Jarvis: Politicians must tackle voters' referendum worries

BARNSLEY Central MP Dan Jarvis has warned politicians from all parties they will have questions to answer whatever the result of Thursday's EU referendum.
Barnsley Central MP Dan JarvisBarnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis
Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis

Mr Jarvis said the referendum campaign had highlighted the concerns of millions of people that the increasingly global economy is having a negative impact on their lives.

He pleaded with voters not to “blame all the ills of the world on Europe” but said politicians had a duty to show they were listening and address the worries raised during the referendum campaign.

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Mr Jarvis, tipped by many as a future Labour Party leader, said: “I think whatever the result on Thursday there will be quite important judgements to be made about the extent to which the public has been listened to. I think there will be very big questions for all politicians about where next.

“I think we are much better place to shape our future, to grow our economy, if we are part of the European Union but I think there is going to have to be a moment where we look back on this campaign and the voices of concern that have been expressed by millions of people around the country.

“The interesting thing for me is that for many of my constituents and I suspect for millions of people around the world this hasn’t actually been a referendum on the European Union, it has been a referendum on their own lives.

“Some of the people who are going to vote to leave, for them it’s not actually a critique of the European Union, it is a broader concern about the fact that globalisation has brought all kinds of benefits to the country but they themselves have not benefitted.”

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Mr Jarvis was speaking ahead of the start of what promises to be a frantic final day of campaigning before people go to the polls on Thursday.

He said: “What I will be saying in the final 48 hours is please do not hold the European Union to account for all the concerns that you rightly have about your life and the state of your town or city.

“The way in which we can seek to address those concerns about globalisation and access to employment is through growing our economy and the best way to do that is with access to the single market which we get through the European Union.

“Let’s not blame all the ills of the world on Europe. Let’s as politicians understand the concerns that people have and address them but I think let’s do that the other side of Thursday.”