Strength in unity through diversity

I certainly believe that people who are united can provide strength and security for their community. I have also been interested in many examples of diversity making unions even stronger. In fact, I think it is arguably the case that unity can only really succeed if the components are diverse.

In the recent conference of the Primates, the Archbishop of Canterbury took into account the different elements that make up the global Anglican Communion, and made difficult choices designed to reflect the diverse opinions of different cultures and communities, while pulling everyone together. If one component decided to work unilaterally from the others, then they lose the strength of community. In his opening speech at Synod in February, the Archbishop of Canterbury mentioned that the average Anglican is a young sub-Saharan African woman. It is too easy to forget this when we speak on behalf of the Church of England. It is the breadth of the Anglican Communion that makes it so important; the diversity of the lives it touches that makes it worthwhile.

It seems to me that this is also the case in the EU.

The EU not only provides open communication between a wide range of countries, it is strengthened as a result, as long as basic common threads and beliefs are retained throughout. The Union is being tested now more than ever: disagreements between the EU and Britain; disagreements between European countries about how to cope with Syrian refugees; tensions over the financial status of different economies. But this is exactly why the EU was created in the first place – to provide a forum for dealing with such tensions as a group, and not allowing the separatist and aggressive policies that brought around decades of war over the centuries to happen again.

Should we leave, there is no reason to think that other countries won’t follow suit, which does not offer an incentive for the EU to renegotiate with Britain if we were to leave, as other countries might demand the same. I am reminded again of the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, “We here in this Synod… are called to a covenant of unity…past present and future.” The website for the European Union adds in its timeline that, “The political divisions between east and west Europe were finally declared healed when no fewer than 10 new countries join the EU in 2004, followed by two more in 2007.” This is an onwards journey into the future, where the largescale benefits accrue slowly over time.

The diversity of the European Union benefits us, amongst other things, in terms of travel and trade. What I wouldn’t want to see is dull homogeneity, but I don’t believe that is what unity needs to offer. As I mentioned at the beginning, diversity often appears to be the strength behind unity, offering a variety of different approaches, understanding and skills in the face of adversity in a way that homogeneity cannot. So I see hope in the Prime Minister’s reforms to protect our own identity while remaining within the EU with a special status.

It is not always easy to remain united when component parts of a system are so diverse. During the economic turmoil, it was tempting for stronger economies to resent having to prop up the weaker ones. But fortunes can turn over time.

Keeping unity is a constant task and there is still more to be done in terms of the EU in the future, whether or not we remain a part of it. The European governance model also clearly needs reform. Its leaders have failed to communicate adequately to electors what the EU does and why it matters. Trying to get 28 Member States to agree to new regulations is slow and cumbersome. I found it took two hours to go round the table with every Member State stating its position for up to 3 minutes on every item of the agenda. Qualified Majority Voting has speeded up some decisions, but it is time to look afresh at how this is done.

There are indeed many areas ripe for reform. I’m mindful of the Biblical warning that a house divided will fall, and therefore I always strive to build bridges to those with whom I disagree. As a Secretary of State, I often represented the UK and you would be surprised by the range of alliances I built with other Member States to protect our national interest. More often than not, my staunchest allies were France and Germany, defying the national stereotyping. If we stood united, something which would have damaged all of us could be prevented from happening, and given our history, that is a remarkable fact not to be overlooked.

About the author

Caroline Spelman is a Conservative Member of Parliament. She was educated at Herts and Essex Girls’ Grammar and London University. Caroline worked in the sugar industry for 15 years before becoming MP for Meriden in 1997 and was Chairman of the Conservative Party 2007-2009. Caroline has been on the front bench for the majority of her time in parliament, including Shadow Secretary of State for Local, Regional and Devolved Government, and for DfID, and was Secretary of State for Defra from 2010 to 2012. Caroline is currently Second Church Estates Commissioner, and a Vice President of Tearfund. She is married to Mark, a management consultant and they have 3 children.