Farron Sets Out Positive Case For EU

South Lakes MP Tim Farron last night gave a speech in London, setting out the positive, progressive case for EU membership and the importance of this referendum for future generations.

In his speech, Tim said: "There is much more to this Referendum than the economy, crucial though that is. It is also about more fundamental questions such as: what sort of country will my children be living in when they grow, what sort of country will their children live in? What is the international legacy we want to leave to the coming generations?... This decision is not so much about the here and now, but about the impact on our children and our children's children. It is about the character of our country.

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I want us to recognise the future benefits of close relations with our neighbours and natural partners, how investing in each other's economies and sharing in prosperity can make Britain even greater than it is now. I want my children to grow up in a society that shares security, shares political values and shares social standards with our European neighbours, rather than risking a return to the mutual hostility of a century ago.

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This is a decision too big for tribal loyalties. We need to come together - and be seen to come together - to support the most progressive political alliance the world has ever seen. This is not about loving everything that comes out of Brussels. It is about recognising that there is a vision of co-operation, collaboration and mutual support in which Britain can play a leading part.

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[Do] you see Britain as a country that stands apart from others, glaring across the White Cliffs of Dover in splendid isolation. Or do you see Britain as an outward-looking country that works with its neighbours to build a more prosperous and secure world? Do you see Britain as a country with a great past, but resistant to changing to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century? Or do you see Britain as an adaptable country that can thrive, innovate and lead in an open, global economy?

Do you think the only way we can protect our security against distant threats is by standing alone? Or can we make ourselves more secure in the future by sharing our response with those countries who are our friends, who share our values and who also face those threats?

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The EU is not a monster directed against Britain by a secret conspiracy in Brussels. It's a grouping of friendly democratic governments, struggling to master the many challenges we all face.

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So in this referendum, my challenge to voters of my age or older, is to use your vote in the interests of those that your vote will affect the most. Your children and grandchildren. And my challenge to younger voters is that you should leave no-one in any doubt that the Britain you will inherit must be outward looking, positive, ambitious - not isolated, limited and negative.

I want my children to grow up in a confident Britain that pursues prosperity and peace in cooperation with our neighbours, countries that are also our cousins; not a sullen country cut off from the continent. Britain is a European country; we share democratic and liberal values.

We share Europe's history.

We share Europe's future.

That's why I vote to remain."