Brexit is a colossal mistake – Sir John Major, former Prime Minister
Former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major made his views on Brexit crystal clear, calling it “a colossal mistake” during a Westminster Committee meeting.
He argued that Britain was safer and better off inside the European Union and urged for our return.
Sir John was speaking in 2023 on the anniversary of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty on 7 February 1992 – a treaty he personally negotiated on behalf of the UK government.
The Treaty transformed the European Community into the European Union, laid the foundation for the euro, and introduced European citizenship, granting EU citizens the right to live, work, study, and retire across all member states.
However, despite claims from some Brexit supporters, Maastricht did not fundamentally alter the European Community’s core mission as set out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome.
The Maastricht Treaty was fully debated and democratically passed by the UK Parliament, as well as unanimously ratified by every EU member state.
Sir John outlined why the UK’s full membership in the EU was crucial.
“There are three great power blocs in the world today. The United Kingdom is not one of them.”
He spelt it out.
“There’s America, there’s China, and there’s the European Union.”
He warned of growing competition from the US and China and highlighted potential security threats from China. He posed a simple but pressing question:
“Is Europe better able to represent its people with the UK inside the EU, making it stronger, or outside, making it weaker?”
His answer was unequivocal: Britain’s departure had weakened both the UK and the EU.
“I think not just us, but the whole of Europe is stronger with Britain in it.
“And when I look at the interests of my children and grandchildren, I think their future is brighter if they are part of a really big bloc who could work with us if we were in difficulty.”
Sir John concluded with a pointed critique of the 2016 referendum:
“Those are matters that are important for this generation and future generations, and I don’t think they were given the weight they deserved in the referendum.”
Sir John’s words remain true today. Britain IS better off back in the EU.
- Watch Sir John Major explain why Brexit is a colossal mistake – this video has already been viewed over a million times.
During his talk, Sir John referred to the loss of Britain’s GDP because of Brexit that has resulted in cuts to our public services and shortage of resources.
This has been confirmed by a report by Cambridge Econometrics, commissioned by the Greater London Authority, which found that by 2023, the UK’s real Gross Value Added (GVA) was approximately £140 billion less than it would have been had the UK remained in the Single Market.
This translates to the average Briton being nearly £2,000 worse off in 2023 due to Brexit.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has also consistently highlighted the negative implications of Brexit on the UK’s economy.
They estimate that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU will reduce long-run productivity by 4% compared to remaining in the EU.
This decline in productivity and trade intensity is expected to have lasting effects on public finances, leading to constraints on public spending.
These reports amplify the message of Sir John Major: that the economic challenges posed by Brexit have significant implications for the UK’s fiscal health, leading directly to lack of resources and cuts to public services.
