YP Comment: Brexit and aday of reckoning '“ now there's no turning back

History will judge whether this landmark is remembered in time as one of destiny for a country newly liberated from the EU – or one which leaves the UK destined for the economic doldrums.

Despite Britain voting to leave the EU by a narrow margin the whole country must pull together and help Theresa May’s government to secure the best possible settlement. In many respects, the PM’s position could not be more invidious – she has to balance the competing demands of all four nations of a divided United Kingdom with Tory backbenchers who can’t agree on the meaning of ‘Brexit’ and Opposition parties intent on rerunning the referendum, judging by their vacuous platitudes.

Mrs May’s reputation will be defined by this complex renegotiation and she should, as a statesmanlike leader, remain open to ideas from all – she is not just representing her party’s most Eurosceptic faction. For, while the constitutional futures of both Scotland and Northern Ireland are paramount, she should also heed experts like KPMG’s northern chairman Chris Hearld who says curbing freedom of movement could require Yorkshire’s manufacturing base to re-evaluate its staffing, and operational models, to safeguard jobs and productivity. It’s that profound. Yet this is just one of dozens of equally difficult dilemmas that now await the PM, not least the pros and cons of access to the single market and the feasibility of any trade-offs with the EU.

That said, this is also a critical moment for the EU. Despite the financial demands of Brussels, Britain will not be a pushover. And nor should it. For, in many respects, the very reason why the European Union and United Kingdom are going their separate ways is because 
the Maastricht Treaty a quarter of a century ago was not the promised high water mark for European federalism. Quite the opposite. If it had been, the outcome of last June’s vote might have been very different.

Britain is exiting the EU, it is not leaving Europe, and this is the spirit in which the upcoming talks should be conducted.

A price of war

ONLY those soldiers who have fought on the front line, and witnessed the horrors of war, will comprehend the torment that Royal Marine Alexander Blackman was suffering when he killed a dying Taliban fighter in Afghanistan from close range.

Even after his murder conviction was reduced to manslaughter, paving the way for the 42-year-old’s imminent release from prison, esteemed military experts were still divided on a shocking case in which Alexander admitted to comrades that he had just broken the Geneva Convention with his actions.

Some say he betrayed colleagues by losing his cool in the heat of battle; others maintain that the Marine was a “hero” who served his country with distinction and was as much a casualty as all those who have been killed, and injured, in Afghanistan since the 2011, and that the legal system needs to pay more regard to such circumstances.

Either way, this landmark case is another reminder about the need for greater awareness about the mental frailties of those members of the Armed Forces serving their country in addition to the growing support that now exists thanks to the work of Prince Harry, a noted veteran of Afghanistan, and others.

Best of the best

THEY say a picture tells a thousand words – and this certainly applies to The Yorkshire Post’s multi award-winning team of photographers whose technical expertise, and exceptional eye for detail, captures the essence of this great county, warts and all, on a daily basis.

It’s with particularly pride that our very own Simon Hulme, the man behind the lens, was named regional photographer of the year at the UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards, with his friend, colleague (and rival) James Hardisty commended in the same category. They, and their team, represent the best of the best when it comes to their craft. The Oscars for photographers whose indelible journalism captures a moment in time before it is lost forever, they will say that it is the people, their subjects and sheer beauty of Yorkshire, that makes their job a true labour of love. The legendary American war photographer Robert Capa once said: “The pictures are there, and you just take them.” If only it was that simple.