23 Jun 2026
Ten years after Referendum Day – on which 52 per cent of the UK population voted to leave the European Union – Harpenden MP Victoria Collins has called on the Government to implement a new deal with Europe, including joining the single market.
Victoria says too many local businesses and families are being “punished” for Brexit with sky-high bills and squeezed budgets.
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to negotiate a new Growth and Defence Partnership with the EU – as proposed by party leader Ed Davey – that would turbocharge local economic growth and bring real relief to hard-pressed residents and businesses.
The plans would see the UK join the EU single market and a customs union, tearing down trade barriers and boosting economic growth. It would reverse damage from the Conservatives’ Brexit deal, which the Lib Dems say has cost the country an estimated £90 billion in lost tax revenue in 2025 alone.
Victoria is also calling for deeper defence ties with European partners, to keep Britain safe and counter growing threats from Vladimir Putin and an unreliable Donald Trump.
She said: “It’s time to talk about the elephant in the room. 10 years on, there is no denying that Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson’s Brexit experiment has been a failure. It did real damage to our local economy and worsened the cost-of-living crisis, the effects of which are being felt by families, traders and businesses across Harpenden and the surrounding villages.
“The world has changed, and we must adapt, but being at the heart of Europe, however, remains the right thing to do. That starts with bold action to trade and work with our closest allies.
“The Conservative Brexit deal has meant money taken away from our local schools and hospitals, and out of our pockets in higher taxes in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
“It was the reason I first started campaigning with the Liberal Democrats, and we say that enough is enough, we need to move boldly forward. That’s why we are calling on the Labour Government to take the bold action that is needed to help people and businesses now.
“There must be no more dithering and delay in growing our economy, tackling the cost of living and keeping our communities safe, and that starts with rebuilding our relationship with Europe.”
