Dear Robin Walker,

My name is Euan Morrison and I write to you as both a constituent and as the Vice President Education at Worcester Students’ Union.

As a representative of over 10,000 students of which a large proportion are also fellow constituents of yours I felt it was important that I wrote to you in light of the recent events surrounding Brexit.

I fully appreciate that the Brexit deal was never going to be the “easiest in history” as so famously claimed by your colleague back in the summer of 2017. As a fellow ‘remainer’ during the referendum campaign I am sure that we can both agree the arguments and promises in favour of Brexit presented by the Leave Campaign were optimistic, to say the least, and unfortunately both untrue and misleading on many occasions.

The ultimate result of the referendum in 2016 left me hugely disappointed as I am sure you were as well. I think the country has come a long way since then. The analysis of why so many people voted for Leave on the day have really shed light on some of the other deep-rooted concerns fellow citizens have with the country. I think it is wrong, however, that many of these were laid at the feet of the European Union as it has been and I do not believe that leaving the EU and the proposed deal will resolve these concerns. In the aftermath of the result, I was of the persuasion that it was important that the government worked to negotiate the best possible deal. I did, however, remain sceptical that this could be achieved. I appreciate that this has been one of the most difficult set of arrangements to negotiate and agree on, however, I feel the resulting proposals will not deliver a better future for young people in the United Kingdom.

You will be acutely aware of the media coverage that has surrounded the deal since Tuesday. I think this has really demonstrated the discontent among the British public over the proposals. This deal satisfies no one as demonstrated by the events within government over the last few days. Unfortunately, through no fault of your own, the fundamental issue remains that the promises that were made by the Leave Campaign were undeliverable. Although these set of arrangements may have been the best you and your colleagues could produce under the tight parameters, it is a set of arrangements that nobody voted for, expected or I believe wanted.

Now that we have the facts on the table as to what we will get if we leave the EU I believe that the Brexit being delivered is a million miles away from the promises made. In my eyes it is therefore vital we ask the public for their opinion again in the form of a People’s Vote.

As someone who works in and represents the Higher Education sector alongside young people, I have noticed the demand among young people and students for a Peoples Vote. We know that an overwhelming majority of young people voted in favour of remain in 2016. This has not changed, and their voices are only getting louder. As someone who works in student politics, I often get asked the question ‘why aren’t students political anymore?’ To this, I argue that students’ voices are becoming louder than ever. We saw the results of the last general election and the effect it had in both Sheffield and Canterbury. This was a fantastic example of democracy in action with young people making their voices heard. The topic of Brexit this is no different. We recognise the potential impacts that this deal could have on our opportunities just as we are setting out on our journeys into the world of work. Brexit is galvanising young people like never before in a way I haven’t seen before on both campus and online.

As a Students’ Union we passed a motion to support the People’s Vote Campaign earlier this year, we took a coach full of students down to the march and saw some of the highest engagement in any kind of discussion of a topic that we have ever had at one of our pop-up campus stalls. The overwhelming majority of these students are in favour of a People’s Vote.

It is also worth pointing out that the University of Worcester as one of the leading nursing and health care educators in the country has a huge percentage of students really in tune with the pressures the NHS face and in particular in Worcestershire. From the false promises on a side of a bus to the reality of how many of our EU health and social care professionals have benefited Worcestershire and the UK as a result of freedom of movement, there is dismay that, particularly in a region that has struggled recently, that politicians would support something that will damage the NHS as they see it.

I feel as if I would be fighting a losing battle to convince you to vote against the deal when it goes to Parliament. However, in what seems the most likely scenario that it does not pass and we are facing down the barrel of a catastrophic no deal Brexit, I would urge you as my representative, and the representative of thousands of students to listen to our calls and those of young people in favour of a People’s Vote.

I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely,

Euan Morrison

e.morrison@worc.ac.uk