Theresa May’s Conservatives are getting ready to take Britain out of the Single Market.
Leaving the Single Market would be a disaster for jobs, businesses and the economy.
Don’t let the Tories push our economy’s self-destruct button – add your name today and support our campaign to keep Britain in the Single Market.
Research funding and ERASMUS at risk after Brexit vote
The outcome of the EU referendum has put at risk the UK’s access to European funding for research and study abroad.
In Leeds, this could have a serious impact on the work our universities do and the opportunities available to local students. The University of Leeds currently gets nearly 16% of its research income from European funding, supporting projects from developing better artificial joints to designing environmentally-friendly aircraft. It also sends hundreds of its students abroad each year on the popular Erasmus+ scheme.
The Liberal Democrats are fighting to safeguard the vital scientific research and opportunities for young people which EU funding has supported until now. At the recent Liberal Democrat conference, party members unanimously supported a motion calling on the government to protect both.
Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Penny Goodman lives in Headingley and works at the University of Leeds.
Penny said:
I feel very strongly about this issue, and made a point of attending Liberal Democrat conference this year so that I could vote for the motion. The research carried out in UK universities generates jobs, improves lives and keeps our country competitive. In the same way, sending our young people to study or work abroad gives them the skills, experience and international outlook which today’s employers are looking for. Now we know the outcome of the referendum, it is in all of our interests to protect these activities for the future.
Every year, thousands of UK students go to study or work in Europe thanks to the EU-funded Erasmus programme. But now that the UK has voted to leave the European Union, our future access to this scheme is at risk.
Many young people living in Headingley have already benefited from the Erasmus scheme, or will want to use it in the future. And the skills and experience which they gain while doing so benefit us all.
That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling for the Erasmus programme to be protected in any Brexit negotiations. Please sign our petition here.
It is now clear that the overall result of the EU Referendum is a majority for Leave. But it is equally clear that this is not what Headingley wanted. We stood at the count and tallied up the votes as they were counted, and from the Headingley ballot boxes we could see that our area had voted to Remain by a margin of about 8 to 1.
The long-term consequences of the overall result are far from clear at the moment, but whatever happens the Liberal Democrats will continue working hard for the people of Headingley, and for the people of the UK. We believe in being outward-looking, tolerant, cooperative and compassionate, and we will keep on applying those values and working for our communities in this new post-referendum world.
Today is polling day for the EU Referendum. Headingley Liberal Democrats have been campaigning hard for the Remain side, because we believe that Headingley, and all of the UK, is better off working together with our neighbours, rather than standing apart.
The EU allows us easy trading access to our nearest markets, opens up huge opportunities in study or work for our young people, makes it easy to travel, makes the UK attractive to international investors, and helps us to tackle cross-border issues like pollution and crime. And at a time when the effects of terrorism and financial crashes are now felt globally, it seems very short-sighted to isolate ourselves in any way from our nearest geographical and cultural neighbours.
We hope you’ll join with us in voting Remain today, to help keep Headingley safe and prosperous for the future.
Penny Goodman joined a team from Britain Stronger IN Europe yesterday evening outside the Headingley Arndale Centre. Together, they handed out flyers and talked to local people on their way home about the benefits of staying in the EU.
Penny said:
For me, being in the EU is about working together with our neighbours instead of putting up barriers between us. The practical benefits of easier trading, easier travel, and being able to cooperate on issues like climate change and cross-border crime speak for themselves. But fundamentally it is about being open, collaborative and internationalist – not isolated and inwards-looking.