’s Vote campaign is the March for the Future in London on 20th October. The organisers are expecting campaigners from across the UK to demand a say on the Brexit Deal. Large contingents are already confirmed from Hitchin and Harpenden and St Albans. Those interested in joining the march can find more details on the People’s Vote website www.peoples-vote.uk/march.

Oct 23. 2018

The only people who want a 2nd vote are the people who don't like the result of the first. Hypocritical, undemocratic, sore losers.

Paul Usher


Click on the pdf’s below to read why Remainers Jenni Russel and  William Hague think a second referendum is not a solution.

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REMAIN SUPPORT in HARPENDEN

May 23. Ten of the Best Reasons to Remain.

We all know there are hundreds of excellent reasons to remain, but until May 23 we will be called upon by Leavers and Doubters to answer the challenge “Tell me just one good thing the EU has done for us”. This is difficult, because we don’t know what will most move their needle, and one way to manage the selection of one out of 10 can be to say “Well, first what matters to you most? Is it the environment, or the NHS, or jobs, or austerity, or “ and then pick from the list below accordingly. 


This list was the result of a quick poll of a

diverse group of members at our branch meeting on Wednesday, and we hope it has something for everyone:

Freedom of Movement: More of our group cited this than any other. It is important that the younger generation has the same access as we have to the benefits of freedom to live, study, work and retire anywhere in 28 countries. Politicians have timidly sidestepped the FoM issue for fear of alienating those anxious about migration, but we feel that the majority of the population, especially amongst younger voters, are not afraid of migration – they embrace it.

Workforce: It is only with the EU that we can fill all of the jobs we need to have filled, particularly in the NHS, the caring sector, the construction sector, in science and technology, in the creative industries, in agriculture. The £30k+ concession will not solve half the problems, and the clumsiness of any system like this will put migrants off. The number of nurses from the EU newly registering in the UK has fallen from 6400 in 2016/7 to 800 in 2017/18.

Peace: The period of the EU’s existence coincides with the longest period of peace Europe has ever known, in a time when conflict has been escalating everywhere else in the world. There is no evidence in fact for the Leave campaign’s claim that plans are being developed for a European army.

Stronger Together: As a group in the EU we have the influence we can no longer have alone as a single small country. The EU is the only large political bloc driving the agenda to manage climate change, the only institution changing the behaviour of Big Data companies through the fines it issues (recent billion dollar fine on Google). Sharing information on terrorism and crime makes us all safer, and is only possible in the real time that tackles crime because of EU criminal justice measures.

Innovation: Developments in science and technology are too big for the UK to work on alone, in terms of the range of expert professionals, the intergovernmental funding. The leave campaign’s simplistic suggestion that rather than giving £2 to the EU and getting £1 back for our science projects we just fund our own projects with our own pound spectacularly fails to understand the mammoth investment and the extensive collaboration required. For an indication of the UK government’s lack of willingness to fund big technology infrastructure, look at the Swansea tidal project. Rothamsted’s AgRIA initiative is an exciting programme of agricultural innovation generating commercial startups here that is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Environment: The EU legislative machinery is both empowered and engaged to develop legislation that can lead the world to do the right thing (the current UK government appears unmotivated, but has too small a voice anyway). Examples include the EU ban on ocean destroying plastics (eg plates and cutlery) by 2021; agreements for the sharing of electrical energy generated from renewables so that erratic supply does not have to mean turning on coal-fired stations; bans on pesticides that stop bees looking after our ecology; bans on artificial growth hormones for cows; forcing the UK to take action to clean its beaches; …

Consumer Protection: Legislation, much of it originated by proposals from our government departments, has led to so many rights for consumers that can only work when they apply uniformly across a large trading bloc such as the EU. Examples are legion, but include the outlawing of unfair roaming charges across Europe, safe food labelling, control of medicines, rights to compensation over air travel, legislation on quieter vacuum cleaners, control of chemicals used on children’s toys, and the requirement for a minimum 2 year guarantee on consumer purchases.

Trade:  The world’s largest transnational trading market, within which we have favoured status and from which we have better than WTO terms with a further 60 other countries, through 36 trade deals already negotiated on our behalf, giving us the best deal we can ever get. The ability to construct a car or a plane from parts sourced across all of Europe on a Just In Time supply basis. Only politicians who have no familiarity with manufacturing think you can make complex products in a single country or with customs checks slowing you down.

