Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Hassocks, twinning and our European future

It was great to welcome our counterparts from Wald-Michelbach in Germany and Montmirail in France to Hassocks last weekend for the Hassocks Twinning celebrations. Over a very hot and sunny Bank Holiday weekend, a series of visits and events were a real showcase of the very best of our community, what our area has to offer, and an opportunity to continue a long history of friendship with our European neighbours.  

I enjoyed joining the mayors, parish councillors and residents from all three villages for a delicious afternoon tea. It was wonderful to learn how the three communities have built warm and enduring relationships over several decades, and I was heartened to see how committed everyone is to continue to strengthen these partnerships in the years ahead.  

As a said in my remarks on Sunday afternoon, in a time when there is a war on the continent of Europe, conflict in the Middle East, and an unreliable ally on the other side of the Atlantic, the work of twinning associations across Mid Sussex is a good reminder of the value of building bridges across borders.

Securing and deepening ties with our European neighbours does matter, not just for friendship, or even for cultural exchange, but for our economy and our security too. That’s why I’ve been working with Liberal Democrat colleagues to push for a new UK-EU customs union, helping to rebuild those vital connections and remove the barriers that many local businesses and families are still facing after Brexit. In my conversations with local business owners, many of them tell me the same thing; Brexit has done more harm than good, and it is stifling the opportunities to grow.  

The government must recognise that closer cooperation with Europe is key to boosting growth. Labour politicians vying to replace Keir Starmer as Prime Minister have thrown around comments about Europe, but they need to be sincere about working towards stronger relations with Europe for our economy and national security. The success of Hassocks’ twinning weekend showed exactly what we can achieve when we work closely with our European partners, and why that cooperation is as important now as it has ever been.