Brexit
Shall we stay or shall we go? would we be better off in or out? Does anybody really know? I am beginning to believe they don't. I am reasonably certain that the leaders of 27 Countries will be looking after their own interests and so they should. We have enough trouble with a Union involving the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish to have a good idea how difficult, if nigh on impossible, ever closure Union has become. Do we actually trust the European Court of Justice or European Parliament not to make decisions that are against the interests of Britain, of course we don't. We joined the Common Market to improve and stimulate trade and are now subject to directive after directive interfering with our way of life. The goods and produce we export are bought because the purchasers want to use or consume them. The goods we buy from member states are because we want them and suppliers are still going to want to sell to us whether we are in or out. None of these facts are likely to change because our nation decides we are no longer content to be told what to do by a collection of self interested foreign Countries. Dave tells us that he has successfully changed our position in the European Union to give us special status and therefore we should all be relaxed about our future remaining as members. Dave also told us it was immoral to invest in off shore trusts to evade tax. Just note how difficult a fight that was for our Prime Minister trying to get what he thinks was best for Britain and by the way he didn't get all he wanted. So he now wants us to stay as members of the Club but only comply with a set of rules that apply to us, surely members of a Club should all be subject to the same set of rules or resign. From the beginning we have refused to adopt the euro, a very significant part of membership, a decision that has proved to be the right one and is not going to be altered which ever course we take. One set of rules for us and one for them is impractical and will lead to resentment. Britain being sidelined by the other 27 Countries and eventually more, who all have to abide by the same regulations , or a majority of them ganging up on Britain to achieve their own objectives.
I thought I would have a think about the in or out arguments and have a say this month one way and in June the other way, I'll leave the reader to decide which one this is. We must be under no illusion, whatever Dave has negotiated can be overturned by veto, vote, directive or the passage of time after we have held our once in a lifetime referendum and stayed in. The only certainty can be achieved by politely declining the invitation to remain as members and renegotiating from the outside. The only way Britain can control our destiny is by reverting to democratic rule without European interference, we are capable of making any decision we are called upon to make applying our own experience and standards. A return to the democracy we developed and the taking back of complete control is a very attractive way forward, our justice system can function perfectly well on its own and our appellate courts can be safely given back the ultimate decision making process. We would not be disappearing into the ether if we retire gracefully from a Franco- German dominated European Union, we will still be able to consider European Court decisions and treat them as persuasive authority rather than having to follow meekly along with everything they dream up. Does anybody really believe convicted prisoners while serving a sentence should be voting in elections or in the referendum for that matter. Does anybody really believe our lives were endangered by the light bulbs we were all so fond of or the sausages we are used to having for breakfast. We are all affected daily by E.U. regulations which have been infiltrating our society in a constant stream every year.
Do as you are told Britain, even if it is inconsistent with your culture it is what we say you should be doing so get on with it and for goodness sake stop moaning. That shouldn't be what we want for future generations surely, never mind the current ones. This is the chance to draw a line under the restrictions to our freedom and get our sovereignty back, lets buy and sell in the world market place not be fettered by the Germans and the French and their 25 subordinates the vast majority of whom I couldn't tell you who they are without resorting to Google. A fair proportion of them are bankrupt countries anyway and they are not the sort of customers you would give credit too in our shops, being a nation of shopkeepers as we are sometimes referred. This is our chance for a fresh start without having to resort to physical violence as my Dad's and Granddad's generations did to free ourselves from the threat of German domination.
Now then, what is so wrong about having control over who comes to live in your house, nothing you say. Well what is so wrong about having control over who comes to live in your Country, it's against E.U. regulations you say. Well then, lets wrench back the control we should never have surrendered. This is not about stopping immigration it is about who has the say who comes, how many and when. Our elected government should be able to freely control our borders, who comes here and have the power to return those who arrive illegally and we do not chose to allow to stay for whatever reason. There are numerous reasons why our self generated laws allow people to stay in this Country legally and that is fine, the problem is freedom of movement. The trouble with living in the best country in the world to call home is that a vast number of people who are not so fortunate want to join in and as we are surrounded by sea there are limits to the practicality of that situation. We simply have to be able to control our own borders in the way we choose not the way we are told and the only way we can do that satisfactorily is to change things and get our sovereignty back.
How much money do you think we send to Brussels each week, for the benefit of the European Union and all its members, go on have a guess, £100 million, £200million, £300million? no, £350 million and yes that is every week. Surely we can use this money to better effect than handing it over to the E.U. to distribute as it sees fit. The other Union members are committed to ever closer Union and enlargement in the years ahead, where will this leave Britain if we stay in, further marginalised is the obvious answer and any influence we have therein further diluted.
The modern European Union is a lovely naive concept with all these nations striving together for the joint benefit voting for the good of all not selfishly looking after their own interests. Unfortunately we don't live on a fantasy continent we have to face up to the fact that the major players do nothing that they do not believe is ultimately in their own interests and one is better dealing with them commercially at length not cuddled up in bed with them. Bye the way I wonder how many of the current member states regret the decision to sign up and might welcome the opportunity to turn back the clock, we might find out in the years ahead, whether we stay or go.