The European Movement has launched a national #Pause campaign to persuade some Conservative MPs to back an extension of the transition period and stop a disastrous no-deal Brexit – with the UK crashing out of the Single Market and Customs Union – at the end of this year.
This particular campaign is not about stopping Brexit, but about limiting the damage Brexit will do, maintaining high EU standards in the UK, and building a close relationship with our neighbours in the EU.
We only have a few weeks until the deadline at the end of June, so we urge you to take action now!
Share the campaign on social media
The European Movement are tweeting for this campaign @euromove and we in Cambridge for Europe are supporting it @cambsforeurope. Please retweet and like tweets that are part of this campaign, and also share the message on other social media channels.
For this campaign the main hashtag is: #Pause – so please always use this. But you can also use: #No2NoDeal or #Pause #Pause #PauseBrexit4Covid19 #ExtendTheTransition
Sign & Share the petition to pause the transition
The European Movement petition telling Boris Johnson to pause the transition period in order to focus on protecting our NHS has gathered over 58,000 signatures!
Help us keep the momentum going. If you haven’t already signed, add your name today.
Donate to the #Pause campaign Crowdfunder
The European Movment is raising funds to support the national campaign to pause the transition and stop a no deal Brexit. Donate to their crowdfunder at: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/delay-brexit-focus-on-covid19
Write to your local newspaper
If you write a letter to your local newspaper that follows their guidelines they are very likely to print it. Such letters are a good way to let those who agree or are undecided (or disagree) us outside our own circles know what we think, and build critical mass in support of the campaign. MPs do pay attention to what topics are being written about in the letters pages, as it’s one way they can get a feeling of what the local opinion on an issue is.
We have some advice on writing letters to local newspapers, and links to contact information for local papers on our website at www.cambridgeforeurope.org.uk/take-action/
In any letters we strongly recommend that you focus on pausing the transition in order to allow businesses and services to recover from the COVID-19 crisis without having to cope with the additional upheaval of leaving the Single Market and Customs Union. If you can it is also best to focus on the impact of a no deal Brexit on a specific local business sector or service that you are familiar with.
Contact your MP
The focus of this campaign is to persuade some Conservative MPs in our local constituencies to back an extension of the transition period. We already know that Cambridge’s Labour Party MP Daniel Zeichner backs an extension.
Several Conservative MPs in our region are not Brexit ideologues and may listen to the voices of local businesses and service providers. Jonathan Djanogly MP in Huntingdon almost certainly falls into this category, but Anthony Browne in South Cambs and Lucy Frazer in South East Cambs may respond to the right kind of persuasion from the right people.
Who to write to
Write to your own MP, especially if they are a Conservative MP, and we also strongly urge you to write to the MP in the constituency the specific business or service you discuss are based, particularly if you have a direct connection to them. We have contact information for the MPs in our area on our website at www.cambridgeforeurope.org.uk/take-action/write-to-your-mp/, which also has tips on writing to MPs
What to Write
The purpose of this campaign is not to stop Brexit, but to get an extension to the transition period and a trade deal with the EU that enables full and frictionless access to the Single Market and supports economic growth and recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. Please stay polite, even when you disagree with the MP.
For that reason we recommend that you use the phrases “Pause” and “Extend” rather than the more negative “Delay” when referring to the Brexit transition.
Since Conservative MPs are usually most sympathetic to economic arguments, the most effective letters are likely to be those that focus on the impact of a no-deal Brexit on specific local businesses or business sectors in their constituency. If you can speak about a business you run or are or have been employed by of that would be perfect.
Another good topic is the impact on local public services and key workers, particularly the NHS and care services in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
We’ve included a template letter below to help you get started (but do make it your own!). If an MP replies to your letter please forward it to us at info@cambridgeforeurope.org.uk so we know where they stand.
Share this campaign
Please share this email to any friends or colleagues who you think will be interested in joining this campaign.
The voices of local business owners and managers, and members of local business organisations such as the Cambridge Network and Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, will be critical to preventing a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year. If you know any please do encourage them to get involved if they’re not already contacting their MP on this.
Thanks for supporting this campaign, and please do let us know about any responses you receive.
Template letter to Conservative MP
Please personalise this letter and add information about no deal impact on local businesses, business sectors or services
Dear [NAME OF MP]
We are currently experiencing the worst public health crisis in over a century. The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on our NHS and our economy, leaving many people vulnerable.
The simple truth is that our NHS cannot cope with both the effects of leaving the EU without a trade deal in place and COVID- 19.
Leaving the Single Market and Customs Union without a deal in place would cause:
- Delays in importing medicines and other essential medical equipment, including vital personal protective equipment.
- A weakening of the public health response, including the response to pandemics when we leave EU schemes without agreeing to partnerships with crucial EU bodies.
- Disruption of patient care due to the ending of reciprocal healthcare agreements
In addition, the International Monetary Fund has calculated that leaving without a deal would add a further, permanent loss of 5% to the UK’s GDP – and this is on top of the Office of Budget Responsibility predicting a 35% shrink to the economy in the second quarter because of damage already inflicted by Coronavirus. This means thousands of jobs in [name of constituency] are at risk of being lost.
A majority of people in the U.K. support extending the transition period. This isn’t about who voted leave or remain. It is about doing what is in the national interest. The Conservative party has traditionally been the party of jobs and the economy – we must do what is right for our country in order to protect our economy and our NHS.
Our doctors and nurses are on the front line, fighting this virus everyday. They are risking their lives to protect the public. Please support an extension to the Brexit transition period, so we can focus on getting the best deal possible and protecting our frontline workers in the NHS.
Yours sincerely
[Your name]
[Your address]
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