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| Conservative Member of the European Parliament representing the South West of England, the Isles of Scilly & Gibraltar |
I have received the following Newsletter from my European Member of Parliament, Mr. Ashley Fox.
As I was one of those who voted in 1973 for Great Britain to join what was then called the European Economic Community, in order for us to advance our trade and friendship with them; never for one moment dreaming that it would eventually lead to a perceived Federal States of Europe or even a Eurozone Single Currency, I now therefore wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments expressed in the article below.
The Prime Minister is right to talk about holding a referendum on Britain's relationship with the European Union. He is also right that this shouldn't take place until after the next General Election.
As I travel around the South West I hear how few people are happy with Britain's current relationship with the EU. Europe costs too much and interferes too much in our daily lives. Whilst we value the single market that enables us to trade freely with our European partners, we worry that Europe is developing into a Political Union that we haven't voted to join.
I appreciate that many people want to leave the EU and want an in/out referendum now. The problem is that this precludes the possibility of improving our current position. A Yes vote means we affirm our current terms of membership (something I don't wish to do) and would prevent any form of repatriation of powers back to Britain. That is why I believe we need to take our time to get this right.
I want to see a Conservative majority Government elected in 2015 on a mandate to repatriate powers from Brussels to Britain. This would be to repeat the manifesto promise we made at the last General Election, which would give the new Government the opportunity to renegotiate our relationship with the EU and then to put the end result to a vote. The question should be whether the British people want to remain within the EU on the new terms, which I hope would resemble the Common Market we joined in 1973, or would they prefer to leave?
We need to be absolutely sure that we are asking the right question at the right time.
“Only a resolute defence of Britain's interests will persuade the British people that it is worth staying in Europe”
Article courtesy of Ashley Fox, MEP.
2 comments:
This is complete and utter bull. The Tories are continuing the sell out of our country as they selling out the police.
You cannot remain a part of Europe and not be drawn further and further into political union. The idea that we can remain in Europe and claw back political powers is ludicrous. We have given too much away already.
There is no reason why we cannot withdraw from the EU completely, and regain our independence and sovereignty, but still remain trading partners with Europe.
We just don't seem to have leaders that realise this or have the balls to do it.
This is such a difficult question.
There are sometimes I feel like saying ,yes let's get out, but then I think of the trouble it would cause.
We have put so much money into it.
I think the answer should be no,
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