Britain would be better served looking towards Europe than America for economic and political ties - Yorkshire Post Letters

The Prime Minister appears to believe that British national interests are best served by trying to steer a middle course between the European Union and President Trump’s United States.

I’ll likely not be alone in finding this approach illusory, unrealistic and may be even naïve and this largely because Trump’s people seem ideologically motivated to force such a divisive choice on this country.

Britain is a European country not just geographically but also politically, economically and socially with wide support for a social democratic model for society. In that sense Canada is also a European country.

Americans embrace unbridled capitalism and tolerate economic inequalities more readily than their European and Canadian allies.

The UK could have been leading in Europe in co-operation with the French as the two main military powers were it not for the self-inflicted folly of Brexit depriving us of a seat at a key decision-making table.

The EU is one half of the post-war architecture which has brought relative peace, prosperity and security to Europe. After the 1956 Suez events France pursued a policy of deepened European co-ordinated action and integration as the best way of defending their national interest.

The UK accepted its place as a junior partner in the Anglo-American world power and consequently our foreign policy has had to react to the vagaries of American voters.

Trump ally Stephen Moore couldn’t have been clearer in asserting that to gain his master’s favours Britain would need to adopt ‘the American model of economic freedom’.

My preference would be for Britain to be at the heart of a European Union which would mirror economically and socially the NATO military alliance.

A Britain firmly rooted in the twin wings of European polity wouldn’t have to choose. This Britain would lead. Re-integrating Britain into structures of the EU such as the life-enhancing Erasmus student exchange programme would be a good first step.