Dear Jim,
As I write to you, the country
is descending further and further into chaos, that chaos including a level of
racial violence few of us thought we should ever see again on our streets. (How
foolish we were, or at least how foolish I was!) Not a word of condemnation is
uttered by those who voted for us to leave the European Union, which tells us
much of what we need to know about them. The country threatens to drag the rest
of Europe with us, and who knows how much else of the world?
And for what, so that Boris
Johnson could realise his dream to lead the Conservative Party? A supreme
careerist, he now clearly does not even want to leave the European Union;
whatever Johnson might be, and I fear I lack the vocabulary to describe him, he
is not a man of principle. Perhaps, then, there might lie a chink of light in
that unquenched ambition. I am more inclined to place my faith in the twin
wisdom of Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Merkel. However, we should clearly accept
help from wherever it comes at this point.
It is for that reason that I write
to ask you to do whatever you can as an MP to prevent further catastrophe. The
advocates of ‘restoration’ of parliamentary sovereignty cannot have it both
ways; if Parliament is sovereign, then the referendum cannot be anything other
than advisory. Legal opinion, moreover, seems quite clear that the Prime
Minister cannot issue a declaration under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty without
an Act of Parliament. (See, for instance, here: https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2016/06/27/nick-barber-tom-hickman-and-jeff-king-pulling-the-article-50-trigger-parliaments-indispensable-role/.)
As an academic, I know only too
well how catastrophic departure from the EU would be for our universities. The
Principal of my own institution, Royal Holloway, University of London, has been
doing a good job in trying to calm nerves a little, but that, sadly, is all he
can do at the moment.
As a Londoner, I know how
catastrophic departure would be for this city; moreover, I see the terrible
damage already being done to our open, inclusive city. London’s response to the
referendum could hardly have been clearer. I know only too well the fears of EU
residents concerning the future. Many of them are my close friends; many of
them are my colleagues; many of them are my students.
As a constituent of yours, I also
know only too well the dangers further violence could hold for Tower Hamlets. We
have built something of which we can and should be proud here; we must do
whatever we can to safeguard that and to go further.
As a European, I am fiercely
proud of our continent’s common heritage: not in an exclusive sense, but as a
recognition of who we are, of what we have done well, of what we might continue
to do well, and, most importantly, of what we might do better. That will, quite
simply, not be possible, should we leave. I could go on, but I am sure that you
know all of that and more already.
I implore you then to do
whatever you can. Your constituency, your city, your country, your continent,
your world, and, yes, history will thank you for it. For once, such apparent
hyperbole is not, remotely indicative of exaggeration.
Thank you very much for all you
did during the referendum campaign; I can assure you that it has not gone
unnoticed by this grateful constituent.
With very best wishes,
Mark
