Penny Mordaunt: It's the moment of truth '“ seize it and vote to leave the EU

From time to time in our nation's illustrious history we have been called upon to do the extraordinary.
EXTRAORDINARY HMS Hermes returns to Portsmouth after the 1982 Falklands warEXTRAORDINARY HMS Hermes returns to Portsmouth after the 1982 Falklands war
EXTRAORDINARY HMS Hermes returns to Portsmouth after the 1982 Falklands war

When such moments arise we do not take the path of least resistance: we do the bold and challenging thing. We do the right thing.

That was the case in 1914 and again in 1939.

In 1982 it would have been so simple to let the Falkland Islands go, but we did not forget who we were and for what we stood. The islands were liberated and the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination was protected.

Today we face another moment of truth.

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The choice we make will define us for generations and perhaps forever.

Come June 23 the power to decide our future will be fully in the hands of the British people.

Awareness of this responsibility is why the electorate’s constant refrain throughout the campaign has been ‘give us the facts’. The British people want the facts, to weigh those facts and then to trust their own judgement. I trust that judgment, too.

Some facts, then.

The French minister of the interior has confirmed that existing border arrangements at Calais will endure.

Draft plans for an EU army have been drawn up in Germany.

Turkish membership is part of the EU’s agenda.

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EU allies trade with us now not out of altruism but because it is in their interests and it will still be in their interests after our withdrawal.

The prospect of Brexit has not stopped the highest level of UK employment since records began.

The single market has still not fully opened up to our service industry. Our security depends on NATO and our bi-lateral relationships.

And without controlled immigration not only can we not properly plan and fund public services, but our government simply cannot govern.

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Outside the EU we will have total control of defence and security – currently denied to us; we will be able to trade freely around the world; we will be able to spend our own money on our own priorities; we will shape the laws of the land; and we will decide the trajectory of our nation.

What is more, our withdrawal from the EU will give Europe the hope it needs to restore freedom and democracy at its heart.

We are a great nation and a great people, and our destiny should be in our hands. Let us reach out and seize the opportunity before us.

Let us vote Leave.