“The Liberal Democrats believe that Britain should have a referendum, not on the narrow
question of adopting this new treaty, but on the big question that faces Britain, whether we remain part of the EU or not.
The question of Britain’s place in the European Union has poisoned our national politics for decades. As a nation, we need to lance the boil and decide once and for all if we want to be part of the European Union or not.”
Nick Clegg
THE MOST OVERWHELMING issue for this country in the coming year has to be the European Union and whether we stay in it.
The eurozone crises has finally brought into focus the inevitability of our joining a European federation of political and monetary union, if, that is, we were to continue as a member.
Back in the 1980s ‘federalism’ was mocked by the Europhiles every time it passed the lips of a swivel-eyed eurosceptic - it should, they implied, be considered lunacy to even consider such a prospect. That was the view of Michael Heseltine and Ken Clarke; both of whom used their dominant and loquacious personalities to pour scorn and disbelief on the very notion of what would be in effect - a United States of Europe.
That chippy old devil Ted Heath would never have castigated the idea of political and monetary union. He would have agreed with the sceptics in his own party, and felt no need to make allowances for or apologise for the sensitivities of the eurosceptic British public, as his Europhile colleagues were forever doing.
The Tory Europhiles knew full well what lay at the end of their particular yellow brick road; and it was no emerald city, but a Europe of Gormhangastian proportions. Where national identity, culture and sovereignty would become part of the European collective.
The euro crises has forced the hand of those Europhiles who hoped to keep up the pretence of retaining national sovereignty. For instead of (as it should have done) deterring such a project; the crises now engulfing Europe, has caused the European elites to wheedle and cajole national governments into fast tracking political and monetary union.
Softly, softly, catch the monkey, is no longer a worthwhile strategy for British Europhiles to pursue. Mr Barroso, the President of the European Commission, responded to the failure of the euro by demanding complete integration - immediately.
EVENTS ARE MOVING FAST, and the British people are in danger of being bypassed by their politicians yet again. But this time it is not some treaty which our masters refuse us a say on; but our national identity and sovereignty. For the next move in Europe will be for harmonization and a betrayal of the many millions who have died defending and believing in their nation.
David Cameron has earned plaudits for his refusal to kow-tow to other European leaders; but this is far from adopting a cast iron defence of the nation state and all it has come to mean; like making and passing laws that cannot be challenged by any outside agency; like being able to determine our own rules and regulations without the impudence of unelected European commissioners interfering to tell us what we can and cannot do; like never allowing elected leaders to be deposed by foreign politicians and replacing them with unelected technocrats.
Next year will indeed be the year when David Cameron, in particular, will have to come to a decision about a referendum on Europe. He has so far abjured from giving the British people their say on the one issue so vital to their futures. His refusal, after pre-election promises to do so, leaves me distrustful of this man’s integrity.
Time is running out for a deeply eurosceptic nation lead by Europhiles. If our politicians are seen to overwhelm the sentiments of the people they represent on this issue, then the rule of law will no longer matter as far as the people’s faith in their elected leaders are concerned.
If the lawmakers can feel themselves all powerful, then the people are free to put a break on such a display of arrogance by taking the law into their own hands and rescuing it from being held hostage by Europe. If the people are to be ignored by the politicians on this most vital issue confronting them, then the elected politicians will lose all legitimacy to govern, and are therefore without legitimacy.
IN 2012 EUROPE WILL dominate and David Cameron will have to decide whether he comes out of the Europhile closet and finally succumbs to the de-classification of his country from being a nation, to becoming a mere canton; as those other nations will inevitably become if they remain loyal to the true understanding of a United States of Europe.
Or perhaps he will surprise us all and disavow such a future and gamble upon his country’s survival as a nation.
This country can and would survive without being a member of the European Union (EU). Despite all of the threats and horrific scenarios that would accompany any referendum vote on our future within Europe - we would still survive as a nation, independent and proud.
If we had to chose a fate where we were prepared to relinquish our sovereignty, then I would prosper a union with America rather than with Europe. Because we are nearer, culturally speaking, to America than we are to the rest of Europe.
France and Germany have never taken to us as a nation. They each have their own resentments of us ‘Anglo-Saxons’; they each in their own way regard us as the main obstacle to their ambition for European supremacy through the evolution of the European Union.
France, in particular, has sought our exclusion from Europe. They, quite rightly, believed that we British would not allow every manifestation of French novelty for the union to travel unhindered into the constitution of these isles.
THE UNITED KINGDOM, comprising over 60 million people, is a generous market for European profit. Just as Europe is also a highly profitable market for the United Kingdom. This arrangement does not need tampering with by politicians, either elected or unelected in Europe.
Those who suggest trade with Europe would suffer if we forfeited 1,000 years of history and struggle toward nationhood, are really suggesting that Europe would blockade our trade with the continent - for how else would our trade with Europe suffer? Free trade between nations would continue; we would continue to buy from Europe, and Europe would continue to sell to us. It is a mutual benefit as old a civilisation itself, and can only be restricted by either tariff s or other politically motivated restrictions on free trade.
Such blackmail would never work, and would make the British public even more distrustful of Europe. On top of which, the world community , as well as international law would come to our defence. Not because of any sympathy for the UK, but because of the threat to free trade itself. Besides, modern technology would make it wholly impractical.
David Cameron must give his people a referendum on whether we stay in, or come out of the European Union. But first, he must go to the country and end the Coalition. For Nick Clegg will oppose such a referendum. If Cameron is serious about standing up to Europe, he must first of all clear the decks, and ask the country to let him govern alone with the promise of an in or out referendum as his main manifesto pledge.
Like Nick Clegg, I believe we ‘need to lance the boil’ once and for all. If Cameron is at all serious, his co-partner in government has given him his support, be it somewhat dated. Nevertheless such forthrightness cannot have been disavowed by the passage of so short a time. Cameron no longer has the excuse of Coalition politics for holding back.
If he chooses to hold back it is purely and simply because he is a Europhile engaged in flimflamming a eurosceptic public.
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