UUP councillor: Britain can and should be leading in Europe

In order to highlight the range of individual interactions each member of the congregation had with the deceased lady he gave the example of looking through the Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, the largest clear cut diamond in the world.

Each turn of the precious stone - part of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross - offers a different perspective on its form, and allows the viewer a unique line of vision of and through it.

This analogy struck me in the context, but also as an effective one in the mouth of this country’s most historic vote in a lifetime. Often the traditional party-political lines have been blurred and transcended, with people of all creeds, ideologies, and social backgrounds on both sides of the debate. In all honesty, I have been surprised by some who I thought would be inclined to vote one way but are opting for the alternative.

For me, the decision was clear yet still far from absolute. I must note that I was about 80% in favour of remaining at the beginning of this year – before any internal party discussions took place. I have maintained an open mind, reading as much researched and referenced material as time has permitted, and that support for remain has fluctuated.

In 2008 I moved to southern Spain to work in a secondary school - alongside other Erasmus students from across Europe. I had only recently become actively interested in local politics in Northern Ireland but had no intention of standing for election and was not then a member of any party.

However, I took time to keep abreast of politics back home and in Spain (their first post-recession general election took place shortly after my arrival).

I was keen to learn what the Spanish thought of us as a country. One thing which kept recurring in meetings and discussions with Spanish MEPs and their staff was that they agreed with much of what the British MEPs were arguing, yet were stunned that their doors were very rarely darkened to seek support. The rhetoric was good, but action wasn’t forthcoming. Much like Farage claiming to support the fishing industry yet appearing at around 2% of fishing meetings!

My point is that there are many reasons in my opinion why we should remain. It’s not a simple case of subtracting what we receive from Europe from the total we send out. There will be a monetary cost for any membership. Such simplified mathematics ignores any money which comes back outside governmental agencies (most notably, in my experience, university research funding). Furthermore, it avoids the financial benefit of trade with our European neighbours, and the socio-cultural benefits (rights, ease of travel, cultural exchange) are completely omitted.

As I mentioned before, my support for remaining a member was not and is not absolute. There are problems. The Ulster Unionist Party has advocated remaining and reforming. Now before someone says that Cameron’s attempts flopped - that was an aesthetic gesture. Reform will take time, and we will need to knock the doors of other MEPs to build consensus. I am confident that will bear fruit, having heard it first-hand from Spanish, Polish, and Italian representatives.

In an increasingly global world, we need to think bigger not parochially. That doesn’t mean a United States of Europe, but does mean political collaboration and pooling of some resources. The British Government has powers to implement that it doesn’t, and needs to be more assertive, particularly in relation to immigration issues. Contrary to some claims, we can actually trade globally - India and China, for example, have both said they are most interested in our trade as part of the EU.

And to finish, I’d like to make it very clear. I believe in the United Kingdom and our place on the global stage.

We can and should be leading in Europe. This week, I’m voting to remain for a positive future for this and future generations.

Mark R W McKinty, Larne (UUP councillor, Mid & East Antrim Borough Council)