In discussion: Brexit

Sir,

On 10 July, I will be at Carnoy on the Somme. Every Remembrance Sunday we hear in the Ode of Remembrance 'We will remember them'.

My great-great uncle, Dr Raymond Jones, was killed there 100 years ago on that day. He was a well-liked Welsh GP, who climbed out of the trenches, bandages in his pockets, to help the wounded lying in the battlefield near Mametz Wood, to then be killed in machine gun fire.

The 'war to end all wars' did not end war, but led to the Second World War, which devastated Europe. In neither of these wars was Britain the initial target, but our country was drawn in because Europe's problems are our problems.

The aim of the founding fathers of the European movement in the late 1940s was to ensure that 'no more war' was not just a slogan, but would be made a reality.
The EU may sometimes be bureaucratic, inefficient, and have a lengthy legislative process - but that is democracy.

While it may be argued that times are changing and 'it could not happen again', one only has to look to the countries bordering the EU to see that conflict exists and is not that far away. Conflicts in Bosnia, Croatia, Crimea, Ukraine, and Georgia are examples of this.

The European project has inspired countries that formerly had right-wing dictatorships or Eastern Bloc regimes to become part of a cooperative union with human rights and democracy at their core. Those who faced each other in nationalistic battles now confine their fights to Eurovision and the football field.

Britain 's unbroken history of the rule of law, democracy, and support for human rights has been an inspiration for the new European democracies.

So, what happens if we leave? Some, like Mr Putin, will be delighted. If others followed a British example, this would lead to the fragmentation of Europe. Eastern European countries would become easy to pick off.

But the EU is not just about concern as to what might happen; a Europe united has done - and can do more - to bring peace and prosperity to the world. The EU stands for principles that we should be promoting worldwide: respect for the law, human rights, democracy, and business without corruption. The ultimate solution to the problems of migration is a world where citizens do not feel they have to migrate because of war or economic conditions. Europe should work harder as the facilitator for improving conditions in other countries.

The referendum campaign has become a battle of statistics. To me, the most important statistic is incontrovertible. For me, it is the reason why the EU exists and why it is in Britain's interest to remain.

That statistic is zero: zero
is the number of European citizens killed in wars between members of the EU since it was established.

Graham Colley is chair of the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association @GrahamColley www.libdemlawyers.org.uk