The decision not to participate in #Erasmus is short-sighted and mean-spirited. The programme transformed the life-chances of thousands of Brits, many from disadvantaged backgrounds. The proposed UK alternative from a standing start will not be a full substitute. Here’s why. 1/7

Erasmus is often misunderstood as ‘just’ about uni student exchanges. That’s hugely important. But it also promoted vocational education and training placements and youth exchanges for schoolchildren. It gave extra grants for those with disabilities. All this = levelling up. 2/7

Erasmus gave participants a common framework and rules, which reduced the admin burden of setting up and running exchanges. This was vital for smaller colleges, youth groups etc. See evidence given to our Lords Cttee in 2018 on all this
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldeucom/283/28308.htm 3/7

The Lords report concluded a UK-only programme wdn’t replicate aspects of Erasmus: ‘the programme’s strong brand, trusted reputation, common rulebook and framework for partnership agreements, and its established network of potential partners’. Each word of that still applies. 4/7

Erasmus had decades of experience in helping young Brits and others going abroad alone for the first time to make the most of their opportunity. Over the 6 yrs to 2020, 128,000 Brits benefited at a cost of around £1bn. That’s a worthwhile investment in an outwardly-facing UK. 5/7

Yes, more young people from EU countries came here than Brits other way. But that was a huge benefit for the intellectual and social life of universities all round the country. It created networks of friendship and influence which will be important for post-Brexit Britain. 6/7

In short, a UK-only scheme will not replicate the benefits of Erasmus, while probably costing as much. Those too young to vote in the referendum will be the ones to suffer from this mean-spirited decision. I hope it will be one of the first things a future gov’t puts right. 7/7