Building a Europe closer to zero

“Your commitment to a united Europe is inspiring and shows that our shared vision of peace, freedom and cooperation is still alive.”

Barbara Brunsing, Deputy Mayor of Dortmund

In September 2023 I wrote an article for Yorkshire Bylines “A message from the fields of Flanders “You must return”, an account by pro-European campaign group Leeds of Europe’s two-day visit to Leeds’ French twin city of Lille. We spoke to local politicians from an MEP, Lille city councilors and ordinary people from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to the city’s huge Grand City. Trade fair.

This visit came as a result of the work done by Leeds for Europe members to restore relations with Leeds’ twin cities in the wake of Brexit. This is part of the ongoing work of the UK European Movement to rebuild the links between UK towns and cities and their partners in Europe in the face of a hostile environment led by our government.

In addition to working with Lille, I have been working on building relationships with Dortmund’s German twin city of Leeds through Geoff Tranter, a Leeds Loiner who has lived in Dortmund for several years and is the chairman of the Deutsch – Britishe Gesselleschaft (German). – British Society) in the city.

After the success of our visit to Lille, Geoff invited us to visit Dortmund on the last bank holiday weekend in May to coincide with the Dortbunt festival. This included a large outdoor exhibition in the city’s Hansa Platz on Sunday, which would provide an opportunity for a special Leeds for Europe street stand where we could talk to ordinary people.

Our delegation traveled to Dortmund on May 3, 2024. Two of us traveled by car and experienced one of the great successes of the EU project: the open borders of the Schengen area. We drove through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany without even slowing down. Upon arrival in Dortmund, our group met Geoff Tranter and his wife Ilsa. We were joined by Chris Hammond, President of the East Kent European Movement, who lives part-time in Wurzburg, Germany.

Saturday – meeting with local officials

Saturday morning consisted of a walking tour of Dortmund, guided by Ilsa Tranter. Over 90% of Dortmund’s city center was destroyed by Allied bombing in World War II, so its architecture is largely post-World War II and a testament to Germany’s economic recovery after the war.

At Dortmund City Hall we were officially welcomed by the Deputy Mayor, Barbara Brunsing, and she gave us a tour of the council chambers. We were delighted to present Deputy Mayor Brunsing with a personal letter from the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councilor Al Garthwaite, and a fantastic book on the architecture of Leeds from Leeds City Council.

In the afternoon I went to the offices of the Auslandsgesellschaft, which hosts groups dealing with other countries such as the Deutsch – Britische Gesselleschaft, to meet their members as well as members of the Europa-Union and the Europe Direct project. We were lucky to be spoken to by SPD MEP candidate Tobias Cremer, despite his visible upset at the news that his colleague and fellow SPD MEP candidate Matthew Ecke had been assaulted and hospitalized in Dresden. He spoke very warmly about the UK and his hope that we will re-enter the EU.

Labour’s Brexit lies debunked

Recently, as part of their policy to “make Brexit work”, the Labor Party claimed that the EU might not want the UK back. Cremer dispelled this theory very strongly. He told us it was not a matter of economics or even of offense to the UK’s attitude to Europe; it was important for Britain to join the EU to ensure European solidarity in the face of Russian aggression and a possible second Trump term in the US.

After Cremer, we were addressed by Klaus Wegener, President of Auslandsgesellschaft, and Leeds President for Europe, Richard Wilson. This was followed by an informal discussion/Q&A on Brexit, the future and the possibility of the UK re-entering the EU. One comment that stuck with me was made by a lady who has family in the UK. She said: “My family told me that Britain wants to leave because people don’t want to be ruled by Brussels. We Germans don’t want to be ruled by Brussels either… and we’re not.”

Discussions then continued over Yorkshire tea and Scotch scones served by the Auslandsgesellschaft in an even more informal fashion. Nothing was too much trouble to make us feel welcome!

Sunday – vote

Sunday was spent at the Dortbunt festival and at the special street stall, which was located among the Auslandsgesellschaft, Europa-Direct, Europe Direct and Young European Federalist stalls. This gave us a chance to talk to ordinary Germans. To break the ice, we had our famous Brexitometer ask:

1. Was Brexit a good idea?
2. Is EU membership good for Germany?
3. Was Brexit bad for the EU?
4. Has Britain’s reputation suffered from Brexit?
5. Would you agree to GB joining the EU?

We had an amazing response. Large majorities felt that Brexit was bad for the UK and the EU, that the EU was good for Germany and that Britain’s reputation suffered as a result of Brexit. They were largely in favor of Britain re-entering the EU… with one caveat. The majority said that if the UK rejoins, it should be as a full and active member – no cuts, no exemption from joining the euro and accepting Schengen. All of which Leeds for Europe is campaigning for.

Conclusion

What have we achieved through these visits to Lille and Dortmund? Firstly, as campaigners for EU membership, it’s fantastic to speak to ordinary people in Europe and hear first-hand what they think – their positivity encourages us. It is good to be able to tell Europeans that the majority of people in Britain now regret the decision to leave the EU and that there are large numbers of Britons who still believe in the common ideals of peace, freedom and co-operation. We have now received recognition from Leeds City Council for the first time since the referendum and we hope to develop this link.

In June 2024 the European Movement UK is organizing a twinning conference in Leeds and we hope Leeds City Councilors will attend. One person who will be attending is our friend Geoff Tranter as we seek to further strengthen our links with our European partners. If you want to get a better feel for your visit to Dortmund and see some of Dortmund, Leeds for Europe has a short video available on their YouTube channel:

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