Strengthening European ties will help South Lanarkshire economy – Liberal Democrats

Local Liberal Democrats are backing the call by Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey to strengthen our ties with Europe and to rejoin a Customs Union with the European Union.

Councillor Robert Brown, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on South Lanarkshire Council, said that South Lanarkshire’s economy badly needed better access to European markets. He went on:

“It is time to move on from the Brexit disaster which is estimated by experts to have cost the UK economy £100 billion a year every year since 2020. Joining a Customs Union with the European Union would give South Lanarkshire’s businesses much better access to important European markets. 

I have spoken to many local businesses who tell me of the difficulties that Brexit has given them in terms of unnecessary red tape which makes selling goods to Europe so much more difficult. Whether it be food and drink exports, computer and IT or green energy, things are so much more awkward for businesses. It is also more difficult to buy necessary components from Europe.

Four years ago the Conservatives signed a botched deal that cost the United Kingdom dear, It is time to stop tinkering around the edges and urgently negotiate a brand new deal with the EU this year.

Forming a Customs Union with the EU is the single biggest thing we can do to turbocharge our economy in the medium and long term. But it would also unlock big economic benefits for the UK now and start tearing down those damaging Conservative trade barriers. It is astonishing that the Labour Government continues to rule it out. 

Closer partnership with Europe has just become 10 times more important as President Trump starts erratically putting huge tariffs on trade with other countries. We can only deal with this from a position of strength with barrier-free free trade with our European neighbours as a basis.”