Finance: Maintaining the UK as a financial centre. When London rose to prominence in the mid 1980s as the leading financial centre it was because an industry dominated by US owned banks knew they had to have an Anglophone centre of the spread of timezones. The Anglophone thing no longer matters, because the world has become so much more global in the intervening years. The same lead players, taking their decisions outside the UK, have only inertia, not loyalty, to argue against a shift to Frankfurt. Yet it has been confirmed that 30 financial institutions have initially applied to the European Central Bank to move their European headquarters to Frankfurt, claimed to correspond to over 500 billion pounds of assets under management and 10,000 jobs. No wonder houses aren’t selling in Harpenden and housebuilders are going bust.

Culture, Sport and Entertainment: We are one of the world’s biggest per capita producers and consumers of culture, sport and entertainment. But the talent on which this relies, from footballers to cellists to games designers, can never reach the same heights from just a British talent pool. And if you think it’s tough to figure out how to get to Madrid for the Champions League final now, …

And what would we be giving up all of this for? So control of our lives can be taken back from a body represented by the rationality of Tusk and Barnier and given to a body represented by the self-interest and folly of Corbyn and Rees-Mogg. Yeah, right.


And finally, the numbers in case you hear anything outlandish from the other side.

The office of national statistics reports that our 2017 contribution to the EU was £13bn with EU spending on the UK of £4bn. The net £9bn is equivalent to £173m a week, only half of Boris’s bus, and accounts for 1.1% of overall government expenditure.

The Migration Advisory Committee (an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office) has calculated that the net contribution by EU migrants (tax revenues minus benefits and public services received) is £4.7bn pa or £90m a week, reducing the cost of remaining to £83m a week.

The Bank of England and Goldman Sachs have calculated that we are already running at £600m per week of lost growth due to Brexit uncertainty. Lost tax revenues will dwarf the £83m!



Aug 15. Local Author Carol Hedges raises issues on the legality of BREXIT in her letter to Herts Ad. (Seen on May 14 at the Hustings Meeting-Harp Public Halls)

An interesting point and I'm surprised that the remain side have not made more of the wording in the bill, although Ken Clarke who has consistently rejected the referendum result has repeatedly called it an "opinion poll". The difference between an opinion poll, which anyone can carry out and only extrapolates from a small sample, and a referendum, which is enacted following an act of parliament and is open to the whole electorate, is very clear to everyone (except him).


As she says, the Referendum Bill "does not contain any requirement for the UK government to implement the result" and she may be right that the result was not an instruction to the government. However, the UK government and parliament did choose to implement the result and parliament overwhelmingly passed a bill to trigger article 50. They then passed the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 putting our leaving into law with an explicit exit date. So whether the referendum was advisory or not, once the advice of the electorate had been taken into consideration and the decision to leave had been made by parliament triggering article 50 and also passing the Withdrawal Act, it then became an obligation in law. The MPs had the opportunity "to weigh up the pros and cons" before voting to trigger article 50 and pass the Withdrawal Act. Her definition of our democracy as MPs "running scared of the people" just shows her disdain for the democratic process. And if she has such high regard for our "sovereign parliament" why is she so enthusiastic to remain part of the EU to which large parts of our sovereignty have been passed, and if we remained would unquestionably continue to do so?


So the whole premise of her argument is demolished. Yet another attempt by an undemocratic and bitter remainer to thwart the expressed will of the majority. Pathetic.

Paul Usher

Aug 16. Brexit supporter Paul Usher responds to Harpendia about the Letter in Herts Advertiser from Carol Hedges:

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OCT 19TH MARCH IN LONDON

Report.


On Saturday 19th October, over 400 local residents from Harpenden and the surrounding villages of Kimpton, Redbourn and Wheathampstead joined the People’s Vote March in London.


Richard Scott, Chair of Harpenden for Europe said:


“Once again, the people of Harpenden have turned out in force to show their opposition to Brexit and their demand for a final say on the Brexit deal. 


Johnson has indeed achieved the impossible since becoming Prime Minister - he has negotiated a deal even worse the Theresa May’s failed Withdrawal Agreement. Johnson’s deal directly threatens the integrity of the United Kingdom and he and his Government clearly view losing Northern Ireland and risking Scottish Independence as a price worth paying to deliver Brexit.



Only a Second Referendum can bring democratic closure to the Brexit disaster.”