After six months as British High Commissioner to Malta, the advice I was given by my friends and colleagues about Malta has been proved right. Britain and Malta are about as close to each other as is possible without actually having a land border. Brits live in Malta; Maltese live in Britain; half a million Brits come here for their holidays; our histories are littered with each other’s stories; we speak the same language; we have the same outlook on business; and we both tend to see the world through the same prism of openness and liberal values. To cap it all, my (Maltese) driver supports the same Premier League team as I do (Manchester United if you are interested). It’s a familiar story I don’t need to labour.
Last year, among my pre-posting briefing papers and background documents, my reading list included history books in which I found the many extraordinary stories that paint the picture of Malta. It’s almost too much to absorb. Malta’s history is rich, heroic and long and for at least the last two centuries Britain has been an integral part of it. We see many signs of this heritage, not least this year’s 75th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta, a clear reminder of something very special in the lives of our two nations.
But, what about this Brexit thing? Doesn’t that rather blur the rose-tinted view I have described? Well, no, absolutely not. We may be leaving the EU, but we are not leaving Europe and we are not leaving our friends. Britain will be forging a new partnership with the EU and new partnerships with each of the 27 members of the EU. For all the familiar reasons, the UK-Malta relationship has a head start. We already have a brilliant relationship and no one wants that to stop. While plenty of people have talked to me in my first six months about their sadness at our leaving, no one is suggesting that this will damage our relationship. Indeed, as we have all moved on from the drama of June 23, the conversations now are about what we are doing to make this work – both for the UK and for Malta.
It’s a positive vision. The UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, set this out very clearly in her Lancaster House speech. Its essence bears repeating. The British people made a democratic decision to leave the EU. They wanted Britain to be an independent, sovereign nation making its own laws and not subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. That’s what leaving the EU means. It means that we won’t be members of the club any longer; we won’t be in the Single Market and we won’t be in the Customs Union. Britain will be free to make its own trade agreements, including with the EU, and to forge partnerships on any manner of policy.
We may be leaving the EU, but we are not leaving Europe
June 23 was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world. It was the moment we chose to build a truly Global Britain – the best friend and neighbour to our European partners and a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe.
On February 2, the UK Government published its plan for ‘a new, positive and constructive’ partnership in the mutual interest of the UK and the EU, with a White Paper presented to Parliament. The document mirrors the 12 principles set out by the Prime Minister in her speech at Lancaster House presenting a clear and comprehensive vision for Britain, both now and after we leave the EU.
While Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe, we know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal. What nonsense. As David Jones, MP, Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union, said in Malta a few weeks ago: “Friends do not punish friends”. We will follow a better path because of the shared values and spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides; because it is the economically rational thing for both Britain and the EU; and because co-operation is needed not just when it comes to trade but for security too.
The European Union will remain a close and valuable partner on all the challenges facing Europe and the world, be they migration, terrorism, Syria, or Libya. The UK government will continue to defend human rights and support political and economic freedom, working closely with Malta and other allies, in the interests of peace and stability for the Mediterranean and North African region.
Furthermore, as we leave the EU, the message we take to the world is this: Britain remains open for business. We are the same outward-looking, globally-minded, flexible and dynamic country we have always been. This government has a clear vision for Britain. We want the UK to become a hub of global commerce; the world’s natural business partner.
As British High Commissioner to Malta, I will work to ensure not only that the UK-Malta relationship remains as strong as it is today, but that it becomes deeper and better still. Sure, we will no longer be sitting (literally) next to each other in the EU meeting rooms, but as British High Commissioner to Malta, I am convinced that this is a relationship which will not diminish with the passage of time – or with the UK leaving the EU. Rather, the links between our two peoples will continue to be refreshed, updated and strengthened. I propose to work with the Maltese government and the Maltese community to ensure this happens.
If my first six months have been an affirmation of the closeness of the UK-Malta relationship, the next six months will be the beginning of a new stage in our fabulous shared history. I can’t pretend it will be straightforward, but I am looking forward to it. And, who knows, Manchester United might make it into the Champions League.
Stuart Gill OBE is British High Commissioner to Malta.