There is no doubt about it - our European neighbours are helping us to navigate this crisis.
Many of the essential workers who we are relying on most right now - our doctors, nurses and shopkeepers - are from Europe. Not only are our European citizens keeping us healthy, but they are now keeping us fed. There is a recruitment crisis in the agriculture sector, and it is our European neighbours that have come to the rescue.
Yesterday, a flight containing 150 Romanian farmworkers landed in Stansted airport. These workers have been flown to the UK in order to help to feed Britain following a failed recruitment campaign to get Britons to help on farms. These Romanian heroes will be picking fruit and vegetables that would simply be left to rot without their help.
It is hard not to be reminded about the fact that these workers would not have the points needed to qualify to work in the UK under Priti Patel’s immigration policy. Furthermore, her suggestion that roles like this that are currently often filled by European workers could simply be filled by British workers has been shown to be false in this case.
Our European neighbours have come to the rescue on our farms, they have brought our family and friends home, and we are working with them on accessing vital medical supplies. This all serves as a reminder of what the European project is fundamentally about: collaboration, community, and working together.